Box Score Game Box (pdf)
CHARLESTON, S.C. – On Saturday night at McAlister Fieldhouse, the Wofford men's basketball team defeated The Citadel 77-56. The Terriers took a lead on their first possession of the game and never looked back as they won their sixth-straight game.
Wofford is 13-10 on the season and 8-3 in the Southern Conference to sit in third place in the standings. The Citadel is 4-22 overall and 0-11 in league play. Wofford was led by Lee Skinner with 18 points and 12 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season. Karl Cochran added 15 points, Eric Garcia had 14 points, and Jaylen Allen scored ten points. The Bulldogs had 14 points from Brian White.
"I think this bunch has a feeling and they are enjoying playing with each other every game," said head coach Mike Young. "It is remarkable to see how this team has grown and continues to grow. I am proud of their effort and it was a great first half to be up 21. We finished it out for a good win."
The Citadel scored first, but Wofford answered with a three by Eric Garcia. After a lay-up by Karl Cochran and free throw by Eric Garcia, Wofford led 6-2 at the 18:05 mark. A three by Jaylen Allen and a dunk by Karl Cochran off a steal gave the Terriers an 11-4 lead four minutes into the contest. Jaylen Allen and Lee Skinner added buckets for a 17-8 advantage with 13:08 left in the first half.
Wofford used a quick 10-0 run that included five points from Eric Garcia to push the lead to 27-8 at the midpoint of the first half. The Bulldogs scored the next eight points to cut the score to 27-16 with 6:52 left in the half. Wofford had a bucket by C.J. Neumann to end the run. The Terriers gradually extended the score to 37-20 after a lay-up by Lee Skinner with 3:50 remaining in the half. Eric Garcia hit his third three pointer of the half for a 40-20 lead at the three minute mark. A three by Karl Cochran from the corner gave the Terriers a 45-24 advantage at the half.
To open the second half, the Bulldogs scored the first six points to cut the lead to 45-30. Justin Gordon ended the run with a bucket for a 47-30 lead after three minutes of play. The Citadel made it a 47-34 game before Karl Cochran hit a three pointer for a 50-34 score at the 14:07 mark. Three straight buckets by Lee Skinner gave Wofford a 56-35 advantage with 11:59 left in the second half.
A three pointer by Karl Cochran and a lay-up by Justin Gordon pushed the score to 63-40 with 8:05 left in the second half. The Citadel hit their first three of the game to cut the lead back to 20, but the Terriers had buckets by C.J. Neumann and Lee Skinner for a 68-43 score with 5:42 on the clock. A three by Jaylen Allen and a lay-up by Justin Gordon extended the lead to 73-45 a minute later. After taking a 77-51 advantage with 1:44 left, Wofford cleared the bench. The Citadel scored the last five points of the game for the 77-56 final margin.
Wofford shot 50.8% from the floor. The Citadel was held to 49.0% overall. The Terriers were 8-of-21 from with three, while the Bulldogs were 2-of-10 from behind the arc. The Citadel was 6-of-9 from the line while Wofford was 9-of-16 on free throws. The Terriers had a 33 to 30 lead on the glass. The Bulldogs had 15 turnovers and Wofford had 24 points off those turnovers. The Terriers had 16 assists and only seven turnovers in the game.
The Terriers will return home on Tuesday night for a non-conference game against Hiwassee at 7:00 p.m. before a road trip to Appalachian State on Saturday, February 15.
