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The Citadel Athletics

The Citadel Athletics | The Military College of South Carolina
Spence_B_19-20MBB_UNCG_MA_01
Milledge Austin/The Citadel
79
Winner UNC Greensboro UNCG 14-5, 4-2 SoCon
69
The Citadel CIT 6-10, 0-5 SoCon
Winner
UNC Greensboro UNCG
14-5, 4-2 SoCon
79
Final
69
The Citadel CIT
6-10, 0-5 SoCon
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UNC Greensboro UNCG 32 47 79
The Citadel CIT 33 36 69

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Bulldogs Hang Tough with Spartans

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Freshmen Fletcher Abee and Brady Spence led the way Wednesday night as The Citadel basketball team went up against a tough UNC Greensboro team. The Bulldogs hung tough with the Spartans all night long, but UNCG managed to make several key plays late to pull away for a 79-69 Southern Conference win.

Game Information
Final Score: UNCG 79, The Citadel 69
Records: UNCG (14-5, 4-2 SoCon), The Citadel (6-10, 0-5 SoCon)
Location: Charleston, S.C. (McAlister Field House)
Series: UNCG leads, 29-9

KEY STATS
  • Eddie Davis, III controlled the opening tip and the two teams wasted little time trading shots, but it was the Spartans that managed to establish the early lead when Malik Massey hit a 3-pointer nearly three minutes in.
  • UNCG managed to stretch the lead out to five early, but the Bulldogs quickly battled back and with 13:23 left in the opening period, Kaiden Rice tied the game at 12-all with a fast-break layup.
  • The lead changed hands six times in the first half alone, and with 7:14 left on the game clock in the first half, Spence gave the Bulldogs the lead back with one of his three dunks, setting the score at 23-22.
  • The Citadel managed to stretch the lead out to four twice, including 30-26 with 4:47 remaining in the opening stanza when Abee scored a layup, and again with 1:32 when Rice hit one of his three 3-pointers, setting the score at 33-29.
  • However, Michael Hueitt Jr. pulled the Spartans back to within one, 33-32 with 1:01 left in the half with a 3-pointer.
  • Out of the half, UNCG quickly took the lead with a jumper from Isaiah Miller 10 seconds in, but Abee answered with a 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs a two-point lead back.
  • On the next UNCG possession, Miller gave UNCG the lead right back with a 3-pointer of his own, and UNCG never trailed from there.
  • The Spartans managed to stretch the lead out to as many as 13, 58-45, with 13:12 left in regulation, but the Bulldogs continued to battle and fight, closing to within six, 59-53 as Kaelon Harris capped a 6-0 run by The Citadel with a pair of made free throws with 11:04 left on the game clock.
  • Despite the momentum swing in favor of the Bulldogs, UNCG was able to stretch things back out to as many as 12, 78-66 with just over 1:00 left to play.
  • After hitting on 52.0% (13-of-25) of their shots from the field in the first half, the Bulldogs finished the game shooting 47.1% (24-of-51) from the field for the game.
  • The Bulldogs out-shot the Spartans, who finished the game shooting 39.2% (29-of-74) from the field, but UNCG scored 34 points off the Bulldogs' 32 turnovers.
  • The Bulldogs managed to out-rebound the Spartans 38-34 and the 'Dogs swatted away three shots compared to just one by UNCG.
  • Abee led all scorers with 20 points, including converting a game-high four 3-pointers. Abee added six rebounds, matching his career high.
  • Spence finished with a career-high 17 points to go along with seven rebounds and a blocked shot.
  • Rice and Harris were the final two Bulldogs to finish in double figures. Rice ended his night with 13 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, while Harris recorded his seventh double-double of the season off 11 points and 10 rebounds. Rice added five assists, while Tyson Batiste finished the game with eight assists.
  • James Dickey led the Spartans with a double-double off 19 points and 12 rebounds.

NOTES
  • UNC Greensboro entered the game ranked ninth in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
  • The Spartans came into the game allowing just 59.1 points per game, which ranked eighth in the nation. The Bulldogs managed to out-score that mark.
  • UNCG had held their previous opponents to a .407 shooting clip before the Bulldogs converted 47.1% of their shots.
  • The 20-point performance by Abee marked the second 20-point performance for the freshman from Morganton, North Carolina. Abee scored 27 points against Piedmont on Dec. 10. The 20 points against UNCG marked a career high against an NCAA Division I opponent.
  • Abee has now scored in double figures in three straight games and nine times this season.
  • Abee has converted at least three 3-pointers in three straight games and eight times this season.
  • With his four 3-pointers made Wednesday night, Abee moved into the top 10 in program history for treys made in a season by a freshman. Abee now has 43 made 3-pointers.
  • Spence's 17 points marked a career high for the freshman from Douglasville, Georgia. His previous high was 16 set against Piedmont.
  • Spence swatted away one shot Wednesday night, giving him 14 blocked shots on the year. His 14 blocks as a freshman rank tied for 12th in program history for a freshman season.
  • Spence has recorded a block in three straight games, his longest such stretch.
  • With his eight assists Wednesday, Batiste now boasts 103 on the year. He is 16 away from cracking the top 15 in program history for assists in a single season.

COMING UP
The Bulldogs will next open a two-game road swing that will take them up into Virginia and then over into Tennessee. The Citadel first travels to VMI on Saturday, Jan. 18 before swinging over to face the Mocs of Chattanooga on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

CLEAR BAG POLICY
Fans attending ticketed athletic events at The Citadel this year are reminded of the new clear bag policy that has been implemented. Under the policy, fans will be allowed to bring with them a clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag that does not exceed 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches, or a one-gallon plastic bag (such as Ziploc or Hefty bags). The bags may have a logo on one side that is no larger than 4.5 inches by 3.4 inches. Bags carrying a properly sized logo of other teams or venues are permitted. For more information, please click HERE.

JOIN THE CITADEL BRIGADIER FOUNDATION
Membership in The Citadel Brigadier Foundation is open to alumni and friends of The Citadel who are interested in supporting Bulldog athletics. By joining, you provide annual charitable contributions that fund scholarships for cadet-student-athletes. Supporters interested in joining TCBF or for more information, please click HERE.

FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on The Citadel basketball team, please visit CitadelSports.com or follow @CitadelHoops and @CitadelSports on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
 
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