It will be a battle between Southern opponents when the East Tennessee State Buccaneers (12-7) welcome the Citadel Bulldogs (9-10) to Freedom Hall Civic Center. Action begins at 4:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 23 and will air on ES3.
The Buccaneers enter this game hoping for similar success after narrowly defeating Mercer 65-63 on Thursday. Ge’Lawn Guyn played a key role with 18 points, three rebounds, and two steals. The Bulldogs are coming off a 92-91 win against Western Carolina on Thursday. Derrick Henry stood out, recording 12 points, seven rebounds, and three steals.
Over the last five games, T.J. Cromer has taken his game to another level for the Buccaneers. During that stretch, he has averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steal, and 3.2 three-pointers.
East Tennessee State is a big 12-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 183 points. The Buccaneers have gone 12-7 Straight Up (SU) and 8-5-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Buccaneers have one of the most prolific home offenses in the entire nation, averaging 86.9 points per game. Citadel has a habit of getting in foul trouble (25.2 fouls per game), so expect the Buccaneers to get a number of opportunities from the free throw line.
On the other side, Citadel has a SU record of 9-10 and an ATS record of 7-4. Offensively, they average 89.8 points per game, which is tops in the country. Citadel is one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation, making 11.0 shots from three-point range per game. The Bulldogs are an unselfish team with an average of 17.6 assists per game, ranking 15th in Division I. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Bulldogs are a terror in the passing lanes, averaging an impressive 9.5 steals per game.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between the conference foes. Their previous game was a Bulldogs victory, taking the head-to-head record to an even 3-3 SU. However, Citadel holds the advantage ATS with a record of 5-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cit, ATS Winner – Cit, O/U – Over
Notes
The Citadel is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against East Tennessee St.
East Tennessee State averages 78.4 points per game (ranked 76th). Citadel, on the other hand, allows 91.5 points per game (ranked 351st).
East Tennessee State is one of the top-scoring teams at home, averaging 86.9 points per game (ranked 22nd). Citadel, on the other hand, allows 99.1 points per away game (ranked 351st).
In its last game, Citadel won by a margin of one point. East Tennessee State is 4-2 in games decided by a margin of three points or less. Citadel has a 3-1 record in close games.
The Citadel Bulldogs average 82.7 possessions per game and 1.086 points per possession. The East Tennessee State Buccaneers earn fewer possessions with 71.1, but they score more points with 1.102.
The East Tennessee State Buccaneers average an effective field goal percentage of 52.6% this season. The Citadel Bulldogs have an abysmal record of 3-9 when opponents have an eFG% of 52.6% or greater.
On average, the East Tennessee State Buccaneers attempt 21.0 three point field goals per game and the Citadel Bulldogs attempt 35.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, East Tennessee State has a solid 8-4 record, while Citadel is 9-10.
Citadel records 9.5 steals per game (ranked sixth). East Tennessee State is 3-2 when allowing at least 9 steals.
