JOHNSON CITY, TENN. - The Citadel (7-10, 1-5) heads to ETSU (12-8, 4-3) Saturday for a 4 p.m. tipoff in hopes of regaining the success they had to start the year at a pivotal point in its SoCon season.
ON THE RADIO
All games for the 2021-22 season will be carried on 102.1FM and 1450AM. The voice of the Bulldogs, Luke Mauro, returns for his fourth season behind the mic.
THE NEED FOR HEAT IN WINTER
The Bulldogs are in search of a spark similar to the one that had them off to a 6-3 start to the season. The Citadel is 1-7 since hosting December's Cobb, Dill & Hammett Classic with three consecutive losses. Head coach
Duggar Baucom issued a different starting five the last two games after using the same lineup for all but one of their first 15 games. Graduate transfer guard
David Maynard has started the last two games, the firsts of his career, helping the Bulldogs to early leads in each contest.
BROWN, CLARK RISING THROUGH THE RANKS
Hayden Brown and
Stephen Clark continue to move up the record boards. Brown's 18 points and seven rebounds Wednesday at Wofford moved him into 23rd all-time with 1,142 career points, while becoming the tenth Bulldog to reach 600 career rebounds with 602. Clark had one block against the Terriers to tie his season total from last year with 46 for seventh all-time and 108 career swats for fifth all-time.
HISTORY WITH ETSU
ETSU leads the all-time series 48-18. The rivalry briefly took a hiatus between 2005 and 2014 when ETSU became members of the ASUN, then returned to the SoCon for the 2014-15 season. Since then, the Buccaneers have led the series 11-3. The Citadel and ETSU traded home wins in last year's matchups.
SCOUTING THE BUCCANEERS
ETSU has won its past two outings over SoCon foes Samford Saturday, 88-85, and at home with Mercer, 72-64, on Wednesday. Former Kansas State transfer guard David Sloan leads the SoCon averaging 4.9 assists per game and third with 1.8 steals per game. Sloan leads four Buccaneers averaging double figures in scoring with 13.3 ppg. (17th in SoCon). He, Ledarrius Brewer (12.7 ppg.), Jordan King (12.4 ppg.), and Ty Brewer (10.3 ppg.) rank in the top 30 of SoCon scorers, while Brewer stands ninth in the league with 6.7 rpg.
LAST TIME OUT...
Wednesday, Jan. 19: Wofford 89, The Citadel 77
The Citadel posted its best shooting percentage since Dec. 16 at 44.6 (26-of-57), wtih six Bulldogs making at least one 3-pointer. Despite making eight of their first 15 shots to go up 24-18, Wofford was also proficient at shooting, responding with a 12-2 run towards a 40-34 halftime lead. The Terriers finished the night at 53.2 percent shooting (33-of-62), including a 58.6 percent second half (17-29) and a pair of 20-point scorers in Max Klesmit (27) and BJ Mack (25). Wednesday also saw the Bulldogs' lowest rebounding total of the season with 23 to the Terriers' 33.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs are home next week with revenge on their minds in SoCon rematches versus Western Carolina Wednesday at 7 p.m., followed by Chattanooga Saturday at 1 p.m.
