COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Citadel (3–8) continued nonconference play on Saturday night with a road matchup at South Carolina (7–3), falling 71–55 inside Colonial Life Arena.
Carter Kingsbury paced The Citadel offensively, recording a career-high 18 points to lead the Bulldogs on the road.
Sola Adebisi provided a presence in the paint, while
Braxton Williams and
Eze Wali contributed scoring support from the backcourt.
The Bulldogs kept the game within reach through the opening half, trailing 35–28 at the break after a back-and-forth opening stretch. South Carolina opened the second half with a run to extend its lead before The Citadel answered to cut into the margin midway through the period. The Gamecocks later rebuilt separation in the closing minutes to secure the win.
KEY NOTES
- Carter Kingsbury shot 8-of-14 from the field in his career-high outing
- Sola Adebisi finished with nine points and five rebounds while recording three blocks, accounting for three of The Citadel's season-high four blocks as a team; the Bulldogs also totaled six steals on the defensive end
- Braxton Williams and Eze Wali combined for 14 points from the backcourt, providing secondary scoring for the Bulldogs
- The Bulldogs limited South Carolina to 3-of-23 shooting from three-point range, holding the Gamecocks to 13.0 percent from beyond the arc
- The Citadel scored 32 points in the paint and committed just nine turnovers for the game
Following the game, head coach
Ed Conroy credited his team's effort and execution.
"I was really proud of how hard our guys competed," Conroy said. "We knew this would be a physical game, and both teams played strong defense. We held them to 3-of-23 from three and took care of the ball, but in the end, the difference came down to free throws and a few key rebounds. Our guys stayed connected, communicated well, and fought hard the entire night."
