Citadel Basketball Returns to Action Against CSU on Wednesday

Final	1	2	T
Charleston Southern (6-3)	43	45	88
The Citadel (2-7)	33	36	69
McAlister Field House; Charleston, S.C.

Charleston Southern	The Citadel
Pts: HARPER, Arlon - 19	Pts: Ashton Moore - 18
Reb: MARTIN, Kelvin - 17	Reb: TEAM - 8
Ast: 2 Players (#04, #05 - 5)	Ast: DeVontae Wright - 6

Team Statistics	Charleston Southern	The Citadel
Field Goal %	54.4% (37-68 )	44.1% (30-68 )
Rebounds	42	34
Assists	17	20
Turnovers	11	11
Pts off Turnovers	15	7
2nd Chance Pts	22	12
Pts in the Paint	44	22
Fastbreak Pts	12	2
Bench Pts	23	12

full stats

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Charleston Southern-The Citadel Game Notes

Charleston, S.C.— After an eight-day hiatus due to exam week, The Citadel Basketball team returns to action on Wednesday night when they hosts Charleston Southern at McAlister Field House. The 35th all-time meeting between the two programs is set to begin at 7:05 p.m. All kids (12-and-under) will receive free admission as part of the "Take a Kid To The Game" promotion.

PERFORMANCES OF SMITH, WRIGHT UNABLE TO TOPPLE COASTAL CAROLINA, 80-58: Sophomore Barry Smith reached double figures for the fourth time in his career as he scored a team-high 15 points in The Citadel's 80-58 loss to visiting Coastal Carolina at McAlister Field House on Dec. 6. Teammate DeVontae Wright added 10 points and two assists, but it was the Chanticleers remarkable shooting performance (34-of-60) that was most decisive in the contest.

The Bulldogs (2-6) closed the game by hitting 20-of-53 (37.7%) from the field, including 9-for-20 from 3-point range, just one shy of tying a season-high. Three Cadets, including Mike Groselle (4-12), Smith (4-9) and Wright (4-9) finished with four field goals in the contest. Smith made the most of his converted field goals, hitting 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. As for Groselle, he snapped a 12-game streak in which he scored in double figures dating back to Savannah State (Feb. 14, 2011). Groselle shared a team-high five rebounds with freshman P.J. Horgan, who made the first start of his collegiate career.

Coastal Carolina's offensive juggernaut was led by junior Anthony Raffa who finished 13-of-19 from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers, en route to a career-high 28 points. Raffa also dished out four assists and left his impact defensively with five steals and six rebounds. Joining Raffa were teammates Chris Gradingo (12 points) and Kierre Greenwood (10 points). The Chanticleers managed 34-of-60 (56.7%) from the field and were successful on four shots from beyond the arc. Chants Head Coach Cliff Ellis earned his 700th career coaching victory as his team improved to 8-1 overall on the season.

UNIQUE RIVAL NOTES: The Citadel and Charleston Southern have met on 34 previous occasions with the Bulldogs holding a 19-15 edge in the all-time series.

In the rivalry, Rodney McKeever and Terry Campbell, are the only two Citadel players to have scored 30 or more points against the Buccaneers, which came in 1974 and 1993, respectively. There have been 14 different Cadets to record a double-double against Charleston Southern, including Matt Newman who registered a series-high three over the course of his career from 1994-98. Newman's three double-doubles against CSU are his second-most against any one opponent, behind Western Carolina who he recorded four against.

CITADEL CAREER 30-POINT GAMES (vs. Charleston Southern)

CITADEL CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLE GAMES (vs. Charleston Southern)

BULLDOGS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS: The NCAA released its third set of national statistical rankings on Monday and The Citadel placed in the top 150 of seven team categories including scoring offense (95) and personal fouls per game (100). The Citadel's has scored 587 points over the course of the first eight games this season, highlighted by on 159 points from beyond the arc. The team's proficiency from beyond the arc (53-153), highlighted by 15 treys apiece from the freshman combination of Ashton Moore (15-35) and Lawrence Miller (15-35), has placed the Cadets in the top 150 of NCAA Division I schools in two distinct 3-point field goal categories.

Individually, Mike Groselle ranks in the top 150 of four statistical categories, including fifth in double-doubles for the season with six. He is just one off the pace of Josh Davis (Tulane), Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State), Herb Pope (Seton Hall) and Thomas Robinson (Kansas), who have seven apiece. Highlighted by six straight games in double figure rebounds, including a career-high 19 boards against College of Charleston on Dec. 1, Groselle stands as the nation's 19th leading rebounder with 10.4 per game. The team leader with 83 rebounds, Groselle has pulled down 39 on the offensive glass along with 44 defensive boards. The junior center, who entered the 2011-12 season as the school's all-time field goal percentage leader, is currently 49th nationally in field goal percentage, after hitting 51-of-91 field goal attempts this season. 

AGAINST THE CURRENT BIG SOUTH: When The Citadel hosts Charleston Southern it will mark the final game of the season against a team from the Big South Conference. The Dogs hold a 133-100 (.571 winning percentage) all-time record against the current 11 teams that make up the Big South Conference. The Bulldogs have gone head-to-head with nine of those teams, the exceptions being Gardner-Webb and Radford, over the course of the 101-year history of the program. The Citadel played against three teams from the Big South Conference in 2010-11, head coach Chuck Driesell's first year with the progam, which included Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina and High Point. This season the Cadets opened with Big South rival VMI at the All Military Classic, met High Point to close out the month of November, and went toe-to-toe with Coastal Carolina on Dec. 6. Charleston Southern completes the rotation of BSC teams on the 2011-12 slate.

PREVIEWING CHARLESTON SOUTHERN (5-3 Overall)

FLORIDA STATE SNAPS CSU FIVE-GAME WINNING STREAK: Florida State proved too much for Charleston Southern, handing the Buccaneers their first loss in five games, 76-51, at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Fla. on Dec. 5.

Kelvin Martin and Saah Nimley scored 13 points each for the Buccaneers, with Martin adding a team-high eight boards. CSU struggled from the field, converting only 17-of-57 shots. The Bucs shot 28 percent from the 3-point line and in the process scored 14 points apiece off turnovers and points in the paint. Okaro White led the way for the Seminoles with 20 points, as FSU shot 48 percent from the field and muscled in 42 points in the paint.

Nimley hit a triple at the 17:55 mark to give the Bucs the early 3-2 advantage. A three by John Kreft would put Florida State up 18 before a Sheldon Strickland 3-pointer would cut the deficit to 25-10. A steal and lay-up by Jeff Peterson would extend the Seminole lead to 26 before Chris Grier answered with a deep three to cut the FSU advantage to 40-17 with 2:51 remaining in the first half.

The teams exchanged turnovers down the stretch and Florida State went into halftime with a 45-18 lead. The Buccaneers shot 5-of-25 from the field and 3-of-12 from beyond the arc in the first half. CSU scored two points off of turnovers compared to FSU's 18 and two points in the paint in comparison to FSU's 20.  Nimley led the way with nine points, while Grier and Strickland both had three for the Buccaneers. Martin had five rebounds to go along with one steal and one assist. FSU was led by Xavier Gibson's eight points, five rebounds and two assists.

Martin started off the second half with a jumper for the first points of the second half, pushing FSU in front 45-22. Martin would snag a rebound at the 14:24 mark and get rewarded by a Strickland assist for a lay up to bring CSU within 53-26 of the lead. 

Nimley hit a triple off an assist from Mathiang Muo to bring the Bucs within 21, 53-32, with less than 12 minutes remaining. An Arlon Harper lay up would make it 58-36 FSU with 8:41 remaining. Martin would hit his first three point of the season with 3:51 remaining to bring CSU within 69-41.  Grier would hit a 3-pointer with three seconds left to wrap up the game with FSU getting the 76-51 victory in Tallahassee.

For more information on Bulldog Basketball, visit the official website of The Citadel Athletics at www.CitadelSports.com.