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CHARLESTON, S.C. – Fresh off a thrilling victory over archrival VMI, The Citadel will hit the road to face Mercer on Monday evening at 7 p.m. as the Bulldogs look to earn a split of the season series against the Bears.
 
Monday's game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ from inside Hawkins Arena. The game will also be carried on the radio locally on 102.1FM and 1450AM with Luke Mauro, the Voice of the Bulldogs, on the radio call.
 
The Bulldogs (12-9, 5-9 SoCon) had a dramatic finish in their last time out on Saturday afternoon, getting a game-winning layup from Hayden Brown with 1.1 seconds remaining to knock off VMI, 75-74, inside McAlister Field House. Brown notched his 12th double-double of the season with 14 points and 14 rebounds, Kaiden Rice had a team-high 20 points, Fletcher Abee poured in 19 and Tyler Moffe finished with a double-double of his own with 13 points and 10 boards.
 
Brown's game-winning layup marked the first time that The Citadel had won on a go-ahead shot in the final five seconds of a game since Quayson Williams' buzzer-beater against VMI on Jan. 26, 2019.
 
In the first meeting against Mercer this season, the Bears led nearly wire-to-wire in an 83-63 win on Jan. 20. Brown (21) and Rice (16) combined for 37 points and Brady Spence scored 10 points off the bench, but The Citadel could not overcome 53.7 percent shooting (36-of-67) from the floor by the Bears, a mark that included a perfect 10-for-10 first half from Leon Ayers III.
 
The Citadel has turned McAlister Field House into a fortress this season, springing upsets against several SoCon opponents and compiling an 11-3 record on its home court. Those 11 wins are the most for the Bulldogs at home since having 12 home wins in 2001-02; it is also the seventh-most in a single season in program history.
 
Of the six SoCon teams that The Citadel has played both home and away this season, they are collectively averaging 14.5 points fewer in games played inside McAlister Field House than on the road. ETSU scored 41 points fewer on Feb. 10, and on Feb. 20, VMI was held to 36 points fewer than the first meeting.
 
Brown was named the SoCon Player of the Week for the second time this season last Tuesday afternoon, becoming the first Bulldog to win the award twice in a single season since Lew Stallworth in 2018-19. A top candidate for SoCon Player of the Year, Brown remains the league's leader in scoring (20.0) and rebounding (10.8) this season.
 
Normally known for its offensive prowess, The Citadel has been strong at swatting away shots this season, leading the SoCon and ranking 20th nationally with 4.9 blocks per game. The 10 blocked shots against ETSU on Feb. 10 were the fourth-most in a single game in program history. Stephen Clark, who had four blocks against ETSU, currently ranks second among SoCon players with 2.1 blocks per game, a mark that has him ranked 30th among all Division I players.
 
With 12 double-doubles this season, Brown has already moved into a tie for second place on The Citadel's all-time single-season list in the category. Brown is on pace to become the first Bulldog to average a double-double since John Sutor in the 1970-71 campaign. Across his 12 double-doubles, Brown is averaging 21.3 points and 14.2 rebounds.
 
Rice has splashed 13 three-pointers across the last three games for the Bulldogs and is up to 88 made triples on the season, the fifth-most in program history and the most by any Division I player in the nation in 2020-21. Among Bulldogs with at least 50 three-point attempts, Rice is also the team's leader in percentage, shooting at a 37.8 percent clip (88-of-233) for the season.
 
After going winless in conference play last season, The Citadel has already picked up five victories in 2020-21, easily the biggest improvement among SoCon teams. Across the nation, only Cleveland State (9 more wins), Morehead State (7) and Evansville (6) have improved their conference win totals more than the Bulldogs.
 
Mercer (13-9, 6-8 SoCon) enters Monday's contest with a high-flying offensive attack as four players average in double figures with a fifth just below that mark. Ross Cummings (15.0) leads the squad in scoring and is followed closely by Neftali Alvarez (13.8), Leon Ayers III (12.6) and Felipe Haase (12.0), while Maciej Bender pours in 9.7 per game. Haase is the team's leading rebounder at a 7.5 per game clip, and Alvarez has dished out a team-best 92 assists but has also turned the ball over 72 times.
 
In its last time out, Mercer dropped a hotly-contested 70-60 decision to Furman this past Saturday afternoon. The Bears chipped away at Furman's advantage and cut the deficit to just four points, 55-51, with 3:12 to play, but the Paladins responded with seven straight points to effectively ice the contest. Alvarez led Mercer with 20 points, Haase added 17 and James Glisson III rounded out the trio in double figures with 11.
 
Monday's battle against Mercer will be the 27th all-time in the series against the Bears, with Mercer holding a 19-7 lead overall and an 8-4 edge in games played in Macon. The Bears have won three straight; The Citadel last earned a 67-61 win on Feb. 9, 2019. Among the current membership of the SoCon, the 26 meetings between The Citadel and Mercer are the second-fewest against any conference foe, one more than the 25 games played against Samford.
 
Following Monday's tilt in Macon, The Citadel will remain on the road for its final contest away from home in the regular season, squaring off against Furman on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. The Paladins came away with a 94-88 win on Jan. 13 in the first meeting this season and are one of only three teams (alongside UNCG and Mercer) to earn a win in McAlister Field House in 2020-21. The Bulldogs will be seeking to snap a five-game skid against Furman and last earned a win in the series with a 100-92 overtime victory on Feb. 3, 2018.