CHARLESTON, S.C. – Senior forward Zane Najdawi needed just 20 points heading into The Citadel's game with Johnson & Wales (Charlotte) Wednesday night to break into the top 10 in program history for career scoring. Najdawi led the Bulldogs with 23 points and continued his ascent up the career ranks as the 'Dogs defeated the Wildcats, 127-93, inside McAlister Field House, extending the current winning streak to five games.

Game Information
Location: Charleston, S.C. (McAlister Field House)
Final Score: The Citadel 127, Johnson & Wales (Charlotte) 93
Records: The Citadel (7-2), JWU (4-4)
Series: The Citadel leads, 1-0

KEY STATS

• The Bulldogs jumped out to a 3-0 lead as Connor Kern knocked down a trey within the first 30 seconds of the game. Najdawi extended the lead back out to three, 6-3, when he hit a free throw nearly a minute later.
• The Wildcats broke out on an 8-1 run to take a four-point lead, and JWU boasted a five-point, 22-17 lead with 12:36 remaining in the first half.
• With 9:14 left in the opening period, Kaiden Rice hit one of his three 3-pointers to give the Bulldogs the lead for good.
• The Bulldogs led by as many as 21, 57-36, with 3:18 to play in the first half and took a 20-point, 64-44 lead into the locker room at halftime.
• Matt Frierson began the second half by knocking down his first three 3-point attempts in the first 1:30 after making two in the entire opening stanza.
• With 15:00 to play, Najdawi extended the lead out to 30 when he converted a free throw on an and-one play. The layup on which he was fouled tied the Midlothian, Virginia native with Zach Urbanus (2007-11) and Patrick Elmore (1983-84, 88-90) for 10^th all-time in program history for scoring, and the subsequent free throw gave him sole possession of 10^th.

NOTABLES

• The Bulldogs improve to 7-2 on the year, marking the best start through nine games since the 2004-05 team started the year 7-2 under Pat Dennis.
• The current five-game winning streak is the longest since the 2009-10 team won five games in a row over Samford, Chattanooga, College of Charleston, Elon and Western Carolina from Feb. 4-18 under the direction of Ed Conroy. The 2009-10 team was Conroy's final team in Charleston, and the Bulldogs went 16-16.
• The Bulldogs improved to 18-3 all-time under head coach Duggar Baucom when scoring at least 100 points. The 'Dogs have eclipsed the century mark in four games this season and are 4-0 in those games after going 5-1 last season and 7-2 two years ago.
• The Bulldogs scored 64 points in the first half, marking the 11^th-most points scored in an opening stanza in program history. It is the fourth time this season the 'Dogs have scored at least 60 in a first half.
• The 'Dogs netted 63 points in the second half, tied for the 12^th-most points scored in a second half in program history. It is the third time this season The Citadel has scored at least 60 points in a second half.
• The Bulldogs knocked down 17 3-pointers against Johnson & Wales, marking the seventh game this season, and fourth in a row that the 'Dogs have had at least 10 treys. The Bulldogs are 6-1 when converting at least 10 treys this season.
• For the third game in a row, the Bulldogs had four of their starting five end the game in double-digit scoring. Najdawi (23), Frierson (15), Kern (14) and Lew Stallworth (19) all finished with double-digit points for the Bulldogs, as did Quayson Williams (10) and Rice (16) off the bench.
• Najdawi and Stallworth each finished with a double-double, marking the second time this season a duo has accomplished the feat together. The last time it happened, Stallworth finished with 13 points and 13 assists and Hayden Brown scored 15 points to go with 10 rebounds in the win over Johnson (Fla.).
• Najdawi led the Bulldogs with 23 points to go along with 10 rebounds (five on each end of the court), three assists and two blocks. He now boasts 1,324 career points, the 10^th-most points scored in program history.
• With his two blocks, Najdawi has now swatted away multiple shots in 45 career games. He boasts 159 blocked shots for his career.
• Stallworth recorded his fourth double-double of the year, fifth of his career, and his third in a row as he finished his 28 minutes of work with 19 points and 10 assists. In the Bulldogs' last five games, Stallworth has averaged 19.4 points, 7.6 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game.
• With his five 3-pointers made, Frierson has now converted at least one trey in 47 consecutive games. He has also made at least four 3-pointers in 32 career games, including each of the last four.

QUOTABLES FROM COACH DUGGAR BAUCOM
"It was a little bit scary for me going into it, and Johnson & Wales certainly played very well. You have to credit them for coming here and really challenging us. The game right before exams always scares me because of the all the responsibilities and academic requirements the guys have. Thank goodness I have a bunch of good students, but credit to them. We didn't play our best, certainly not defensively like we have been, but we got through it and a lot of guys scored."

COMING UP
The Bulldogs will now be off from outside competition for 10 days to focus on exams. The Citadel will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 15 when Southeast Missouri State comes to town for a 1 p.m. tipoff.

For more information on The Citadel basketball team, please visit CitadelSports.com and follow @CitadelHoops and @CitadelSports on Twitter and Instagram.