Army (0-1) vs. The Citadel (0-1) (ET)
GAME NOTES: With the first day of college basketball in the books, two teams that were early risers on Friday get back to the floor later today as the Army Black Knights match up with the Bulldogs of The Citadel to close out the third annual All-Military Classic at Cameron Hall in Lexington, Virginia.
The Knights were pitted against Air Force in their opener yesterday and, after holding a minor lead at the break, ended up bowing to the Falcons, 79-68, in order to fall into the losers side of the bracket in this event.
The Bulldogs had similar results as they led host VMI by 13 in the first half of their clash on Friday, but the Keydets proved to be too much for the visitors and The Citadel eventually suffered the 82-71 setback.
Last year, the Bulldogs defeated VMI and lost to Air Force in the title game of this event, while Army first bowed to the Falcons and then took down the Keydets as both teams earned a split in the tourney in 2012.
The Bulldogs own a 6-2 advantage in the all-time series between the programs, the most recent meeting taking place two seasons ago when The Citadel posted an 83-72 victory in this tournament.
The Knights actually led at the half against Air Force, even after failing to make it to the free-throw line even once through the first 20 minutes of action. Army shot a mere 34.3 percent from the floor and 6-of-22 on the perimeter in the first period and then proceeded to have identical numbers on the outside in the second half, preventing them from keeping up with the Falcons.
Tanner Omlid was the leading scorer for Army with his 18 points in a mere 16 minutes off the bench, but his 4-of-13 performance from 3-point range was representative of how poorly the team shot the long ball (12-of-44) on the day. The only other double-digit scorer for the Black Knights was Kyle Wilson who tallied 10 points on a dismal 4-of-16 showing from the field, including 1- of-7 on the outside.
The Citadel used a 9-0 run in the first half to seemingly take control against the Keydets, but the Bulldogs owned just a one-point lead at the break, 38-37, and eventually struggled from the perimeter (2-of-11) over the final 20 minutes of action.
Four of the five starters scored in double figures for the Bulldogs, led by Brian White who tallied 21 points and cleared nine rebounds. Matt Van Scyoc registered a double-double with his 16 points and team-best 11 boards, but at the same time he shot just 3-of-14 from the field. Marshall Harris and Ashton Moore chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively, as the team finished the meeting with 20 turnovers and a disappointing 6-of-21 showing behind the 3- point line.
With so much youth on the side of the Bulldogs, it was somewhat surprising to see the team compete as well as it did on Friday, but the quick turnaround may not be kind to them.