ETSU Game Information (Thursday, Feb. 14 – 7 p.m. – Johnson City, Tenn.)
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Western Carolina Game Information (Saturday, Feb. 16 – 2 p.m. – Cullowhee, N.C.)
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CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel men's basketball team wraps up the current three-game road swing with a pair of games at ETSU and Western Carolina this week. The Bulldogs will first travel to Johnson City, Tennessee for a 7 p.m. Valentine's Day tipoff against the Buccaneers on Thursday, Feb. 14 before traveling over to Cullowhee, North Carolina for a 2 p.m. game versus the Catamounts on Saturday, Feb. 16.

ETSU AND THE CITADEL TO PARTICIPATE IN COACHING FOR LITERACY GAME
Thursday night's game at ETSU will be the Buccaneers' Coaching for Literacy Game. Both coaching staffs will partner with Coaching for Literacy (CFL) to raise awareness about the issue of illiteracy in America and to provide support for young children struggling to read in Johnson City. Fight for Literacy Games bring coaches, players, and fans together in a common cause: ensuring our children can read. To raise awareness about the issues connected to illiteracy, both coaching staffs will wear Coaching for Literacy's Green for Literacy awareness kit, showcasing a green lapel pin and wrist band. Per the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 67% of fourth graders in Tennessee are not proficient in reading. ETSU Men's Basketball is doing its part to help change the stat and encouraging fans to get involved in the cause.

THE BULLDOGS NATIONALLY
The Citadel enters the week in the top 50 in NCAA Division I in five statistical categories. The Bulldogs are second in both 3-pointers made per game (11.8) and 3-pointers attempted (813), tied for fourth with 272 total 3-pointers made, and fifth in scoring (86.6 points per game). The 'Dogs are also 42nd in assists per game (15.7).

WHAT THE WIN OVER MERCER MEANS
The six-point win over Mercer marks the first time The Citadel has defeated Mercer in back-to-back games since the 1926-27 season. That year, the Bulldogs beat Mercer four times, including twice on the road. With the 2017-18 win in Macon and the 2018-19 win on the road, the Bulldogs have beat Mercer in Macon in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.

COACH BAUCOM IN THE WIN COLUMN
The Bulldogs boast 11 wins on the year, marking the fifth straight year the 'Dogs have won at least 10 games. It is the first time since the stretch from the 1993-94 season to the 1997-98 season that The Citadel has posted double-digit wins in five-straight seasons. The four straight double-digit wins in Duggar Baucom's first four years mark the first time since Norm Sloan from the 1956-57 season to the 1959-60 campaign that a head coach has won at least 10 games in his first four seasons. Sloan and Baucom are the only head coaches in program history to win double-digit games in each of their first four seasons in Charleston.

STALLWORTH NATIONALLY
Lew Stallworth enters this week in the top 53 in the nation in four categories. The Los Angeles, California native is 24th in assists per game (6.0), 27th with 137 total assists, tied for 31st in field goals made (171) and is 53rd in NCAA Division I for field goal percentage (.546).

FRIERSON NATIONALLY
Matt Frierson is currently in the top 10 in three 3-point field goal statistical categories. Frierson is tied for sixth in both total 3-pointers made (87) and 3-pointers made per game (3.78), and is 10th with 227 3-point attempts.

NAJDAWI NATIONALLY
Zane Najdawi is currently tied for 73rd in the nation with 39 blocked shots, and he is tied for 92nd with six double-doubles.

900-POINT CLUB
With his 27-point performance Saturday, Stallworth eclipsed the 900-point mark for his collegiate career. He now has 909 points, including 442 this season. The 442 points this season are a career high.

STALLWORTH LEADING THE WAY
With his 27-point performance at Mercer, Stallworth has now scored at least 20 points in 11 games this season and 14 times in his career.

STALLWORTH WITH THE ASSIST
Stallworth recorded three assists in the game at Mercer, giving him 137 for the year. He is now in sole possession of seventh in program history and is just one assist behind Frankie Johnson's 2017-18 season and Cameron Wells' 2010-11 campaign in fifth.

NAJDAWI CONTINUING HIS CLIMB
Najdawi had two defensive rebounds at Mercer, giving him 448 for his career, a mark that moved him up from fourth to third in program history.

ONE OF JUST EIGHT
Najdawi boasts 1,510 points for his career. Najdawi is one of just eight players in Southern Conference history, and is the only player in school history, to score at least 1,500 career points while also bringing down over 600 rebounds and swatting away 100 shots.

BLOCK PARTY FOR ZANE
Najdawi swatted away two shots in the game at Mercer, marking the 52nd time in his illustrious career the senior forward has swatted away multiple shots in a game. He boasts 12 multi-block games this season. For the year, Najdawi boasts 39 blocks. The mark has his 2018-19 season ninth in program history for blocks in a single season. Najdawi already boasts four of the program's top-10 performances for blocks in a single season, including his freshman (2015-16) season (fourth, 60) and his junior (2017-18) campaign (seventh, 42).

THE HISTORY WITH ETSU
ETSU controls the all-time series record by a mark of 44-17, including a 22-7 record over the Bulldogs in Johnson City. Earlier this year, the Bucs started the home-and-home series with a 98-73 win over the 'Dogs in Charleston. Last season, the Bulldogs came close to upsetting the Bucs with a 73-71 loss in Charleston on Jan. 29. On Feb 20, the Bulldogs finished the job with an 84-82 road win in Johnson City. The win over the Bucs broke a five-game losing skid to ETSU and marked the first win for the Bulldogs in Johnson City since the 2004-05 season.

SCOUTING THE BUCCANEERS
The ETSU Buccaneers enter the week 19-7 overall, including a 9-4 mark in Southern Conference action (fourth) and a 10-2 record at home. The Bucs are ranked 15th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll and are 25th in the Mid-Major Madness poll. ETSU continues to lead the nation in rebounding margin (+12.1) and total rebounds (1,072). The Bucs are also eighth in NCAA Division I for rebounds per game (41.23). ETSU enters the week averaging 79.2 points per game, while holding their opponents to 68.0 points per outing, a +11.2 scoring margin. ETSU has connected on 48.2 percent of its shots from the field, including averaging 8.1 triples per game. Opponents have averaged 8.3 3-pointers per game against the Bucs and have connected on 42.5 percent of their shots from the field.

THE BUCS INDIVIDUALLY
The Bucs have been led by the tandem of Jeromy Rodriguez and Patrick Good, both averaging 12.0 points per contest. Tray Boyd is third on the team with an average of 11.5 points per game, while Bo Hodges averages 9.0 points per outing. Rodriguez, who is seventh in the nation with 11.3 rebounds per game and ranks fifth in NCAA Division I with 295 boards, has shot 56.3 percent from the field. In total, the Buccaneers' top seven scorers are all shooting over 42.0 percent for the season. Good leads the team with 80 3-pointers, while shooting 41.7 percent from beyond the arc. Isaiah Tisdale leads the team with 78 assists to go along with 8.1 points per game. Rodriguez is the only player to have started all 26 games. Good has started 24 of the 25 games he has appeared in. Hodges has made 19 starts, Mladen Armus has made 17, Daivien Williamson has started 14 games and Tisdale boasts 13 starts.

THE HISTORY WITH WESTERN CAROLINA
Western Carolina holds a 40-36 lead over The Citadel in the all-time series dating back to 1977. The Catamounts have won the last three meetings between the two programs, and eight of the last 10. In Cullowhee, the Cats hold a 22-14 advantage over the 'Dogs with the last Bulldog road win in the series coming on Jan. 21, 2016 (92-91). The most recent win for the Bulldogs was a 78-72 win on March 3, 2017 in the Southern Conference Basketball Championships in Asheville, North Carolina.

SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS
Western Carolina enters the week 6-20 overall, including 3-10 in SoCon games and 3-6 at home inside the Ramsey Center. WCU is currently averaging 70.2 points per game, while their opponents have scored 79.5 points per outing, a -9.3 margin. The Cats have shot 45.4 percent from the field compared to 48.1 percent by their foes, but the Catamounts are out-shooting opponents from 3-point range by shooting 37.0 percent from beyond the arc compared to 33.1 percent by the opposition. Western Carolina has averaged 9.0 treys per game and their opponents have averaged 7.2.

THE CATS INDIVIDUALLY
Four Catamounts are currently averaging double figures in scoring led by Kameron Gibson's 13.5 points per outing and Carlos Dotson's 13.3. Matt Halvorsen is third on the team with an average of 11.9 points per game and Onno Steger is the final Cat in double figures, contributing 11.1 points per contest. Dotson leads the team by shooting 58.3 percent from the field and is nearly averaging a double-double, adding 9.6 rebounds per tilt. Dotson also leads the team with 12 blocks. Of players who have taken at least 100 shots, Gibson is second on the team, having connected on 47.1 percent of his attempts from the field. He and Halvorsen lead the team with 64 3-pointers each, but Gibson is more efficient, connecting on 42.7 percent of his attempts from long range compared to 35.4 percent by Halvorsen. Halvorsen leads the team with 71 assists and Steger leads the team with 19 steals. Steger is the only player to have started all 26 games for the Catamounts, while Gibson and Halvorsen have both started 25 games. Only five players have played in every game, including Steger, Gibson, Halvorsen, Marc Gosselin and Josh Cottrell. Dotson has started 23 games, Gosselin has started 12 and D.J. Myers has made 11 starts.

NEXT UP
The Citadel has one final three-game homestand of the regular season, beginning with a crucial 7 p.m. game against Chattanooga on Thursday, Feb. 21. The 'Dogs will then host Samford on Saturday, Feb. 23 for Senior Day.

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