The Citadel beats VMI 78-70 in SoCon tournament opener
ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Zane Najdawi scored 16 points and No. 8 seed The Citadel held off ninth-seeded VMI 78-70 in the first round of the Southern Conference Tournament on Friday.
The Citadel (11-20) will play top-seeded UNC Greensboro (24-7) in a Saturday quarterfinal.
Najdawi was 4 of 11 from the field but made 7 of 11 of his free throws. Frankie Johnson and Matt Frierson added 12 points apiece, and Hayden Brown chipped in 11 for the Bulldogs. Frierson made four of The Citadel's 14 3-pointers.
The Citadel had a 13-point lead with four minutes left. Myles Lewis converted a 3-point play, Jordan Ratliffe scored five points and Garrett Gilkeson hit a jumper to cap a 10-0 run to pull the Keydets to 73-70. The Bulldogs then shot just 4 of 8 from the line, but VMI missed its last six shots to end it.
Keith Smith scored 15 points and Ratliffe had 13 for VMI (9-21).
Game Information
- Referees:
- Tim Gattis
- Tony Greene
- John Hampton
2024-25 Southern Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samford | 5-1 | - | 15-4 |
| UNC Greensboro | 5-2 | 0.5 | 12-8 |
| East Tennessee State | 5-2 | 0.5 | 12-8 |
| Wofford | 5-2 | 0.5 | 11-9 |
| Chattanooga | 4-2 | 1 | 12-7 |
| Furman | 3-4 | 2.5 | 15-5 |
| Mercer | 3-4 | 2.5 | 10-10 |
| VMI | 3-4 | 2.5 | 9-11 |
| Western Carolina | 1-6 | 4.5 | 5-13 |
| The Citadel | 0-7 | 5.5 | 5-13 |
Men's College Basketball News
