Ragged first half costs The Citadel in 74-61 loss to Radford

The Citadel’s basketball team played its worst half of the season today, and it cost the Bulldogs dearly in a 74-61 loss to Radford at McAlister Field House.

The Bulldogs fell behind by 22 in the first half and trailed by 42-24 at the break, committing 15 of their season-high 24 turnovers in the first 20 minutes.

Guard Ashton Moore came off the bench to lead the Bulldogs with 12 points, and guard Marshall Harris added 11. The Citadel struggled against Radford’s pressure to get the ball into senior center Mike Groselle, who finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Down by 18 at the half, The Citadel slowly cut into the Radford lead, using a 19-7 run to crawl to within 49-43 with 8:13 left. Dylan Setzekorn scored all eight of his points during that stretch.

Radford’s Kyle Noreen snapped a 12-0 streak with a bucket off a loose ball, and R.J. Price scored off a turnover to thwart Citadel momentum and give the Highlanders a 53-43 edge. Radford stretched the lead back out to 16 from there.

The Highlanders (4-3) were led by 13 points from freshman guard Ya Ya Anderson.

Radford built a 22-point advantage en route to a 42-24 lead at halftime, forcing 15 Citadel turnovers and dominating the offensive glass. The Highlanders rebounded 15 of their 25 misses in the first half, good for 13 second-chance points, and converted the Bulldogs’ 15 turnovers into 23 points.

The Citadel plays its next six games on the road, including its Southern Conference opener at UNC Greensboro on Dec. 1. The Bulldogs are at Charleston Southern on Dec. 4, at Georgia Tech on Dec. 22 and at Clemson on Jan. 1. They next play at home on Jan. 5 against Western Carolina.