Game to be televised on SEC Network

BATON ROUGE, La. (Dec. 17, 2019) -- The ETSU men’s basketball team will get another opportunity to knock off a Power-5 program when the Buccaneers travel to the Bayou to take on LSU Wednesday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST inside the Maravich Center.

COVERAGE

Wednesday’s game will be televised on the SEC Network with Richard Cross and Joe Kleine on the call. The SEC Network is available nationwide with satellite, cable and telecom providers. It is also available with streaming services. Click hereto locate the SEC Network channel guide.

The game will also be video streamed online; CLICK HERE FOR LIVE VIDEO

“Voice of the Bucs” Jay Sandos will have the radio call on WXSM-AM 640 beginning with the Atmos Energy Pregame Show at 6:30 p.m.; CLICK HERE FOR LIVE AUDIO

Live stats will also be provided via StatBroadcast… Fans can access live stats on their computers or mobile devices by clicking here

Follow Buccaneer basketball on Twitter @ETSU_MBB and on Instagram @etsubasketball

LAST TIME OUT

• ETSU cruised to a 97-41 win over Milligan on Sunday afternoon inside Freedom Hall.

• The 56-point win was the fifth-largest margin of victory in program history – the largest since defeating Hiwassee by 65 last season (Nov. 8, 2019) … ETSU’s largest win margin is 68 when the  Bucs defeated Warren Wilson 109-41 on Dec. 5, 2000. 

• The 41 points were the fewest given up by a Buccaneer team since surrendering 37 in that win over Guilford … The 41 points are also tied for the second-fewest allowed by an ETSU team in the shot clock era.

• ETSU ended the first half and started the second half on a 31-0 run … The run covered 10 minutes and 35 seconds, including the final 7:16 of the first half … During the run, Milligan missed 12 shots and turned the ball over nine times, while six different Buccaneers scored points.

• The Bucs totaled a season-high 20 steals and scored 47 points off 24 Milligan turnovers … The 20 steals are the most by a SoCon team this season and are the ninth-most by a Division I program this year.

• In its six home games this season, ETSU has led in 225 minutes and 07 seconds of the possible 240 minutes (94%)… The Bucs are 6-0 at home this season and 57-11 (.838) inside Freedom Hall in the Coach Forbes era.

• ETSU has now 14 straight games against in-state opponents – a streak that dates back to the 2016-17 season.

BUCS VS. SEC TEAMS

Wednesday marks the 72nd time ETSU will be taking on an SEC opponent … The Bucs have 16 all-time wins vs. the SEC – Ole Miss (5), South Carolina (3), Mississippi State (3), Tennessee (2), Georgia (2) and Arkansas (1) … The last time ETSU faced an SEC opponent was on Nov. 17, 2017 when the Bucs played at Kentucky inside Rupp Arena … ETSU’s last win over the SEC was on Dec. 14, 2016 when the Bucs knocked off Mississippi State 67-65 on Hanner Mosquera-Perea’s tip-in with 1.4 seconds remaining.

FORBES AGAINST POWER-5 TEAMS

ETSU head coach Steve Forbes, who is in fifth season with the Bucs, has defeated Georgia Tech and Mississippi State during his  time in Johnson City ... The Bucs knocked off Georgia Tech, 69-68, back on Nov. 22, 2015 on Ge’Lawn Guyn’s game-winning three-pointer, while a season later, Hanner Mosquera-Perea’slay-up led the Bucs to a 67-65 win at Mississippi State on Dec. 14, 2016. 

BUCS AGAINST POWER-5 TEAMS

Since the 2007-08 season, ETSU has recorded five wins over Power-5 programs ... The Bucs defeated Mississippi State in 2016-17 and 2010-11, Georgia Tech in 2015-16, Arkansas in 2009-10 and Georgia in 2007-08. 

BUCS CONTINUE ON 3-POINT STREAK LIST

Since Feb. 16, 1987 in a game against Davidson, the Bucs have made at least one 3-pointer in 1012 consecutive games ... ETSU was 0-for-8 in that 1987 game ... The Bucs currently rank as the sixth-longest streak in the NCAA, with UNLV topping the list with 1,071 games. 

TRUE ROAD WINS

Since the start of the 2017-18 season, ETSU has registered 22 true road wins, which are tied for the fourth-most in Division I play. 

BUCS MATCH BEST START SINCE 2016-17

Sitting at 9-2 through their first 11 games, the Bucs are off to their best 11-game start since 2016-17 … The 2016-17 Bucs opened 9-2 en route to winning the SoCon Championship and making their 10th trip to the NCAA Tournament … The Bucs’ best 12-game start was when ETSU opened the 1990-91 season at 14-1. 

FURIOUS FIRST HALVES

The Bucs have outscored their opponents 426-313 in the first half this season, equating to a +10.3 scoring margin in the opening 20 minutes … ETSU, who is averaging 38.7 points in the first half this season, are shooting 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc (56-143), while limiting the opposition to a 25 percent clip from three (29-114) … Overall, the Bucs have made 32 more field goals (152-120), 27 more threes (56-29) and 22 more free throws (66-44) than their opposition in the first half. 

ABOUT LSU

LSU has won its last four games and enters Wednesday’s game with a 7-2 record. 

The Tigers are receiving votes in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Top 25 Polls … LSU was ranked No. 22 in the preseason poll. 

The Tigers are 6-0 at home this season and have won 58 of their last 62 non-conference home games … LSU is 29-1 at home against non-conference teams since 2016-17 with its lone loss coming against Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 16, 2017.   

As a team, LSU ranks fourth nationally in field goal percentage (51.7), sixth in scoring offense (85.3), 14th in rebound margin (9.4) and 15th in scoring margin (17.3). 

The Tigers have five players scoring in double figures with Skylar Mays averaging 16.0 points per contest … Mays is also tied for the team lead with 14 three-pointers made and averaging 5.2 rebounds per contest … Emmitt Williams is posting  15.4 points and 7.9 rebounds, while shooting 68 percent (54-80) … Darius Days is averaging 14.2 points and 8.2 boards, while Trendon Watford (13.1 ppg) and Javonte Smart (10.9) are also averaging double figures in scoring … Days leads the  team with four double-doubles, while Smart leads the team with 45 assists. 

Since the start of  the 2012-13 season, LSU  is 77-11 when holding opponents to 70 points. 

Over 68 percent of LSU’s scoring  this season has come from its underclassmen – 48.8 points per game from its sophomores and 20.3 via its freshmen. 

LSU, who won the SEC regular season title last season, reached the Sweet 16 a year ago before falling to Michigan State. 

SERIES HISTORY

Wednesday marks the first ever meeting between ETSU and LSU. 

ETSU VS. TEAMS FROM THE PELICAN STATE

Despite never facing LSU, the Bucs have played 11 games from teams in The Pelican State with ETSU going 5-6 in those contests … The last time ETSU played a team from Louisiana was on March 28, 2016 when the Bucs defeated Louisiana Tech in the opening round of the “Vegas 16” … The Bucs are 2-1 all-time vs. La Tech, 1-0 vs. Southern, 1-1 vs. Monroe, 1-1 vs. McNeese, 0-1 vs. Northwestern State and  0-2 vs. Louisiana. 

WHAT’S NEXT

ETSU heads home to host Cleveland State Saturday at 4 p.m. inside Freedom Hall. 

Follow Buccaneer basketball on Twitter @ETSU_MBBand on Instagram @etsubasketball 

For more information on Buccaneer men’s basketball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men’s basketball tab.