Bucs have now won four straight and nine of their last 10

GREENSBORO, N.C. (Feb. 16, 2015) – Behind a dominant 59 points in the paint and a pair of 20-point scorers, the ETSU women’s basketball team imposed its will on the UNCG Spartans with an impressive, 84-66, victory on Monday afternoon inside Fleming Gymnasium. 

With the win, ETSU sweeps the season series with two victories in the past month against UNCG and improves to 18-8 overall and 10-1 in Southern Conference action.  Meanwhile, the Spartans drop to 5-21 overall and 0-11 in SoCon play.

Even with an earlier start time than originally planned, both teams came out of the gates energized. The first few minutes of the opening period was fast-paced with both teams eager to get out on the fast break. The two squads played neck and neck for the opening eight minutes before the Bucs began to take control. With the score in favor of ETSU, 23-17, with 10 minutes left in the half, the visitors began a 26-7 run over the duration of the period by dominating in the paint and on the boards, as well as knocking down some shots from the perimeter. This strong surge allowed the Bucs to go into halftime with a 49-24 advantage.

Looking to blow open the game even more to begin the second half, ETSU encountered full-court defensive pressure from UNCG as the home team tried to get back in the game. With the increased pressure, the Spartans began turning the Bucs over and capitalizing off the miscues. ETSU’s lead was reduced to 16 points with 11:28 left to play, but the Bucs quickly responded with a 14-7 burst over the next five minutes to bring the score to 72-49 with 7:10 remaining. The visitors stayed in control over the duration of the game; staying ahead by 20-plus points until the final seconds. Ultimately, ETSU’s domination in the paint and off the glass, as well as stellar shooting throughout, propelled it to an 84-66 victory.

Senior forward Destiny Mitchell (Bluffton, Ga.) powered her way to a noteworthy double-double featuring season-highs of 20 points and 19 rebounds, while freshman point guard Tianna Tarter (Johnson City, Tenn.), too, scored 20 points – on 9-of-14 shooting – as well as added four assists and four steals. This double-double performance from Mitchell is the senior’s seventh of the season and 33^rd of her career. Senior forward Serena Clark (Stone Mountain, Ga.) also recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds – her eighth of the season and 21^st of her career – while sophomore guard Shamauria Bridges (Miramar, Fla.) scored 13 points. For UNCG, guard Lucy Mason posted a game-best 23 points and was joined in double figures by teammate forward Jade Scaife with 11.

In addition to its domination in the paint, ETSU scored 20 points off of 16 Spartan turnovers, turned 11 offensive rebounds into 16 second-chance points, and got out on the fast break for 15 points. The Bucs also shot the ball at 58 percent for the game – including 61 percent in the second half – and dished out 15 assists.

Meanwhile, the home team shot the ball from the floor at a 35-percent clip for the game and recorded 30 points in the paint. The Spartans also converted 22 ETSU turnovers into 14 points and got 26 points from their bench. Additionally, UNCG, too, dished out 15 assists. 

The Bucs will end their home conference slate with Senior Day on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 2 p.m. against the Mercer Bears.

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

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