NEW ORLEANS – The Citadel put on a dominating defensive effort in the first half in holding IUPUI to just 11 points on the way to a 74-53 victory in the final game of the Big Easy Classic presented by Embassy Suites of New Orleans.
Game Information
Score: The Citadel 74, IUPUI 53
Records: The Citadel (4-3), IUPUI (1-6)
Location: Lakefront Arena (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Series: Tied 1-1
How it Happened
- The Bulldogs got off to a quick start as Elijah Morgan and Austin Ash hit three-pointers to open the 8-0 advantage.
- IUPUI would score the next five points, but the Bulldogs would seize control of the game for the remainder of the half. The Citadel outscored the Jaguars 33-8 over the final 17:22 of the half, including closing the half with an 18-0 run over the final 9:26.
- Morgan fueled the run as he added three more three-pointers, and Stephen Clark went for 12 points and seven rebounds in the game's opening 20 minutes.
- IUPUI was able to knock down a couple shots early in the second half, but Ash and Morgan answered with three-pointers to extend the lead in the first four minutes of the half.
- Clark would assert his authority in the middle of the second half as he would score 14 points over a nine minute stretch to keep the Dogs easily ahead.
Inside the Box Score
- The Bulldogs held the Jaguars to just 11 points in the first half. The total is the fourth lowest in a first half dating back to 1969.
- The Citadel outscored the Jaguars 18-0 over the final 9:26 of the half, and 33-8 over the final 17:22 of the half.
- The 53 points are the fewest allowed to a Division I opponent since giving up 47 points to Bethune-Cookman in a 51-47 win on Dec. 30, 2014.
- Stephen Clark scored 14 of his career-high 26 points in the second half. He finished the game 11-of-18 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. He also added nine rebounds.
- Clark added a block for the 149th of his career. The block moved him into third place alone on the school's all-time list.
- Elijah Morgan also had a career day, going for 22 points on 6-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc. He added four assists and two steals.
- The Bulldogs went 12-of-12 from the free throw line. It is just the sixth time since 1968 the Bulldogs were perfect from the free-throw line with at least 10 attempts.
Up Next
The Bulldogs make the short drive up I-26 to face Charleston Southern on Nov. 30 at 7 p.m.
