Editor's Rating

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The women’s basketball team faced off against the Samford Bulldogs Saturday with both teams coming off a loss. ETSU came out on top, though, dominating the match and finishing 76-48 over the Bulldogs.

The first half of the game was a good defensive battle with ETSU holding a 33-23 edge at halftime. The Bulldogs only held the lead in the first few minutes of the game.

The Bucs would secure the lead for the rest of the game and entered the third quarter with momentum, adding 29 points to the score and only giving up three baskets.

Senior Tianna Tarter (Johnson City, Tennessee) lead the Bucs with 33 points, nine rebounds, four steals and six assists. After a tough loss Thursday against Mercer, the Bucs made up for it by playing aggressive defense.

This win marked the largest margin of victory this season. The Bucs advance to a record of 13-9 overall and 6-1 in the conference. The Bucs have won 7 out of their last 8 games.

“I’m pleased with the overall effort,” said Head Coach Brittney Ezell.

The Bucs were able to come together and pull out a big win against a conference team. The Bucs are behind the Mercer Bears in the conference, and will have the chance for a rematch in the last game of the regular season.

Ezell said the Bucs “were refusing to lose at this point” referring to the end of the third quarter. Ezell told them during the second half to “not look at the scoreboard, just finish this one strong.”

The Bucs followed the advice of their coach and finished the game with a strong effort. Ezell is now five wins away from her 200th career win and is looking for another on the road next week against UNC-Greensboro.