CHARLESTON, S.C. (January 26, 2022) – The Citadel rallied all the way back from a 19-point deficit in the final 12 minutes to stun Western Carolina 68-66 Wednesday night. The Bulldogs' biggest comeback win in school history was finished off with a Hayden Brown and-one layup to go up 67-66 with 5.7 seconds left as he scored the team's last ten points in a 26-point, 12-rebound evening.
 
Game Information
Score: The Citadel 68, WCU 66
Records: Western Carolina (8-13, 2-6), The Citadel (9-10, 3-5)
Location: McAlister Field House (Charleston, S.C.)
Series: WCU leads 39-45
 
Déjà vu

• Wednesday's 33-18 halftime score was the same score The Citadel faced going into the locker room in its 15-point comeback victory over UNCG back on Jan. 13.
• The Citadel made school history with the 19-point comeback and its biggest rally since Feb. 3 2018, when the Bulldogs overcame a 17-point second half deficit to knock off Furman 100-92 in overtime.

 
How it Happened

• The Citadel had a rough first half shooting, making just 8-of-30 from the floor with Jason Roche's two 3-pointers accounting for the Bulldogs' lone buckets from long range on 14 attempts.
• Western Carolina jumped on a 15-0 run late in the first half, with only a Roche 3-pointer and Stephen Clark dunk to account for the Bulldogs' only baskets in the last nine minutes of the half.
• The Bulldogs remained under the Catamounts' paw through the opening minutes of the second half, with a Marcus Banks 3-pointer cementing WCU's lead at 19 (52-33) with 11:49 remaining.
• The Citadel gained little ground until Roche's - and the Bulldogs' - third three of the game kickstarted the team's motor. The Bulldogs also took advantage of the bonus and double-bonus opportunities offered to them when WCU hit seven fouls with 12:22 to go and ten fouls with eight minutes still to play.
• Hayden Brown had 24 of his points come in the second half to spur on the comeback, along with Roche kicking in another three and Rudy Fitzgibbons, III contributing two triples in the late stretch.
• Brown twice cut WCU's lead to two with under one minute to play. An ensuing jumpball gave possession back to The Citadel with under 20 seconds left.
• Fitzgibbons fed the white-hot Brown in the paint, drawing the foul and the layup to go to the line looking at a 66-66 score with 5.7 ticks showing on the clock.
• Brown made the go-ahead free throw, then finished things off with another free throw with six-tenths of a second left.

 
Inside the Box Score

• Hayden Brown delivered his 21^st career double-double and fifth of the season with 26 points and 12 rebounds to lead the game. He finished 9-of-15 from the field and a solid 8-of-12 from the free throw line.
• Stephen Clark pulled in 15 points with seven rebounds and three blocks, making 7-of-10 from the floor.
• Jason Roche's four 3-pointers and Rudy Fitzgibbons, III's pair of threes stood as the Bulldogs' only made threes in a 6-of-24 night from long range. Roche finished with 14 points and four rebounds, while Fitzgibbons had eight points.
• WCU reserve Marlow Gilmore led the Catamounts with 14 points, shooting a perfect 7-for-7 on field goals in just 13 minutes of play before fouling out in the final five minutes.
• Both sides made the same amount of free throws with 12. The Citadel made all of theirs in the second half in a 12-for-22 night (12-for-20 in the second half) to the Catamounts' 12-of-16 evening.
• The Citadel contested WCU's league-leading rebounding prowess, with the guests posting a slim 43-39 lead on the boards, including ten offensive.
• Tyler Moffe made his 100^th career collegiate start, logging four assists to lead the Bulldogs alongside David Maynard. Moffe also had three rebounds and Maynard two.  
• The Catamounts' Marcus Banks delivered 13 points and ten rebounds. Team-leading scorer and rebounder Nick Robinson was held to just 12 points and eight boards, making 6-of-7 from the free throw line.

 
Rising Through the Ranks!

• Hayden Brown moved into 19^th all-time with 1,196 career points, passing Ted Mosay (1987-91) and Dick Wherry (1956-60) on the school scoring list. He also rose to ninth all-time with 618 career rebounds, overtaking Richard Johnson (1972-76). Brown is four points away from becoming just the second member of the 1200-600 club (1,200 career points, 600 career rebounds).
• Stephen Clark reached 50 season blocks Wednesday, putting him sixth on the all-time list, while upping his career total to 112 for fifth all-time.
• Freshman Jason Roche's four triples gives him 72 made threes this season, tying him with Jake Wright's 2014-15 total for fifth all-time among The Citadel freshman.  

Up Next
The Bulldogs, winners of their last two games, go full steam ahead into their home Saturday SoCon matchup against first-place Chattanooga at 1 p.m.