The Citadel
5-14,2-4SoCon
VMI
6-13,1-5SoCon
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Citadel | 47 | 35 | 82 |
| VMI | 34 | 34 | 68 |
The Citadel Overpowers VMI in Rivalry Clash, Ousts Keydets for Road Victory, 82–68
1/17/2026 10:45:00 PM | Basketball
LEXINGTON, Va. — The Citadel (5–14, 2–4 SoCon) defeated VMI (6–13, 1–5 SoCon), 82–68, Saturday night at Cameron Hall, tying the all-time series at 63–63 in the 126th meeting between the two programs.
Braxton Williams led the Bulldogs in scoring with 22 points, marking his fourth 20-point performance in the last five games. Williams has reached double figures 11 times this season, and over his last five contests he has totaled 97 points while shooting 16-of-36 (.444) from three-point range and a perfect 15-of-15 at the free throw line.
VMI opened the scoring with a three-pointer, but The Citadel answered with consecutive Williams threes to take the lead and did not trail for the remainder of the contest. The Bulldogs built a double-digit margin in the first half and pushed the advantage to 39–21 with 3:16 remaining before halftime following a three-pointer by Christian Moore. The Citadel carried a 47–34 lead into the break after shooting 53.8 percent from the field and knocking down seven three-pointers in the opening period.
VMI made a push early in the second half and cut the deficit to seven at 54–47 with 12:56 remaining, but The Citadel responded with a Marcos Gonzales three-pointer at the 8:12 mark to stretch the lead back to 66–52. The Keydets later closed within nine at 72–63 with 2:25 left, but the Bulldogs sealed the win at the free-throw line, going 10-of-12 over the final 3:02.
Christian Moore finished with 10 points to eclipse the 500-point plateau for his career. Moore now has 509 points in 58 games at The Citadel and has produced multiple three-point field goals in seven of the last eight games while reaching double figures in scoring 10 times this season.
Marcos Gonzales recorded 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals while logging a season-high 28 minutes, his most action since playing 27 minutes against North Greenville on Nov. 19. Eze Wali scored 11 points in 14 minutes while connecting on 9-of-10 free throws, marking his fifth double-figure scoring performance of the season. Sola Adebisi pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and added two blocks, extending his streak of games with at least one blocked shot to nine.
Carter Kingsbury did not play in the second half due to an injury. In 14 minutes, he totaled seven points, four rebounds and one assist and has made at least one three-point field goal in eight of the past nine games.
The Citadel finished the game shooting 46.0 percent (23-of-50) from the field, 45.0 percent (9-of-20) from three-point range and 84.4 percent (27-of-32) at the free-throw line. The Bulldogs scored 38 points off the bench and held a 16–9 edge in points off turnovers.
TJ Johnson led VMI with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while AJ Clark scored 13 points and Mario Tatum Jr. added 12.
🔹𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗘𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗿𝗼𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗻🔹#𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐖𝐞𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 pic.twitter.com/TfyNaFBwfK
— The Citadel Basketball (@CitadelHoops) January 18, 2026
The Citadel returns home Wednesday, Jan. 21, to host Furman in Southern Conference play. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. at McAlister Field House.
KEY NOTES
- A season-high 27 free throws were made on 32 attempts (84.4 percent), the most made in a game since Dec. 19, 2020, at Longwood
- Eze Wali made nine free throws, the most by a Citadel player in a game this season
- The Bulldogs' bench accounted for 38 points, compared to 20 for VMI
- Points off turnovers favored the Bulldogs, 16–9
- Fourteen assists were recorded on 23 made field goals by the Bulldogs
- The Bulldogs outscored VMI 21–10 in bench points in the first half
- Five steals and two blocks were recorded by The Citadel
- A 38–27 rebounding advantage favored the Bulldogs
- The road victory marked the Bulldogs' first road win since a 65–45 victory at Notre Dame on Dec. 19, 2023
𝘽𝙀𝙒𝘼𝙍𝙀 𝙊𝙁 𝘿𝙊𝙂⚠️🦴
— The Citadel Basketball (@CitadelHoops) January 18, 2026
🔟 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 🔥#𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐖𝐞𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 pic.twitter.com/9beDHv1uJX
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳🔥
— The Citadel Basketball (@CitadelHoops) January 18, 2026
𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝘅𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗞𝗲𝘆𝗱𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗱🤫
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𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 3⃣𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗻
— The Citadel Basketball (@CitadelHoops) January 18, 2026
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𝗕𝗿𝗮𝘅𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁🔥🔥🔥
— The Citadel Basketball (@CitadelHoops) January 18, 2026
𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘆 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺-𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝟭𝟯🐾
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𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲-𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀❕
— The Citadel Basketball (@CitadelHoops) January 18, 2026
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𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗶 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸💨
— The Citadel Basketball (@CitadelHoops) January 18, 2026
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𝗕𝗿𝗮𝘅𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁💪
— The Citadel Basketball (@CitadelHoops) January 18, 2026
𝗔𝗻𝗱-𝟭🪙
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𝗞𝗗 ➡️ 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝘅=💰
— The Citadel Basketball (@CitadelHoops) January 18, 2026
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𝗔𝗱𝗲𝗯𝗶𝘀𝗶 𝘀𝘄𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆❕❕❕
— The Citadel Basketball (@CitadelHoops) January 18, 2026
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🦴𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗗 🐶𝗦 🦴#𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐖𝐞𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 pic.twitter.com/pinx9i8vP1
— The Citadel Basketball (@CitadelHoops) January 18, 2026
𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 🏠, 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 🏠#𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐖𝐞𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 pic.twitter.com/23FIMOIuPQ
— The Citadel Basketball (@CitadelHoops) January 18, 2026
𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗪𝘀 = 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀 🍦✅
— The Citadel Basketball (@CitadelHoops) January 18, 2026
𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗼𝘂𝘁 @CookOut 𝗟𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗱 👏#𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐖𝐞𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 pic.twitter.com/75P7mxFgLL
