CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Citadel (8–15, 5–5 SoCon) earned a 71–66 overtime victory against UNCG (8–15, 4–6 SoCon) on Saturday afternoon at McAlister Field House, recording the program's third overtime win of the season, good for most by any team nationally.
The Bulldogs capped the month of January with five victories, marking the program's most wins in the month since the 2008–09 season, when The Citadel recorded seven January wins. The total also matched the team's highest January win count since the 2001–02 campaign, highlighting a productive stretch to start conference play.
The Citadel was led offensively by
Braxton Williams, who finished with 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting, including two three-pointers, while adding five assists to tie his career high as a Bulldog.
Christian Moore followed with 12 points and a season-high seven rebounds, and has now made at least two three-pointers in 17 games this season, including six straight contests.
Carter Kingsbury added 11 points and knocked down three shots from beyond the arc, marking his sixth game with multiple three-pointers over his last nine outings.
Sola Adebisi contributed across the stat sheet with six points, nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks. The senior recorded his second consecutive game with three steals and his fourth game of the season with at least three, while the two blocked shots further solidified his top-five ranking in the Southern Conference for the category.
A tightly contested opening period featured seven lead changes. An early basket from Adebisi got the scoring started, and back-to-back triples by Kingsbury and Moore helped create a brief first-half cushion. The Spartans answered with a run midway through the half, but timely defensive stops and trips to the free throw line allowed the lead to swing back in favor of the home team. Williams capped the period with a late three-pointer in the final seconds to send the Bulldogs into the break ahead, 32–30.
Williams picked up where he left off by opening the second half with a three-pointer, helping the lead grow to nine points before UNCG answered with an 18–6 run midway through the period. Back-to-back three-pointers by the Spartans then gave the visitors a 54–51 lead with 9:21 remaining.
The Citadel answered down the stretch. A three-pointer from
Logan Applegate tied the game at 58–58 with 1:37 left in regulation, and Adebisi scored inside with 50 seconds remaining to even the score again at 60–60. The Spartans' final attempt at the buzzer missed, sending the game to overtime, good for the Bulldogs' fourth overtime game of the season, the program's first four-overtime campaign since 2021–22 and just the second time The Citadel has reached that mark since the 1978–79 season.
Once again facing the Spartans in overtime after faltering the initial attempt in Greensboro, the Bulldogs opened the extra period with momentum, scoring the first seven points. Moore connected on a jumper and followed with a three-pointer, while Williams added a layup to push the lead to 67–60. The Citadel closed the game at the charity stripe, with Moore converting two foul shots in the final seconds to seal the OT victory.
The Citadel finished the night shooting 38.7 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from three-point range, while going 13-of-20 at the free throw line. The Bulldogs were steady early, shooting 39.3 percent in the first half before connecting on 50 percent of their attempts in overtime, including a perfect 4-for-4 showing at the line. The Citadel scored 26 points in the paint and added 22 points from the bench, while limiting second-chance opportunities to just two points. The game featured seven ties and five lead changes, with the Bulldogs also capitalizing on turnovers by scoring 13 points off giveaways.
UNCG was led by KJ Younger, who scored a game-high 24 points, while Justin Neely added 19 points and 13 rebounds.
The Bulldogs begin a three-game road swing on Thursday, Feb. 5, traveling to Samford for an 8 pm ET Southern Conference matchup inside Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, Ala. The contest will stream on ESPN+ before The Citadel continues the trip with stops at Chattanooga on Saturday and Western Carolina the following Wednesday.
WINSTON HILL ('24) POSTGAME WITH HEAD COACH ED CONROY, SOLA ADEBISI AND BRAXTON WILLIAMS
KEY NOTES
- The Citadel outscored UNCG 11–6 in overtime.
- The Bulldogs committed just six turnovers, their lowest total in conference play and second-lowest of the season, compared to 12 by the Spartans.
- The Citadel held a 22–6 advantage in bench points.
- The Bulldogs recorded eight steals, their highest total in Southern Conference play this season and the third-highest output overall this year.
- UNCG's .421 shooting percentage was the second-lowest allowed by The Citadel in SoCon play this season.
