Copney and Haynes-Overton score double-digit points

ESTERO, Fla. (Nov. 24, 2017) – On the opening day of the 2017 Gulf Coast Showcase, the Bucs fell to No. 6 Notre Dame 77-46. Notre Dame handed the Bucs their second loss of the season. Both losses have come from top 25 ranked opponents.

“I thought that our kids were prepared. I thought they were ready to play,” said head coach Brittney Ezell.  "I was really pleased with some of the growth with our kids. I thought Erica (Haynes-Overton) showed a lot of growth since the Tennessee game to tonight. I thought Britney (Snowden) was really good. I thought Jada (Craig) played really hard. There’s a lot of good things we can take from it. We didn’t shoot the ball well. We were 2-21 from the three-point line and got open looks. The game plan was to make them shoot from three and they went 1-15. We just didn’t box out. We just didn’t clog the middle the way we wanted to, but all in all, I'm thrilled with our effort. It’s a lot to build on. It’s a lot to grow from.”

Erica Haynes-Overton (Nashville, Tenn.) finished with the team high of 13 points and eight rebounds. Shy Copney (Johnson City, Tenn.) was right behind her recording 12 points and seven rebounds. Tianna Tarter (Johnson City, Tenn.) had eight points and four rebounds. Raven Dean (Charlotte, N.C.) went a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line.

Notre Dame scored first off a layup, but Tianna Tarter quickly tied the game for the Bucs. The first few points went back and forth as Erica Haynes-Overton kept the ETSU within three off her layup. Notre Dame went on a 3-0 run before the media timeout and continued to build their lead. At the end of the first quarter, Tarter, Haynes-Overton, and Copney each had four points. Copney also led the Bucs in rebounds with four.

Copney continued to heat up in the second quarter with two three-pointers. She ended the half with 12 points and five rebounds, leading the Bucs in both categories. ETSU went a perfect one-hundred percent from the free throw line in the second quarter.

Haynes-Overton made a fantastic pass to Tarter to begin the second half. The Bucs pulled within 11, but the Fighting Irish continued to build their lead. Notre Dame went 7-10 from the free throw line and had three players scoring double-digits.

Britney Snowden (Pensacola, Fla.) scored four points in the final quarter. The Bucs had a better free throw percentage than the Fighting Irish in the fourth quarter, shooting 60% from the line.

Notre Dame advances to play No. 16 ranked USF as ETSU will take on Washington State. The game is set for 1:30 p.m. inside Germain Arena.

“We’ve got a quick turnaround for another talented Washington State team, but we knew going into this tournament, it was all about developing our team and growing our team. I think we took some steps forward, especially with some individuals tonight. We need the team to take a step forward tomorrow and come away with a big win.”

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