Five Bucs score in double figures

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Dec. 4, 2018) – To conclude their three-game home stand, the ETSU women’s basketball team (1-10) came up short 89-86 against the Liberty Flames (3-6) on Tuesday night inside Brooks Gym. Liberty had a 14-point lead at the end of the third quarter, but a 10-0 run helped the Bucs pull within three.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Lexus Spears (Jacksonville, Fla.) led the Bucs with 19 points. She also finished with five rebounds, three blocks and two steals. This is Spears second straight game scoring in double figures.

• Carley Lytton (Floyd, Va.) had a standout game for ETSU finishing with a career-high 17 points. She set a new personal record of five three-pointers and also went 2-2 from the charity stripe. Heading into today’s game, Lytton had made five three’s through 11 games and doubled that with her performance today.

• Kaia Upton (Nashville, Tenn.) tied her career-high of 14 points. She led ETSU with six assists and also had three rebounds.

• Britney Snowden (Pensacola, Fla.) finished with 12 points, her third game finishing in double figures. Snowden shot 5-7 from the floor and this was the fourth time in her career that she drained a three-pointer.

• Erica Haynes-Overton (Nashville, Tenn.) had 12 points, six steals, and five rebounds.

• This was the first time this season that ETSU had five players score in double figures. The last time this happened was on the Bucs opening night of action last season. (Nov. 10, 2017)

• ETSU made nine three-pointers, which is a season-high. The Bucs also had more threes than the Flames (9-7).

• ETSU’s bench scored 43 points, compared to Liberty’s bench who had 22.

• The Flames shot 55.6 percent from the floor and had four players finish in double figures. Emily Lyttle led Liberty with 21 points.

• Liberty outrebounded the Bucs 47-27.

FIRST QUARTER

Britney Snowden started the game with a three-pointer. ETSU kept Liberty scoreless for the first two minutes of action, as the Bucs were able to go ahead 11-6, with four points coming from Kaia Upton. At the media timeout, ETSU held a 14-8 advantage before Liberty pulled within one going 4-4 from the field. The Flames were able to take their first lead of the game with a three. Sadasia Tipps (Hickory, N.C.) would end a three-minute scoring drought with a layup to regain the Bucs’ lead 19-18.

SECOND QUARTER

Spears gave the Bucs the first basket of the quarter, but the Flames would hit back-to-back threes to take a 24-21 lead. Redshirt junior Carley Lytton would come off the bench to tie the game with a three of her own. A 10-0 run by Liberty would put them up 34-24, as ETSU was scoreless for three minutes. Spears and Dean would keep the Bucs in the game, until Taisha Murphy (Clayton, N.C.) had the hot hands from behind the arc to swish back-to-back threes to pull within seven, 44-37. Upton helped ETSU score their last points of the half with an and-one, but Liberty would lead at the half 49-40.

THIRD QUARTER

Erica Haynes-Overton scored her first points of the game with just under a minute into the third quarter. Lytton sparked the momentum for the Bucs after hitting back-to-back threes to put the Bucs within five, 55-50. A 6-0 run by the Flames would extend their lead to 61-50, but the Bucs continued to battle. Lytton’s fourth three of the game and back-to-back layups by Upton put the score at 68-59. The Bucs had just one turnover in the third quarter, but would continue to trail, 76-62.

FOURTH QUARTER

Lytton started the final minutes of play with a bang, draining her fifth three of the game to put ETSU within ten. Points went back and forth before both teams were scoreless for two minutes. Haynes-Overton did what she does best, grabbing a steal and then driving down the court for a layup to get ETSU within eight, 88-80. Liberty had three turnovers in a minute and suffered a four-minute scoring drought. Four straight points by Haynes-Overton put ETSU at 88-84, as the Bucs would conclude an 8-0 run. The Flames called timeout to advance the ball down the court, but faced an unlikely situation with six players on the court, resulting in a team technical. Head coach Brittney Ezell would send Lytton to the free throw line and she made both to get the Bucs within two. ETSU would foul Liberty on their final possession and they would only make one free throw to keep it a three-point game. With the clock winding down, Haynes-Overton attempted a three, but Liberty came away with the 89-86 win.  

NEXT UP

ETSU will travel over the mountain to take on UNC Asheville on Sunday, Dec. 9 at 2:00 p.m.

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