Copyright Charleston Post and Courier
Charleston Southern Brycen Blaine messed around and nearly had a triple-double. Blaine, the former James Madison transfer, poured in 42 points, pulled down nine rebounds and handed out eight assists to lead Charleston Southern past The Citadel 96-86 Monday night at McAlister Field House. Blaine was almost unstoppable, knocking down eight 3-pointers and going 14 of 24 from the floor during the game. During a nine-minute stretch Blaine scored 11 unanswered points for the Buccaneers. The Bucs (2-1) got 18 points from A’lahn Sumler. The Citadel (1-2), which led by as many as 14 points in the first half, was led by Christian Moore, who finished with 21 points. Key Stats • After missing the first two games of the season, The Citadel’s Simeon German made his Bulldogs debut against Charleston Southern. The 6-10 former USC Aiken standout played 12 minutes, finishing with four points, two blocks and a rebound. • Charleston Southern outrebounded The Citadel 40-27, including 14 offensive rebounds that led to 12 second-chance points. • The Citadel, the worst free-throw shooting team in the Southern Conference a year ago, struggled against the Bucs, going 20 of 30 (66 percent) from the free-throw line • Both teams shot 50 percent from the floor, but it was the Bucs who excelled beyond the 3-point arc, going 14 of 32 (43 percent) from 3. • The Citadel's Carter Kingsbury added 12 points, and Braxton Williams had 15 points for the Bulldogs. Turning Point The moment Brycen Blaine stepped off the bus. The Bulldogs tried several different players defensively against Blaine, but it had little effect on had little effect on the 6-5 Bucs guard. When he wasn't knocking down 3s, he was moving the getting teammates wide open looks at the basket. Next Game The Citadel will travel to Carrollton, Ga., and face West Georgia Friday night beginning at 7 p.m. Charleston Southern will travel to Huntsville, Ala., to play in the Bulldog Bash. The Bucs will take on Alabama A&M Thursday night beginning at 8:30 p.m., and then will face Lindenwood Friday night.
