Virginia Tech 64, The Citadel 61
BLACKSBURG, Va. - Ashton Moore poured in a game-high 27 points, highlighted by a career-best seven 3-pointers, but it was four free throws inside the final minute of play that made the difference as Virginia Tech emerged with a 64-61 victory over The Citadel at Cassell Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.
Facing a 42-33 deficit following a dunk by Virginia Tech's (6-4) Jalen Hudson, The Citadel used eight points by Moore and four from Quinton Marshall to move within one point with 9:28 left in the game.
The Dogs defense, teamed with the sharpshooting Moore, allowed The Citadel (4-6) to regain the lead 46-44 for the first time since the opening minutes of the half.
The two teams traded baskets with neither able to gain more than a two-point advantage before Jake Wright and Moore knocked down back-to-back treys to give the Dogs a 54-50 lead with just under six minutes left.
Virginia Tech responded with a dunk by Shane Henry and a layup from Justin Bibbs as it forced the first of three ties, 54-54, during a 1:52 span.
The Hokies regained the advantage on a layup by Devin Wilson and after a series of missed 3-pointers by Wright and Moore managed to add to their lead, 61-58, with a Wilson free throw with 36 seconds left in the contest.
Unable to counter on the offensive end, The Citadel fell behind by five on a pair of free throws by Jalen Hudson. Junior C.J. Bray knocked down an open 3-pointer to help the Bulldogs pull within two with 7.7 left on the clock.
After Bibbs stretched the margin back to three, following a series of free throws, the Dogs had one final attempt to send the game into overtime, but the Moore 3-pointer fell short of its mark.
Moore capped off his afternoon by finishing 8-of-22 from the field and 7-of-15 from 3-point range. The Suffolk, Va., native became the first player since Zach Urbanus (Chattanooga, Feb. 6, 2010) to hit seven treys for the Cadets. He was joined in double figures by Jake Wright, who tallied 12 points after hitting 4-of-14 from the floor and 3-of-11 from beyond the arc.
Moore also posted a game-high eight boards, one shy of his career high, as P.J. Horgan and C.J. Bray pulled down six each.
Another key to the Dogs success throughout the game was the play of point guards Warren Sledge (five assists) and Tim Broom (three).
While The Citadel was unable to find its touch from the field, hitting just 21-of-62, the 13 3-point field goals were the 10th-most in program history for a single-game.
Virginia Tech was led offensively by the trio of Adam Smith (16 points), Joey van Zegeren (10) and Wilson (10). Ahmed Hill proved to be the difference on the glass for the Hokies with seven rebounds.
Virginia Tech scored 36 of its 64 total points in the paint, along the way hitting 23-of-55 from the field. However, the Hokies struggled from the perimeter as they managed to convert just 3-of-16.
After falling behind 7-4 early in the opening half, The Citadel outscored Virginia Tech 16-7 during a 6:21 stretch to establish its largest lead of the game. The Bulldogs capitalized on two 3-pointers by Moore and Wright during that span as they assumed a 20-14 lead and grabbed momentum of the contest.
Virginia Tech responded to the challenge, climbing to within one on a jumper by Hill, but the combination of solid defense with timely 3-point conversions by Warren Sledge and Bray over the final 5:21 of the half allowed The Citadel to take a 27-22 lead into the intermission.
Elon 71, UNCG 64
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG men’s basketball team welcomed a former Southern Conference rival to town Saturday afternoon as the Spartans dropped a 71-64 contest to Elon at the Greensboro Coliseum in non-conference action. The Spartans will be off for the holiday break and return to action Dec. 28 when they travel to East Carolina.
The Spartans connected on just 33.3 percent (19-of-57) from the field and 33.3 percent (3-of-9) from long range in the loss. Conversely, Elon connected on 50 percent (24-of-48) from the field and hit 5-of-13 from 3-point land. UNCG held a commanding 37-31 edge on the glass, including 15 offensive rebounds but committed 17 turnovers on the loss.
Junior forward Kayel Locke led three in double figures scoring with 17 points and nine rebounds. Locke was just 6-of-17 from the field but hit 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Redshirt sophomore center R.J. White posted his fifth double-double of the season with 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds while also blocking a career-high five shots.
Sophomore guard Tevon Saddler added 15 points and three assists as he was 8-of-10 from the free throw line but just 3-of-14 from the field. Elon was led by Tanner Samson’s 21 points as he was 9-of-11 from the free throw line while Elijah Bryant chipped in 20 points off the bench.
The Spartans started early as they opened to a 10-7 lead with White leading the way with four early points. The teams traded baskets back-and-forth and held a 20-18 lead with senior Nicholas Paulos hitting a 3-pointer. Elon had the game’s first extended run with a 10-2 sport to take a 28-22 lead. Austin Hamilton provided a spark off the bench, scoring four straight points.
The Phoenix (6-5) took a 35-29 lead into the locker room as they hit 54.2 percent (13-of-24) from the field while the Spartans connected on 34.5 percent (10-of-29). White and Saddler led UNCG in the first half with seven points each while Bryant paced Elon with 12 points.
Elon opened the second half much like it ended the first, scoring the first nine points to take a 44-29 lead as Samson scored the first five points of the second half. The Spartans slowed the run with a quick 5-0 run as Locke and White both scored in the paint. Elon was able to extend the lead back to 13 at 49-36 with 13:40 left, but the Spartans scored eight straight to pull within five at 49-44. White was the catalyst, scoring five points in the run including an old-fashioned three-point play.
The Phoenix were able to push the lead back out to double figures before the Spartans narrowed the gap once again to 62-58 with 4:03 remaining. UNCG went inside to Locke and White as they pulled within four points, attacking the paint and dominating play on the glass. The Spartans came up with a big defensive stop on the ensuing possession, but were unable to convert a 3-pointer that would have made it a one-point game. Elon was able to hit its free throws down the stretch, keeping it a two-possession game in the final three minutes of action.