The Citadel 63, Eastern Michigan 56
SPRINGFIELD, MO. - The Citadel Basketball team won the first game of the Hispanic College Fund Challenge, staving off a late charge by Eastern Michigan, 63-56. Junior point guard Cameron Wells scored 24 points, a game-high, to become the 26th member of the Bulldog's 1,000 point club. Wells, who reached the milestone in 66 games, becomes the quickest player in history to reach the plateau.
"I am happy for Cameron that his hard work has paid off," said head coach Ed Conroy. "With a talented player like Cameron, and as hard as he works, there are going to be a lot of records and different accolades that come his way."
"As far as the win tonight, that shows the resolve of this team. We have said that as pain as Charleston Southern was, it was not going to define our season. As I told the guys after the game, this is a really quality victory tonight. That Eastern Michigan team would do really well in the Southern Conference and Brandon Bawdry would be a Player of the Year candidate."
Joe Wolfinger, who added 14 points and seven rebounds, and Zach Urbanus (12 points) also scored in double figures for The Citadel. Urbanus hit 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, closing in on fifth place among best 3-point shooters in Bulldog history. He stands four back of Donny McLendon and Dante Terry, each with 160. Wolfinger chipped in a team-high seven boards, six on the defensive end.
Eastern Michigan, who falls to 1-1 on the season, was led offensively by Brandon Bowdry's 14 points. Bowdry added nine rebounds, all defensive. Teammates Justin Dobbins, who netted 12, Jay Higgins (10 pts.) and Carlos Medlock (10 pts.) all reached double-figures in scoring.
As a unit, The Citadel (2-1) finished with a 42.9% field goal percentage (21-49), while EMU (1-1) shot 21-of-47 from the field. Behind Wells' 10-of-12 shooting from the free throw line, the Bulldogs finished 16-of-20 as a team (80%). The Bulldogs also held an edge in second chance points (11-2) and points off turnovers (14-10) in the contest.
"Growing up in the Midwest, people will say that the game is called the same way all over the country, but it is really not," Conroy added. "You saw that tonight, it was a very physical contest, and we explained that at halftime how Eastern Michigan was getting into us. In the second half, because we cut well, and shot the ball well and drove the ball well that was a huge key to the basketball game."
The Citadel held a 26-22 edge at the end of the first half, capitalizing on 14 points in the paint. Wolfinger led all scorers with nine points at the break, converting three shots from the floor along with a pair of free throws. The Bulldogs grabbed 17 rebounds, five offensive, with Wolfinger, Groselle and Wells each responsible for three. Meanwhile, Bowdry had high marks for the Eagles, six points, and teammate Carlos Medlock joined him with four boards.
With the score tied at 9-9 at the 15:53 mark of the half, The Citadel put together a 14-5 run over the next seven minutes of action. Wolfinger scored five points during that run, while the defense closed the door on the Eagles by forcing seven missed 3-pointers. Combined with two turnovers during the span, the Bulldogs established their largest lead of the half.
Jay Higgins and L.J. Frazier hit back-to-back buckets, closing the lead to 23-19 with 4:01 remaining. Wells closed out the half with three points in the final 1:18 for the 26-22 lead.
The Citadel will finish the Hispanic College Fund Classic on Sunday, Nov. 21 against the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore at 6:30 p.m. From there the Bulldogs travel to West Virginia to play the eighth ranked Mountaineers.
Elon 102, Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham 68
ELON, N.C. - Sophomores Josh Bonney and Drew Spradlin each eclipsed the 20-point barrier for the second time this season as the Elon men's basketball team cruised to a 102-68 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham in the Phoenix's home opener at Alumni Gym on Friday night. Bonney led the team for the fourth consecutive game, dumping in 23 points on 8-of-12 from the field. Spradlin added 22 points behind the strength of three triples.
"We got better today," said Elon head coach Matt Matheny. "It is always good to win, but more importantly we got better as a team and we got better as the game went on. Our offense keeps making small steps forward, and while our defense missed some assignments in the early going, we improved, contested shots and got steals."
The Phoenix had four players in double figures as Devan Carter poured in a season-high 17 points. In addition, Carter dished out three assists and tied his career best with four steals. Junior Chris Long contributed his highest output of the season with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Bonney also added to his team-leading assist numbers, passing for a career-best nine assists in the contest. Adam Katz led the visitors with 20 points, hitting 6-of-12 field goals and going a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
Elon never trailed in the contest, jumping out to a 7-0 advantage before FDU-Florham managed to get on the board. Spradlin netted eight of the Phoenix's first 12 points, converting on an old-fashioned three-point play and hitting from downtown. A Long jumper capped a 14-4 Phoenix run to put Elon up 18, 42-24, with 3:57 to play in the first half. Elon pushed its advantage to 20 on an Adam Constantine dunk and went to the locker room leading 52-32.
Constantine opened the final half like he ended the first, dunking on Elon's opening possession as the Phoenix continued to dominate in the paint. Elon scored 42 points in the paint compared to 24 by the Devils. Elon scored nine straight as it built its lead to 31 at the 13-minute mark. The Phoenix would see its lead grow to as many as 37, 97-60, before the end of the contest. A free throw by rookie Brett Ervin, the first point of his collegiate career, put Elon at the century mark for the first time since a triple-overtime victory against UNC Greensboro in 2004. The 102 points were the most in a regulation game since Elon scored 112 in a win over Averett on December 5, 1996.
For the game, Elon shot an impressive 60.9 percent from the field, including 65.5 percent in the second half. The Phoenix took advantage of 26 Devil miscues, scoring 32 points of FDU-Florham's turnovers.
Elon will be back on the road for the next two games, beginning with a battle at Hofstra on Monday, November 23 in the first of two consolation games in the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.
#22 Clemson 89, UNC Greensboro 67
GREENSBORO, N.C. - No. 22 Clemson went on a 17-2 run to close out the final 5:30 of the first half and the Tigers went on to an 89-67 win over UNC Greensboro on Friday night in front of 5,672 fans in the Greensboro Coliseum.
The game marked the home opener for the Spartans this season in their new arena, moving from the campus venue of Fleming Gym.
The Spartans had 23 turnovers to mark the second-consecutive game with 20 or more turnovers. Brandon Evans led UNCG in scoring with 17 points, while Ben Stywall added 13 points and six rebounds.
Senior Mikko Koivisto hit a 3-pointer for his first basket of the evening with 5:29 remaining to pull UNCG (0-3) within 25-22. A Jerai Grant dunk sandwiched around 3-pointers by Tanner Smith and David Potter gave Clemson a 33-22 lead and Andre Young added six points during the run to close out the half.
Trevor Booker paced the visiting Tigers (3-0) with 17 points and nine rebounds to nearly record his second double in three games this season. Milton Jennings added 14 for Clemson and Andre Young also chipped in 13. The Tigers led by as many as 31 in the second half.
The Spartans began the game on a good note as Kyle Randall's 3-pointer gave UNCG a 3-2 lead. A pair of free throws by Stywall, two of 10 made free throws for UNCG in the half, put the home side ahead 11-10 seven minutes into the game. The Spartans missed 10 of their first 11 from the field, and still found themselves hanging with the 22nd-ranked team in the nation.
A layup by Evans tied the game at 15-all midway through the first half, but that was as close as the Spartans would get the rest of the night. The Tigers responded by going on a 6-0 run before finishing the half on their 17-2 run. UNCG missed 11 of their final 14 shots in the half, shooting just 22 percent in the opening frame.
The Spartans continued to battle in the second half as they shot 54.8 percent and began to go inside, scoring 24 of their 32 points in the paint during the half.
Evans also scored 11 of his 17 points in the game after the break as he made four of his six field goals in the game, including his long 3-pointer.
The Spartans will return to the floor on Tuesday evening as they travel to USC Upstate for a 7 p.m. contest.
LaSalle 84, Davidson 70
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Rodney Green led five La Salle scorers in double figures with 21 points and added 10 rebounds and four steals as the Explorers defeated Davidson 84-70 in the Charleston Classic Friday night.
Davidson finishes the tournament by taking on Penn State Sunday at 10 a.m. in Carolina First Arena.
Bryant Barr netted 19 points, with 16 coming in the second half, to lead Davidson (0-3), while Jake Cohen chipped in 14 off the bench. Will Archambault finished with 10 points, and Ben Allison scored eight.
Yves Mekongo registered 17 points and six rebounds for the Explorers (2-1), and Aaric Murray posted 14 points and five rebounds. Kimmani Barrett scored 13 points, and Ruben Guillandeaux netted 11 off the bench.
La Salle shot 59.4 percent from the floor (19-for-32), including 5-of-9 from 3-point range, to build a 46-30 halftime cushion.
The score was tied 17-17 with 8:10 to go in the opening frame when the Explorers opened up a 10 point lead with a 14-4 run. Murray capped the stretch with a dunk, and Guillandeaux hit two 3s.
Davidson trimmed the margin to seven on a Cohen jumper with 3:55 to go, but La Salle outscored the 'Cats 9-2 the rest of the way. Guillandeaux started the run with a jumper, followed by a 3-pointer, and Barrett banked in a long 3-pointer just before the buzzer for the 16-point advantage.
The margin grew to as many as 19 early in the second half before the 'Cats made a run to get back in it. Barr scored eight points during a 10-2 stretch that made the score 60-49, but that is as close as it would get.
Davidson had five chances to get the lead under double digits midway through the frame but couldn't get a defensive stop when it needed it. A pair of JP Kuhlman free throws made the score 68-56 with 8:37 left, but Green scored four points in a mini 6-0 La Salle spurt that put the margin back to 18 points with 6:01 to play.
The 'Cats closed to within 12 on a pair of Cohen free throws with 3:07 to go, but the Explorers went 9-for-10 from the charity stripe the rest of the way to keep the margin in double digits.
La Salle shot 55 percent for the game, including 6-for-12 from long distance, while Davidson hit for 41 percent from the floor.
Texas A&M 68, Samford 49
COLLEGE STATION, Texas --- After shooting a game-high 51.9 percent in the first half against Texas A&M Friday, the Samford basketball team only trailed the Aggies 36-35 at the intermission in front of a season-high 8,329 fans at Reed Arena. The second half proved to be a different story as the Bulldogs only completed 30 percent of their shots in a 68-49 loss.
Samford (0-4) was paced offensively by junior center Andy King, who finished the game with 17 points; 15 of which came in the first half as he went 5-of-7 from 3-point range.
Texas A&M (3-0) finished Friday's contest with three players scoring in double figures and was led by Donald Sloan's 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. The Aggies' senior sharpshooter was also 5-of-6 from beyond the arc and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.
"The first half was good for us," said Samford head coach Jimmy Tillette. "I told (Texas A&M head coach) Mark (Turgeon) that I was sorry we couldn't compete the way we were capable of in the second half. We turned the ball over too many times and they are a very good basketball team. Donald Sloan was unbelievable tonight and it was hard for any of our guys to match up with him."
With the loss, Samford completed its season-opening road stretch with an 0-4 record. The Bulldogs will play their first home game of the 2009-10 campaign Monday at 7 p.m., against the McNeese State Cowboys in the Pete Hanna Center.
Samford gave Texas A&M its most difficult first half of the season Friday. The Bulldogs completed 46.7 of their 3-point attempts in the opening period and held the lead for a majority of the first half.
To open the second half of play, the Aggies scored 17 of the first 23 points to jump out to a 53-41 advantage with 9:03 remaining in the period. After committing only four turnovers in the opening 20 minutes of action, Samford tallied eight turnovers in the second half; many of which occurred quickly in the period.
Texas A&M Derrick Roland and Dash Harris both came alive for the Aggies down the stretch. After only scoring four points in the first half, Roland tallied eight in the second half to help Texas A&M extend its lead. Harris, the Aggies' speedy guard from Los Angeles, Calif., tallied six points in the final period to finish the game with 11.
Samford only shot 22.2 percent from beyond the arc in the second half, making 2-of-9 from 3-point range. Texas A&M knocked down 5-of-11 three-point attempts down the stretch.
After King's 17 points to lead Samford, senior point guard Trey Montgomery added eight points, three rebounds and two assists, while junior sharpshooter Josh Davis chipped in with seven points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal.
The Bulldogs' sophomore guard Jeffrey Merritt also turned in a good all-around game with six points, a game-high eight rebounds and two steals.
Both teams shot the ball well in the first half of play as Texas A&M held a slight 36-35 advantage at the intermission. Samford tallied a 51.9 first-half shooting percentage, while Texas A&M turned in an even 50-percent mark.
The Bulldogs knocked down 7-of-15 shots from beyond the arc and were paced by King's five first-half 3-pointers. King, a native of Omaha, Neb., was 5-of-7 from beyond the arc in the first period and knocked down four of his five 3-pointers from his traditional hot spot at the top of the key.
King led Samford with 15 first-half points, while Davis tallied seven and Montgomery added five.
Texas A&M shot 50 percent from 3-point range in the opening 20 minutes of play and Sloan knocked down 3-of-4 attempts from long range. The Aggies' star player from Dallas, Texas, headlined his team's scoring numbers with 13 first-half points.
Samford outrebounded Texas A&M 14-13 in the first half of play. The Bulldogs were led on the boards by Merritt with four rebounds.
The first half was a clean 20 minutes of action with only seven turnovers being committed between the teams. Samford finished with four first-half mishaps, while Texas A&M turned the ball over three times.
The Samford University basketball team will next be in action Monday at 7 p.m., as the Bulldogs return to Birmingham, Ala., for their first home game of the 2009-10 season against the McNeese State Cowboys in the Pete Hanna Center. Last season, Samford and McNeese State squared off in Lake Charles, La., and the Bulldogs rallied for a 57-52 victory.
Arkansas 81, Appalachian State 72 (OT)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Josh Hunter hit his first-career three-pointer to send the game to overtime, but the Razorbacks overpowered Appalachian State University men's basketball in the extra frame to secure an 81-72 win.
The Mountaineers (2-2) clawed back from a 20-point deficit to tie the game at 51-51 with just under nine minutes to play. A Kellen Brand layup then gave ASU its only lead of the night at 53-51 before the Razorbacks took off on a 10-5 run to regain a seven point advantage with 3:28 to play in the second half. In the final minute, the Mountaineers pulled within three on a Marcus Wright three-point play and a Donald Sims trey to earn a chance to tie on the final possession.
Sims received the ball at the point with seven seconds on the clock but was quickly double-teamed. He found an unguarded Hunter on the right wing, and the forward stepped back to the line to take the tying shot with 5.6 ticks remaining on the clock.
ASU then tightly covered Rotnei Clarke, whose last-second rimmed out to lead to overtime, tied at 68 apiece.
Arkansas scored the first seven points in the extra frame and scored its final six points at the free throw line to ice the nine-point win.
Hunter collected his first double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds while Sims led the Mountaineers with 17 points.
Clarke averaged 33.5 points entering the contest, but was held by Brand to a modest 16 points on the night.
Brand fouled out of the game in the second half with 13 points, four rebounds and three assists.
The Razorbacks (2-1) held a commanding 22-11 rebounding edge at halftime, but the Mountaineers owned the glass the rest of the way, finishing with a 39-38 advantage. Behind Hunter's 11, Isaac Butts grabbed eight boards while Sims and Wright each added four.
Sims, who scored 24 points against Arkansas in a win his freshman year, connected on 5-of-9 three-pointers and added a pair of assists. Butts battled foul trouble throughout the contest and scored seven points on 3-of-10 shooting.
Marshawn Powell led UA with 29 points, including a three-pointer to open the extra period. The forward was 13-of-20 from the field with seven rebounds and two of his team's seven blocks.
After shooting a paltry 23.5 percent from the floor in the first half, the Mountaineers connected on 54.8 percent in the second-half comeback. The shooters cooled off again in overtime as the team finished at 36.1 percent for the night.
The Apps close out the road trip at Louisville on Monday.