Eagles Drop Regular Season Finale Versus The Citadel
3/2/2009 5:11:00 AM | Men's Basketball
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Georgia Southern ended the 2008-09 regular season with a 74-53 loss to The Citadel, Monday night (March 2) at Hanner Fieldhouse. The Eagles enter the Southern Conference Tournament at 8-21 overall and captured the South Division's fifth-seed at 5-15.
On Friday the Eagles will face Appalachian State (North Division fourth-seed) Friday afternoon (March 6) at 2 p.m.
“We just have to do it as a third part of our season now and try to put some of our bad experiences out of our mind, regroup and refocus. We've got to look at it as a new opportunity,” said head coach Jeff Price. “We'll play Appalachian State and start working hard in getting prepared for that game and do our best.”
The Bulldogs, capturing just their second-ever 20-win season at 20-11 (15-5), entered the game needing a win to capture the South's second-seed and first round bye. They opened with a jumper from Demetrius Nelson and never trailed in the game.
Late in the first half Ben Drayton III (St. Marys/Camden County) hit a field goal to make it 28-22 with 2:21 remaining. The Bulldogs rattled off six straight points to close out the first half.
The Citadel shot 56.5 percent in the first half while the Eagles made 39.1 percent from the field. In the second half Georgia Southern made another run.
Down nine, Antonio Hanson (Fort Worth, TX/Independence CC) drained a 3-pointer. The Citadel got two free throws from Cameron Wells but Sandy Perry (Perth Amboy, N.J./Barton County CC) hit a jumper to make it 44-38. After five unanswered by The Citadel, Drayton scored on a lay-in but the Bulldogs went on a 15-3 run to put the game away.
Hanson led the Eagles with 3-of-6 shooting from long distance and 14 points. Drayton scored in double-figures for the 11th straight game, 11 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Senior Anthony Marshall (Lake Worth, FL/Lake Worth) scored seven points and matched a season-high of seven rebounds. He and Kenith Ward (Warner Robins/Northside) were honored in a pre-game ceremony.
“They're (Ward and Marshall) four and five year guys that have had so much to do with our success over the last five years in winning some regular season championships. Those guys have been instrumental in our success not just on the court but off the court,” said Price. “They're just great guys who take care of their business, go to class, and just do what they have to do. They're really good role models.”
Georgia Southern shot 35.2 percent for the game (19-of-54) but only 8-of-17 free throws.
The Citadel finished 45.8 percent from the field and its first 17 free throw attempts before finishing 25-of-30 for the game.
Demetrius Nelson finished 12-of-12 at the free throw line, part of his 22-point/11-rebound double-double. Cameron Wells went 8-of-8 at the line, finishing with 20 points.
