COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 20, 2022) – Playing its first true road game of the season, the ETSU men’s basketball team couldn’t pass the test. 

Shooting 35 percent from the field and 29 percent from long distance, the Buccaneers suffered a 69-62 setback to Tennessee Tech on Sunday inside the Eblen Center. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• ETSU, who was held nearly 20 points below its season average, dipped to 3-2 on the season following the road loss in Cookeville. Tennessee Tech snapped a two-game skid, improving to 2-3. 
• Sunday marked the 75th all-time meeting in the series with the Golden Eagles now taking the 38-37 lead, while the Bucs still haven’t won in Cookeville since Nov. 24, 2008.
• ETSU went 19-of-54 (35%) from the field and 7-of-24 (29%) from three-point range, while Tennessee Tech finished 26-of-57 (46%) from the floor and 10-for-27 from beyond the arc (37%).
• The Bucs managed to shoot 77 percent at the free throw line (17-22), while the Golden Eagles finished 78 percent (7-9). 
• The Golden Eagles were plus-13 in bench scoring (27-14) and plus-12 in the paint (28-16).
• ETSU made it five straight games outrebounding the opposition as they were plus-3 on the glass, 36-33. Despite being plus-4 on the offensive boards, 11-7, the Bucs missed seven lay-ups – going 6-for-13 from around the basket.
• The Blue and Gold turned the ball over 15 times, resulting in 18 points for Tennessee Tech.

TOP PERFORMERS

• Jordan King (Albany, N.Y) and DeAnthony Tipler (Ashland, Miss.) were the lone Bucs to score in double figures. King scored a game-high 20 points and Tipler added 11.
• King was 8-of-19 from the field and 3-for-12 from long distance, while adding seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
• Tipler came off the bench and was 3-of-7 from three.
• Brock Jancek (Knoxville, Tenn.) finished with eight points and three rebounds, while Allen Strothers (Newport News, Va.) totaled eight points, six rebounds and three assists.
• All 10 Tennessee Tech players reached the scoring column with Jaylen Sebree finishing with 15 points, five rebounds and two assists.

GAME SUMMARY

First Half

The Bucs got off to a sluggish start despite holding an early 7-5 lead in the opening five-plus minutes, but from there it was all Tennessee Tech until the closing minutes of the first half. The Golden Eagles used a 19-5 run to build a 24-12 lead with eight minutes remaining before the break and still held a double-digit lead with two and a half left on the clock.

From there, ETSU’s long-range shooting came alive as the Bucs knocked down its last three triples to close on a 10-2 run, cutting the deficit to three at intermission, 33-30. Braden Ilic (Morristown, Tenn.) ignited the run with a three from the top of the key, while Tipler and King followed with triples of their own in the final minutes.

King led the Bucs with nine points in the opening 20 minutes, while ETSU was 7-of-10 at the free throw line in the opening half and Tennessee Tech didn’t make a single attempt.

Second Half

ETSU opened the second half pulling within a point and trailed by three at the 15:35 mark.

Unfortunately, the Blue and Gold never got over the hump.

With Tennessee Tech up 41-38, the Golden Eagles rattled off seven straight points to go up by 10 and eventually pushed the advantage to 15, 57-42, with 8:34 remaining.

The Bucs couldn’t get a final surge going and suffered the seven-point setback in non-conference play.  

UP NEXT

ETSU heads back home to take on Appalachian State Wednesday night at 7 p.m. inside Freedom Hall.

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