Wednesday, February 17, 2010

BUIES CREEK, N.C. (Feb. 17, 2010) - On Thursday night the current top two seeds in next month's General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Tournament are set to square off on the hardwood, as the ETSU Lady Bucs travel to Buies Creek, N.C. to face Campbell. Tip is set for 7 p.m. inside the John W. Pope Convocation Center.

ETSU (16-8, 14-2 in A-Sun) locked up the top seed in next month's conference tournament with its 81-63 victory over Kennesaw State on Saturday afternoon. However, the Lady Bucs also got a gift as North Florida upset Florida Gulf Coast, 57-56, placing ETSU back in the hunt for a regular season title.

In that 18-point win over the Owls, ETSU extended its home winning streak to 10 straight games and have also won 12 of its last 13 games overall. The Lady Bucs were led by Tarita Gordon's (Wichita, Kan.) 18 points, while freshman post Ashley Benedict (Rome, Ohio) came off the bench to record 13 points and a career-high four blocks.

Campbell (14-11, 9-7) has won three of its last five games and currently holds the number two seed in the conference tournament. The Lady Camels are coming off a six-point win over Mercer on Saturday afternoon, 66-60, where senior post Ashley Williamson finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds over the Bears. Jazmine Cooper added 12 points off the bench.

The Lady Camels have no players averaging in double figures scoring; however, Campbell has six averaging between seven and nine points. In addition, the Lady Camels have nine players averaging double figures in minutes played. As a team, Campbell ranks second in field goal percentage (41.7) and fourth in scoring offense (66.7).

ETSU has won all nine games in the series, with eight being decided by double figures. The Lady Bucs won the last meeting 88-65, as Siarre Evans (Griffin, Ga.) led four players in double figures with 20 points. Meanwhile, ETSU survived a scare a year ago in Buies Creek, with the Lady Bucs holding on to a 72-64 win back on Feb. 19, 2009. Evans is averaging 21.3 points per game in the last three meetings against Campbell, while ETSU is forcing the Lady Camels into 26.8 turnovers in the last five games.

Fans unable to make the trip to Buies Creek can view all the action live through ASun.TV. Also, live stats will be available courtesy of Campbell athletics. To access both sites, click on the links above.

For more information on Lady Buccaneer basketball, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.