Maybe it was because of a lack of preparation for the opponent, the gloomy conditions outside or first-game jitters. Whatever the reason, it took the Lady Buccaneers 30 minutes to take a solid lead on the University of the Cumberlands, 74-61, in Sunday afternoon’s exhibition at the Memorial Center.”The Cumberlands came out shooting the ball very well,” ETSU head coach Karen Kemp said. “They were much more ready to play as far as intensity was concerned.”

After watching the visiting Lady Patriots grab a 40-39 halftime lead, the ETSU women turned up the heat on both ends of the floor under the leadership of their returning stars.

Senior guard TaRonda Wiles led East Tennessee with 19 points, four rebounds and two steals, and senior forward Siarre Evans stuffed the stat sheet like she has her entire career. After a relatively quiet first half of only five points, Evans ended the game with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

The senior also had four steals. This gave further evidence to Evans that her offseason work was paying off. “I’ve been in the gym all summer,” said Evans, last season’s Atlantic Sun Player of the Year. “I’ve worked hard on my shot, and I want to get better.”

Junior guard Tara Davis also was a contribution to the Lady Bucs’ victory, gathering 10 points and a steal. The 5-foot-5 guard also managed to pull down two rebounds under the basket. She, like Evans, credited preseason preparation.

“In the offseason it was run, run, run,” said Davis. “We had to get the newcomers used to our style of play. It’s all about hustle and defense.”

One of these newcomers, freshman center Ashley Benedict, made her debut as a starter for the Lady Bucs. She recorded 20 minutes, scored four points and brought down three rebounds. Although her four points were only a small contribution to the 74-point total, her teammates say Benedict is expected to put in solid minutes throughout the year.

Cumberland’s senior guard Amber Neace made sure that the Bucs would have to fight for the victory with her long-range shooting as she hit four 3-pointers in the contest.

Within the first 30 seconds of the game, Neace sunk a 25-foot 3-pointer and led her team to a five-point lead before one minute had passed. Neace would end up being her team’s leading scorer with 16.

For the Lady Patriots, junior guard Brittanie Ware and sophomore forward Lauren Wombles contributed 10 points apiece. Ware completed a three-point play in the final five minutes of the first half to spark a 15-1 run for Cumberland and a one-point lead.

Despite Cumberland’s competitive streak in the first half, they were no match for the duo of Wiles and Evans for the last 20 minutes. The Lady Patriots lost their lead on an Evans basket with 12 minutes left in the game and would not retake it again.

Kemp said defensive intensity played a big part in her team’s success after the break.

“In the first half, our defense was very disappointing,” Kemp said after the game. “We just can’t give up 40 points in one half every game. I thought the team responded to the challenge and played extremely well on the defensive end in the last 20 minutes.”

Lack of defense in the first half or not, the Lady Bucs put a tally mark in the win column at the end of the day.

ETSU will host King College, a Division II school, Saturday at noon for its next exhibition game. The regular season starts Nov. 13 when the Bucs play Chattanooga at Memorial Center at noon.

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