The Citadel 84, VMI 76
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Citadel center Mike Groselle finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds, notching the 23rd double-double of his career, as the Bulldogs earned an 84-76 victory over VMI in the Army ROTC All-Military Classic at McAlister Field House. The win sets up a meeting with Air Force for the championship on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m.
Groselle, who set a new program record with 23 double-doubles, led all Citadel players by hitting 9-of-11 from the field. He was joined in double figure scoring by teammates Marshall Harris III, who added 19, and Matt Van Scyoc, who drained a pair of 3-pointers en route to an 18-point performance. Van Scyoc was one of three Bulldogs to knock down multiple treys, along with Dylen Setzekorn (2-2) and C.J. Bray (2-3). Harris dished out a game-high nine assist to guide The Citadel to its 51st season-opening win at home in program history.
The Citadel controlled the glass with 39 rebounds, including 11 offensive, highlighted by Groselle's 15 boards. Van Scyoc also made his presence felt with seven rebounds, hauling in a pair on offense. Another key for the Bulldogs came from the free throw line as the team finished 23-of-28 (.821), led by Harris' 12-of-13 outing.
VMI finished with four players in double figures, led by Brian Brown, who scored 22 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field. The trio of D.J. Covington (15 points), Stan Okoye (14 points) and Rodney Glascow (11 points) rounded out double-digit scorers for the Keydets, who ended the game hitting 27-of-68 (.397) from the floor. The Keydets managed 14 3-pointers as a unit, converting 37.8 percent from beyond the arc, led by Glascow's seven.
Covington was also a force in the paint for VMI, with nine rebounds, including six offensive boards. Okoye finished with six rebounds, pulling down two in favor of the Keydets. As a unit, Virginia Military totaled 33 rebounds, 14 on the offensive glass.
Van Scyoc opened second half scoring with a 3-pointer, breaking a 34-34 tie, but the lead by the Bulldogs was brief as VMI countered with buckets from Covington and Glascow to forge in front, 39-37.
A 3-pointer by Bray, followed by a Groselle layup, sent the game to an eventual 42-42 tie, with 17:17 left on the clock. Just over two minutes later, Groselle again knotted the contest for the sixth time, with a layup.
After Covington hit the front end of two VMI free throws, sending the game to a 51-51 tie, Quinton Marshall found Dylen Setzekorn for a 3-pointer to give The Citadel a lead that it would not relinquish.
Leading by eight, 62-54, following a pair of Van Scyoc free throws, The Citadel converted a pair of layups by Groselle and Setzekorn to stretch the lead to 66-56.
VMI responded behind the combination of Covington and Okoye, trimming the margin to 68-64, before The Citadel's Lawrence Miller answered with a layup and assist to Van Scyoc, who drove home the dunk to provide the Dogs with a 72-64 advantage.
Consecutive 3-pointers by Brown again drew VMI within a one possession of the lead, 72-70, before four points by Harris and a 3-pointer from Van Scyoc stretched the margin back to six, 78-72.
The Citadel converted four free throws over the final 2:12 of the contest to complete the 84-76 victory.
Harris connected on all eight first half free throws to lead the way for the Bulldogs with eight points. Groselle closely followed with seven points to go along with seven rebounds as The Citadel and VMI entered deadlocked at 34.
The Bulldogs knocked down 10-of-34 (.385) from the floor in the opening frame, keyed by Groselle who finished 3-of-6. Among those 10 field goals was a pair of 3-pointers, off the hands of Bray and Setzekorn. The first half key for the Cadet offense was hitting 12-of-15 (.800) from the from the free throw line.
VMI countered with a 13-of-35 (.371) performance from the field in the first half, draining six 3-pointers along the way. Brown, who hit four 3-pointers, finished the half with 12 points to lead both teams.
The Keydets opened with the first five points of the contest and eventually assumed a 16-8 lead on a layup by Okoye. The Bulldogs reached double figures with a layup by Stephen Elmore, before a 3-pointer by Glascow provided VMI with its largest lead of the half, 21-10.
Van Scyoc started an 11-0 Citadel run with a layup, quickly followed by a pair of Harris free throws. Bray continued to turn the momentum in favor of The Citadel when he sent home a Miller pass for a 3-pointer. Just under a minute later, Bray knotted the game up, 21-21, on a jumper from the right elbow.
The two teams endured a drought of 2:10 as VMI snapped the scoreless streak with five consecutive points, including a 3-pointer from Brown, to regain the lead, 26-21. The Citadel bounced back with six unanswered points, four coming from the free throw line, to move in front 27-26.
After reaching a 29-29 tie, a 3-pointer off the hand of Setzekorn and free throws by Harris moved the Dogs in front 34-29. VMI wrapped up first half scoring with a long distance shot by Brown and a dunk from Phillip Anglade to make for a tie at the intermission.
Butler 74, Elon 59
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - A second-half surge by the Elon University men's basketball team fell short on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 10, at Hinkle Fieldhouse, as the Phoenix dropped a 74-59 decision to the Butler Bulldogs in the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational Opening Games.
"We started the second half like we wanted to start the game today," said Elon head coach Matt Matheny. "So much of the first half was spent trying to be competitive and tough as opposed to being competitive and tough. I'm proud of the way we battled today and the numbers in the second half show what we want to sustain for all 40 minutes in every game."
After trailing by as many as 18 points in the first half, Elon (0-1) cut the deficit down to four points with 12:57 remaining in the second period after a Jack Isenbarger jumper made it a 47-43 game and forced Butler (1-0) head coach Brad Stevens to call a timeout.
But the Bulldogs answered quickly, knocking down back-to-back shots from beyond the arc to take a 10-point advantage force a Phoenix timeout. Butler managed to keep the Phoenix at arm's length from that point forward, holding on to a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game.
Austin Hamilton and Ryley Beaumont both finished the game with a team-best 13 points in the setback, while Sebastian Koch recorded nine points for the Phoenix.
Butler's Rotnei Clarke led all players with 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-10 from three, as the Bulldogs shot 50 percent from the field as a team.
Elon outscored the Bulldogs 33-31 in the second half, as the maroon and gold shot 48 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes. Overall, the Phoenix knocked down 21-of-53 field goals in the game, good for a 40-percent mark.
Clarke pushed the Bulldogs out to an early lead in the first period after scoring his squad's first five baskets to put Elon behind, 12-3.
Hamilton brought the Phoenix back within 10 points with 8:04 remaining in the first after burying back-to-back threes to make it a 29-19 game.
Elon trailed by 17 at intermission, 43-26, as the Bulldogs shot at a 62-percent clip in the opening frame (16-of-26). The Phoenix connected on 8-of-26 field goal attempts (31 percent) in the opening stanza, including a 4-of-12 mark from long distance.
Elon began the second half on a 14-4 run over the first seven minutes, as seven different players scored during the surge that pulled the team within four points. Tanner Samson began the run with a three-ball just 22 seconds into the half to give the team momentum. Samson, who earned the start in his first collegiate contest, scored eight points in 33 minutes.
Elon won the turnover battle versus Butler, 14-9, as Elon turned Butler's miscues into 11 points in the game.
The Phoenix takes the hardwood in Alumni Gym for the first time this season on Tuesday night, Nov. 13, when it welcomes Bridgewater for its home opener. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Maui Invitational resumes next weekend, Nov. 17-18, when Colgate, Coppin State and Florida Atlantic head to Elon for the Regional Games.
Columbia 68, Furman 47
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Senior Brian Barbour poured in 19 points to lead three Lions in double figures as Columbia cruised to a 68-47 victory over Furman in the season opener for both teams Saturday evening on YP.com Court at Timmons Arena.
The Lions, who shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, raced to a 30-7 lead en route to a 37-17 halftime advantage. Columbia pushed its lead to 25 points at 49-24 on Barbour's trey with 12:08 remaining and never let Furman get closer than 18 points the rest of the way to avenge a 62-58 loss to the Paladins in New York, N.Y., last November.
Barbour added eight assists, six rebounds and three steals to go with his game-high 19 points while connecting on 7-of-12 shots from the floor. Guard Steve Frankoski drained four three-pointers to tally 16 points and forward Alex Rosenberg totaled 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds for the Lions.
Furman scored the first two points of the game before Columbia reeled off seven straight points and fashioned a 30-5 run to grab the lead and take control of the game. Seven Lions recorded baskets during the nine minute stretch as Columbia's defense held the Paladins to 2-for-11 shooting from the 18:30 mark of the first half until Keith Belfield converted a layup with 8:45 left in the period.
The Paladins, stifled by Columbia's 2-3 zone defense, managed just 30.8 percnet shooting from the floor for the night and connected on only one of their 17 three-point attempts. Senior Colin Reddick paced the Paladins with 11 points while twin brother Charlie Reddick added seven points and seven rebounds. Belfield and fellow freshman Larry Wideman contributed eight points apiece.
Columbia shot 49.1 percent from the field and buried 8-of-19 three-point attempts. The Lions out-rebounded Furman 37-33 and held a 30-20 scoring advantage in the paint.
Furman will look to break into the win column on Tuesday when it hosts Southern Wesleyan in an 8 p.m. contest at Timmons Arena.