JOHNSON CITY, TENN – The Citadel basketball team battled back to erase a double-digit deficit in the latter stages of the second half, but the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers converted on key possessions down the stretch to hold off the Bulldogs 62-60 on Saturday afternoon.
Quentin Millora-Brown recorded his 10
th double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds while
Madison Durr and
AJ Smith added 13 points each.
First Half:
- QMB made 1-of-2 from the line to cut the deficit to five, 17-12, at the under-8 timeout.
- A Durr 3-pointer trimmed the margin to three, 20-17 ETSU, at the 6:32 mark of the opening stanza.
- CIT ended the half on a 7-3 spurt to trail ETSU by just two at the break, 28-26.
Second Half:
- ETSU begin the second on a 7-0 run to extend the margin to nine, 35-26.
- A Bucs 3-pointer pushed the lead to double digits, 40-28, at the 15:10 mark.
- An ETSU nudged the edge back to double-digits, 49-38, but CIT responded with a 13-2 run over the next four minutes to tie the game at 51-51 with 6:47 remaining.
- This time the Bucs answered with a mini 6-0 run, but a Smith jumper pulled the Bulldogs within two, 59-57, with 2:35 to go.
- QMB missed the back end of two free throws, but CIT got the offensive rebound which was followed by Durr's driving layup, putting the Bulldogs ahead 60-59.
- On the ensuing ETSU possession, it made 1-of-2 free throws to tie the game at 60-60 with 40 seconds remaining.
- CIT's layup was blocked on the following trip down the court before ETSU went ahead on a made jumper in transition, 62-60, with :06 seconds left.
- The Bulldogs had a chance to tie or take the lead but turned it over on their last possession to fall 62-60.
Up Next:
The Citadel travels to Western Carolina on Wednesday, February 7 for a 7 pm tip.
