CULLOWHEE, N.C. – In a game that featured 13 ties and 17 lead changes, Mason Faulkner's jumper with five seconds remaining dealt The Citadel a 76-75 defeat inside the Ramsey Activity Center against Western Carolina on Monday afternoon.
 
Game Information
Final Score: Western Carolina 76, The Citadel 75
Record: The Citadel (9-6, 2-6 SoCon), Western Carolina (8-9, 1-7 SoCon)
Location: Cullowhee, N.C. (Ramsey Activity Center)
Series: Western Carolina leads 44-36
 
How It Happened

• The Citadel scored the first six points of the afternoon to jump out to an early lead, but Western Carolina fired back, scoring 10 of the next 12 points to erase the deficit and take a lead of its own at 10-8.
• Another big run, this time seven unanswered, pushed the Bulldogs back into the lead at the midway point of the half. Kaiden Rice netted five of the seven points as he got hot early, with his drive to the basket capping the run and giving The Citadel a 19-14 edge.
• The Citadel's lead grew to as many as seven before Western Carolina trimmed it back to just one point, 28-27, with just under three minutes remaining in the half. From there, however, the Bulldogs took control down the stretch to build a 35-30 lead heading into the locker room for the break.
• A 7-0 run early in the second frame again powered the Catamounts into the lead. Cory Hightower sparked the run with a three-point play, and Matt Halvorsen's jumper at the 16:02 mark put Western Carolina back in front, 43-41.
• Rudy Fitzgibbons III powered an 8-2 run for The Citadel several minutes later, scoring five points during the stretch to again erase the deficit and rebuild a six-point lead, 54-48. Much like the first half, though, the Catamounts responded with a 10-2 run of their own to pull back ahead as Faulkner's layup with 8:54 left made the score 58-56 in Western Carolina's favor.
• Fletcher Abee's bucket with 7:25 to play rebuilt a four-point lead, but it marked the last time that either side would lead by more than one possession down the stretch.
• The final five minutes of the game featured eight lead changes, with Faulkner's shot on Western Carolina's final possession making up the final difference. Hayden Brown's look inside was blocked in the final second of action as the Bulldogs could not overcome the final Catamount basket.

 
Inside the Numbers

• Hayden Brown logged his eighth double-double of the season with 16 points and 17 rebounds on Monday afternoon. Brown's 17 rebounds are tied for the sixth-most in a single game in The Citadel's modern history (since 1974), and his eight double-doubles are tied for fifth in a single season in program history alongside Lew Stallworth, Mike Groselle and Craig Burgess.
• In his eight double-doubles this season, Brown is averaging 23.3 points and 14.3 rebounds per outing.
• Kaiden Rice led all Bulldogs with 17 points on Monday and has hit double digits in all 15 games this season.
• Fletcher Abee continued his strong recent run with 16 points, his most in a game since also scoring 16 against Chattanooga on Jan. 9.
• The Citadel limited Western Carolina to just 12.5 percent shooting (2-for-16) from beyond the arc, its best mark in that category against a SoCon foe since Jan. 29, 2018, when ETSU finished 2-for-23 (8.7 percent).
• For the fifth time this season, The Citadel knocked down 50 percent (30-of-60) of its shots from the field on Monday. The Bulldogs also did so against ETSU on Saturday, marking their first time with back-to-back games shooting better than 50 percent against SoCon foes since Feb. 25 and 27, 2017.
• The Citadel's streak of consecutive games with at least five three-pointers came to an end at 25 straight games after shooting 4-for-19 from beyond the arc on Monday.

 
Up Next
The Citadel will kick off its three-game homestand on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. as UNCG makes the trip to McAlister Field House. The Spartans claimed the first meeting this season in Greensboro, 87-73, back on Jan. 18. The Bulldogs have dropped 14 straight games in the series against UNCG and will be seeking their first win since an 85-83 overtime victory on Jan. 5, 2015.