CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Wofford men's basketball team scored a new season-high on the offensive end in a dramatic win over The Citadel Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon, 95-86, in McAlister Fieldhouse.

The Terriers (10-5, 2-0) were led by Nils Machowski's 37-point performance, while Cayden Vasko reached 20 points as well. Kahmare Holmes led the team in rebounds (7) and assists (9). Machowski and Holmes had two steals each, while four Terriers had a block.

"It was elite offense," said head coach Kevin Giltner. "We played really well offensively. We made shots. But we don't want to allow that every night, so we need to get better defensively."

How It Happened
Brian Sumpter found the first bucket for the Terriers, slamming down a lob pass from Nils Machowski. The Terriers went to score eight points unanswered before the Bulldogs could break the momentum. Machowski was off to a quick start, knocking down two three-pointers and an assist before the first media timeout. The Citadel responded with a 7-0 run of their own, as Wofford was unable to score for three minutes. The Bulldogs went ahead of the Terriers at 12-11 with 14:17 on the clock before Cayden Vasko hit consecutive threes to take the lead back.

Despite the Bulldogs making two free throws, Wofford continued its offense with threes from Machowski and Luke Flynn, while The Citadel had to wait almost four minutes before its next field goal. The Terriers were on the verge of reaching a ten-point margin twice before they could finally push over the mark with a driving layup from Cayden Vasko for a 30-20 advantage. With that, Vasko won the race between himself and Machowski to be the first Terrier with ten or more points. The Berlin, Germany, native responded with a three-pointer to tie the race back up.

The Bulldogs made consecutive threes to bring the game back within ten points heading into the final four minutes of the half. The Citadel scored two more three-pointers before the Terriers scored again. Wofford had an 8-0 run, where Kahmare Holmes found his first points of the game. The Citadel found the basket just before the whistle as Wofford went into the locker room with the lead, 42-35.

Machowski kicked off the second half with a three-pointer, assisted by Holmes. Machowski scored two more threes, forcing the Citadel to take a timeout three minutes into the half. Cayden Vasko pushed Wofford to a 16-point lead before the Bulldogs went 7-4 over the next stretch. If it weren't for Chace Watley, going 4-4 from the line, the lead would have gone under ten points for the first time since the start of the half. The freshman continued to light it up as Jayden Tyler hit two from behind the arc before the under-12-minute timeout.

Nils Machowski found a new career-high of 29 points after making a three at the ten-minute mark. Shortly after, a short run from the Bulldogs found the lead under ten points for the first time in the half. This did not last long as Vasko hit two free throws to find a career-high 20 points, and Jayden Tyler finished a fastbreak attempt. The teams went on to trade scores, but Wofford had an 86-76 lead with 4:24 remaining after a three by Kahmare Holmes.

The Bulldogs came out of the final media timeout with authority, preventing the Terriers from scoring for over two minutes, scoring seven of their own in the meantime, cutting the lead to three points. Wofford took a timeout to recoup, which was rewarded with crucial buckets from Holmes and Machowski. Three defensive stops in a row helped give the Terriers a cushion of six points with 27 seconds remaining. Nils Machowski blocked a three-point attempt in the dying embers. Wofford would go to the line twice before the final whistle blew for another Wofford win, 95-86.

Inside the Numbers

• Starters: Cayden Vasko, Brian Sumpter, Luke Flynn, Kahmare Holmes, Nils Machowski.
• Wofford shot 52.6% from three in the first half.
• Both teams shot over 50% from the floor and from behind the arc.
• Machowski made four three-pointers in a row in the second half.
• Nils Machowski (37) and Cayden Vasko (20) had new career-highs on the night.
• Kahmare Holmes set a new personal career-high, tying the team season-high, with 9 assists.
• Machowski's 37 points are the most points scored by a Terrier since Fletcher Magee's 36 points at Samford in 2019.

Up Next
The Terriers return home for their first home Southern Conference game on Wednesday, January 6, in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Wofford hosts the UNC Greensboro Spartans in Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. Tip-off set for 6 p.m. Listen along on the Wofford Digital Network or watch on CW62/Nexstar and ESPN+.