Bucs look to move to 2-0 in conference play for first time since 2012 

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (Jan. 11, 2015) – Following a thrilling 73-72 win at Furman on Saturday afternoon to kick off Southern Conference play, the ETSU women’s basketball team will continue league action on the road when it takes on the Wofford Terriers on Monday, Jan. 12, at 11:30 a.m. inside Johnson Arena.

The Bucs (9-7, 1-0) and Terriers (4-11, 0-1) will meet Monday in the 17^th all-time meeting between the two teams; a series that the Bucs have dominated, 14-2, and have won nine straight. In the most recent matchup on Jan. 22, 2005, the Blue & Gold picked up a 91-73 road victory.

ETSU will aim to move to 2-0 in conference play for the first time since 2012 when it reeled off three-consecutive wins to start league action in the Atlantic Sun. The team hopes to build off of Saturday’s last-seconds triumph at Furman; a crucial road victory to start SoCon play against a team that was picked to finish second in the conference in the preseason. After increasing its lead to as many as 17 points with 12:30 to go in the second half, the Bucs weathered a home-team rally from Furman and sealed victory on a pair free throws from junior guard Chandler Christopher (Greeneville, Tenn.) with two seconds to play to come away with a 73-72 win. Freshman point guard Tianna Tarter (Johnson City, Tenn.) scored a game-high 21 points and was joined in double-figures by senior guard Cara Bowling (Elizabethton, Tenn.) with a season-high 16, late-game hero Christopher with 12 and redshirt senior forward Destiny Mitchell (Bluffton, Ga.) with 10.

Wofford hopes to bounce back after a 70-43 loss to Chattanooga on Saturday afternoon. In both teams’ conference opener, the preseason league favorite Mocs jumped out to a 12-2 run to begin the contest and never looked back. For Wofford, sophomore guard Maria Corella led the Terriers' scoring output, putting up 14 points in the contest and was joined in double figures by junior guard Ashton Fleming with 10. In total, Wofford has lost six of its last seven.

The Bucs and Terriers are on different ends of the spectrum on the offensive end with ETSU leading the conference with 72.1 points per game, while Wofford is dead last with a 58.3 average. The same disparity also exists in field goal percentage where the Blue & Gold is shooting 44 percent, while the Terriers are knocking down shots at only a 36 percent clip. Furthermore, ETSU continues to limit opponents from three-point range; holding them to a league-best 27 percent shooting and are also second-best in the SoCon with 3.9 blocked shots per game.

The Blue & Gold features one of the SoCon's most balanced attacks with four of its five starters averaging in double figures; led by guards Tarter (13.3 ppg, 3.8 apg) and Shamauria Bridges (Miramar, Fla.) (12.9 ppg). A pair of fifth-year senior forwards, Mitchell (11.0 ppg, 9.1 rpg) and Serena Clark (Stone Mountain, Ga.) (10.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg) round out the double-figure scorers for the Bucs, who are also getting solid play from guard Christopher (9.7 ppg, 36.7 3PFG%).

For more information on ETSU women’s basketball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women’s hoops link. Season tickets can be purchased here. Follow along with the Bucs on social media with Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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