ETSU takes down USC Upstate in home opener, 56-43

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Nov. 18, 2021) – When Desmond Oliver was hired as the ETSU men’s basketball head coach back in April, he used the acronym “DRRE” to describe how he wanted his team to play.

The acronym stands for Defend, Rebound, Run and Execute.

The Buccaneers turned to defense and rebounding to help deliver Coach Oliver his first career head coaching win as ETSU defeated USC Upstate 56-43 in its home opener Thursday night inside Freedom Hall.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• The 43 points were the fewest allowed by the Bucs since holding Milligan to 41 back on Dec. 15, 2019, while the Blue and Gold out-rebounded the Spartans by 22, 57-35. The Bucs also doubled up USC Upstate on the offensive glass, 26-13.
• USC Upstate’s 43 points were its lowest total since Feb. 6, 2011 when the Spartans were held to 38 at Florida Gulf Coast.
• The 57 rebounds were the most by a Buccaneer team since Dec. 3, 2018 when ETSU had 60 against Reinhardt, while the 26 offensive rebounds matched the most since grabbing 26 versus UVA Wise – exactly seven years ago to the day.
• ETSU limited USC Upstate to less than 30 percent shooting (17-57) and to 3-of-19 from beyond the arc.
• The game featured eight lead changes and three ties, while ETSU held the lead for just under 34 minutes. The Bucs last trailed at 18-14 with 5:37 remaining in the first half and ETSU then closed the frame on an 8-0 run to take a 22-18 lead into halftime.
• ETSU led by as many as 18 when a Jordan King’s (Albany, N.Y.) third three-pointer of the night made it 56-38 with 2:10 remaining.
• The Bucs assisted on 16 of their 22 made field goals with seven different players registering at least one assist.
• The Bucs extended their streak of making at least one three-pointer to 1,063 straight games – the fifth-longest mark in NCAA Division I basketball.
• With the win, ETSU moved to 1-2 on the young season, while USC Upstate dipped to 1-3. 

TOP PERFORMERS

• Charlie Weber (Owings, Md.) finished seven points, nine rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes off the bench … The nine rebounds marked a new career high, while the seven points was a season high.
• David Sloan (Louisville, Ky.) led all scorers with 12 points, while he and King accounted for all six of ETSU’s made threes as the Buccaneer duo each netted three. King was the only other player on the night to score in double figures as he finished with 11.  
• Silas Adheke (Lagos, Nigeria) finished with seven points, a season-high 10 rebounds, three blocks and two assists.

POSTGAME INTERVIEW 

Listen to the postgame interview with head coach Desmond Oliver and "Voice of the Bucs" Jay Sandos.

GAME SUMMARY

The early stages of the first half were tightly contested as neither team led by more than four points, but with the Spartans ahead 18-14 with 5:37 remaining before intermission, the Bucs locked in defensively to grab momentum.

ETSU held USC Upstate scoreless for the remainder of the half and took a four-point lead into the half, 22-18. The Bucs forced three turnovers and held the Spartans to five missed shots in that closing first-half stretch.

For the half, the teams each had eight made field goals, while combining for 62 shots, including the teams going 2-of-24 from three-point range.

In the second half, the Bucs saw their lead grow to 11 in the opening five minutes when Ty Brewer (Meridian, Miss.) grabbed an offensive rebound and laid one home, making it 32-21 with 14:58 remaining.

ETSU’s lead remained in double figures until the Spartans closed the gap to five, but again the Bucs clamped down defensively and scored 13 straight points to extend their lead to 18, 56-38, when Sloan hit King for a three at the 2:10 mark.

ETSU secured the double-digit win and drenched Coach Oliver with water in the Bucs’ locker room following the game.

UP NEXT

The Bucs now gear up for three games in three days when ETSU heads to Florida for the Naples Invitational, starting Monday against Murray State at 5:30 p.m.

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