BOONE, N.C. (December 10, 2011) – Adam Sollazzo (Tampa, Fla.) scored a game-high and career-high 23 points and Isiah Brown (Miami, Fla.) added 16 to lead ETSU past Appalachian State, 65-48, Saturday afternoon inside the Holmes Center.

ETSU led from the very start and never trailed at any point in the contest. The Bucs improve to 4-5 on the season, while snapping a four-game losing streak. The Bucs also swept the season series from the Mountaineers after an 81-68 victory in Johnson City back on November 15. In addition, the Bucs have now won six straight against the Mountaineers dating back to 2004-05. Meanwhile, Appalachian State falls to 4-5 on the season.

Sollazzo surpassed his previous career-high of 22 points against Campbell in last season’s regular season finale. He scored his 23 points on 8-for-15 shooting, while also adding nine rebounds, five assists and two steals.

ETSU recorded a season-low seven turnovers on the day, while forcing Appalachian State into 18 miscues, including 11 steals. The Bucs scored 21 points off the 18 ASU turnovers. ETSU also dominated the paint by owning a 38-12 advantage scoring advantage down low.

The Bucs got up by as much as 21 early in the second half, but Appalachian State managed to chip away at the lead. The Mountaineers cut the lead to 11 on two different occasions, but they could not get any closer. After ASU cut the lead to 51-40 with just over eight minutes to play, Sollazzo’s layup extended the lead back out and ended a 6-0 Appalachian State run.

ETSU took the lead right away as Tommy Hubbard (Boston, Mass.) scored an uncontested layup after the Bucs controlled the opening tip – starting a 9-2 ETSU run to start the game. After Appalachian State cut the lead to four, ETSU responded by putting together a 12-2 run to extend its lead to 21-7 after a Sollazzo jumper. ETSU increased its lead to 19 with less than a minute to play after a Lukas Poderis (Port Richey, Fla.) tip-in, but the Mountaineers got a quick three-point basket from Mike Neal to cut the lead to 16. It looked as if the Bucs were going to take a 16 point lead to halftime until Sollazzo found a wide open Jarvis Jones (Memphis, Tenn.), who buried a three-pointer at the buzzer from the right wing, to take a 43-24 lead at the half.

ETSU will be back in action on Monday, December 19 when it hosts Milligan at 7 p.m. inside the ETSU/MSHA Athletic Center.

For more information on ETSU men’s basketball please visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men’s basketball link.