Najdawi fills stat sheet; The Citadel beats Mercer 79-69
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Zane Najdawi scored 18 points, with seven rebounds, four steals and three blocks and The Citadel beat Mercer 79-69 on Saturday in a Southern Conference opener.
Lew Stallworth added 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Bulldogs (6-2, 1-0). Matt Frierson had 14 points and four steals and Connor Kern scored 13 points.
Mercer (4-4, 0-1) led 33-25 at the break before The Citadel outscored the Bears 19-11 in the first eight minutes of the second half to tie it at 44. Alex Reed and Najdawi made jump shots, Reed threw down a dunk and The Citadel never trailed again. Najdawi added back-to-back layups and The Citadel led 56-46 with 8:20 remaining. Frierson's 3-pointer with less than two minutes left extended the margin to 15.
Ross Cummings led Mercer with 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting from 3-point range, Jaylen Stowe scored 15 with five rebounds and Ethan Stair scored 11 points with 14 boards.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Nathan Quick
- Antoine Dawkins
- Davis Maxwell
2023-24 Southern Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samford | 15-3 | - | 29-6 |
| UNC Greensboro | 12-6 | 3 | 21-11 |
| Chattanooga | 12-6 | 3 | 21-12 |
| Western Carolina | 11-7 | 4 | 22-10 |
| Wofford | 10-8 | 5 | 17-15 |
| Furman | 10-8 | 5 | 17-16 |
| East Tennessee State | 8-10 | 7 | 19-16 |
| Mercer | 8-10 | 7 | 16-17 |
| The Citadel | 3-15 | 12 | 11-21 |
| VMI | 1-17 | 14 | 4-28 |
Men's College Basketball News
