The Western Carolina Catamounts (12-16) will have their hands full against the top scoring defense in the nation when they take on the Citadel Bulldogs (10-18) at McAlister Field House. Action starts at 1:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 20.
The Bulldogs are hoping to rebound after their 67-51 loss to East Tennessee State on Thursday. Zane Najdawi had a good game for Citadel, recording eight points, six blocks, and five rebounds. The Catamounts are coming off a 72-65 win against Mercer on Thursday. Torrion Brummitt had a good performance, registering 15 points and 10 rebounds to claim his seventh double-double of the season.
This one might be a sloppy game for the Western Carolina offense, which ranks 292nd in the nation in miscues (TO% of 20.4%). It’s matched up against the ball-hawking Citadel defense, which causes the 32nd-most turnovers in the nation (21.6%).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Bulldogs winning the first matchup 92-91. Haboubacar Mutombo played a big role with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bulldogs come into this game 10-18 Straight Up (SU) and 9-11 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 7-3 ATS. The Bulldogs have no trouble scoring as they rank second in the nation in offense with 86.8 points per game. Citadel is excellent from the perimeter with 318 three-pointers made (11.0 per game), the second-most in the country. Citadel has the 32nd-most assists in Division I, averaging 16.1 per game. The Citadel defense has been on fire lately, allowing an average of 73.4 points per game, well under their season average of 92.4. The Bulldogs are the sixth-best team in the country at taking the ball away from their opponents, averaging 9.5 steals per game.
On the other side, the Catamounts head into the game with records of 13-9-1 ATS and 12-16 SU. Western Carolina has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 3-7 record. Offensively, the Catamounts have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 72.1 points per game by averaging 81.5 during that stretch. The last 10 games have really brought the worst out of the Catamounts on the defensive end. They allowed 93.8 points per game during that span, which is higher than their season average of 73.1. They average 8.4 steals per game, good for 13th in the nation.
In their previous meeting this season, Citadel beat Western Carolina, but the win was not enough to overtake Western Carolina in their recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 2-8 SU over the last few meetings. Additionally, Western Carolina leads the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3. Western Carolina held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once, while Citadel was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cit, ATS Winner – Cit
Notes
“The Citadel is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games “.
“The Citadel is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 10 of The Citadel’s last 13 games “.
“The Citadel is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home”.
“The Citadel is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of The Citadel’s last 7 games at home”.
“The Citadel is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Western Carolina”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of The Citadel’s last 5 games when playing at home against Western Carolina”.
Citadel is one of the top-scoring teams, averaging 86.8 points per game (ranked second). Western Carolina, on the other hand, allows 73.1 points per game (ranked 170th).
The Citadel Bulldogs average 82.0 possessions and 1.058 points per possession in games this season. The Western Carolina Catamounts average fewer possessions with 70.7, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.020.
The Citadel Bulldogs average an effective field goal percentage of 50.4% this season. The Western Carolina Catamounts have an abysmal record of 3-12 when opponents have an eFG% of 50.4% or greater.
On average, the Citadel Bulldogs attempt 35.0 three point field goals per game and the Western Carolina Catamounts attempt 22.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Citadel has a subpar record of 10-18, while Western Carolina is 8-11.
Citadel ranks 94th in offensive rebounding. Western Carolina ranks 283rd in defensive rebounding.
Citadel averages 9.5 steals per game, ranking sixth in the country. Western Carolina is a poor 2-4 when it gives up at least 9 steals.
