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CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel will put its undefeated record on the line as it welcomes the media's preseason Southern Conference favorite Furman to McAlister Field House on Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m.
Due to campus protocols, fans will not be permitted to attend Wednesday afternoon's game, which will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and will be carried locally on 102.1FM and 1450AM. Kyle West (play-by-play) and Jason Kempf (analysis) will be on the ESPN+ call, with the Voice of the Bulldogs, Luke Mauro, calling the game on the radio.
In its last time out, The Citadel (8-0, 1-0 SoCon) snapped a 20-game skid in SoCon play with a 92-87 victory over Chattanooga last Saturday afternoon.
Hayden Brown spearheaded the win for the Bulldogs with a career-best 37 points and 13 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season, and both
Kaiden Rice (21) and
Fletcher Abee (16) also his double figures in scoring in the win.
For his efforts, Brown was named the SoCon Player of the Week, becoming the first player from The Citadel recognized with the honor since
Kaelon Harris on Jan. 14, 2020. Brown currently leads the conference in both scoring (23.4) and rebounding (10.7) this season, with his 23.4 points per game also ranking fourth among all Division I players.
Rice kept up his sharpshooting against the Mocs with five more three-pointers, bringing his total to 38 for the year, the second-best mark among all SoCon players. Having played just eight games, however, the senior leads the nation in three-pointers made per game at 4.75. Rice enters Wednesday's contest with 942 career points and is seeking to become the 36th all-time member of The Citadel's 1,000-point club by the end of the season.
Stephen Clark enjoyed a strong game against Chattanooga as well, swatting away five shots for the second time this season and adding eight points and four rebounds over 26 minutes of action. Clark has been much improved as a sophomore on both ends of the court for the 'Dogs and ranks fourth among SoCon players with two blocks per game in 2020-21.
Furman (8-3, 2-0 SoCon) did not play last week after both of its games were postponed due to COVID protocols; most recently, the Paladins earned an 83-80 victory over Mercer on Jan. 2. Furman is currently ranked No. 4 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
The Paladins have used the same starting lineup in all 11 games this season and start five upperclassmen, led by junior Mike Bothwell. He leads Furman in scoring (17.7), rebounding (5.5), assists (3.9) and steals (1.9) per game and has already tallied five 20-point games this season, with a season-best 26 points against Charleston on Dec. 5.
Bothwell is joined in double figures by Noah Gurley (15.2) and Clay Mounce (15.0). Alex Hunter handles point guard duties for the Paladins and has turned the ball over just 15 times in 327 minutes of action this season. Jalen Slawson, a Summerville, S.C., native, has logged 15 steals and 14 blocks for Furman.
The Citadel has faced Furman more often than any other opponent in program history, with Wednesday's game marking the 214th battle between the two sides. Furman holds a 126-87 edge in the all-time series and has won the last four meetings against the Bulldogs; the last victory for The Citadel came in a thrilling 100-92 overtime win on Feb 3, 2018, inside McAlister Field House. Despite the Paladins' edge in the overall series, The Citadel holds a narrow 54-48 lead in matchups played in Charleston.
Following Wednesday's bout, The Citadel will return to the court on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. as the Bulldogs make the trip north to face VMI. Head Coach
Duggar Baucom, who led the Keydets from 2005-06 through 2014-15, will be squaring off against his former school for the 12th time since joining The Citadel, with the Bulldogs looking to improve on their 4-7 record in those contests.
