After a successful weekend, the ETSU men’s basketball team look to end the regular season No. 1 in the Southern Conference, without a tie.
This would be the first regular season title for the Bucs since the 2006-07 season in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
The game that made No. 1 possible took place in Freedom Hall last Wednesday on senior night when the Bucs took on Furman to determine who would be on top of the conference.
An intense game that went down to the last second had the fans at the edge of their seats.
The Bucs were ahead by three points until Furman’s John Davis knocked down a big 3-pointer to tie the game at the end of regulation.
“We didn’t get quite enough pressure up on him and he made a big shot,” said Head Coach Steve Forbes. “Shake his hand. But our guys had tremendous resolve in the huddle.”
T.J. Cromer (Albany, Ga.) expressed that Coach Forbes kept them cool before entering overtime.
“He told us ‘stay together’,” Cromer said. “’And trust the process, just trust the process. Just trust your teammates and it will all fall through’’
In overtime, the Bucs outscored Furman 19 to 7 and were 100 percent from the floor, not missing a shot.
The Bucs defeated Furman 93-81.
Cromer led the Bucs in scoring with a career high 32 points.
“I just wanted to lead us to a victory,” Cromer said. “I know we were moving kind of slow on the offensive end, and I just wanted to do whatever I could to get us going.”
The Bucs could not let this win distract them as they traveled to Western Carolina on Saturday to take on the Catamounts.
The Bucs dominated Western Carolina 68-52 in a one-sided game.
In the first half, the Bucs went on a 17-0 offensive run to give them a 23-4 lead early.
They also forced 11 turnovers and held WCU to 12 points at the end of the first half on 23 percent shooting.
The second half was much like the first. Eleven points was the closest WCU got to the ETSU lead.
ETSU will end their regular season on the road tonight against UNC Greensboro at 7 p.m.
A win would give the Bucs the Southern Conference title and the No. 1 seed in the league tournament.
An official watch party is set for Wild Wing Cafe, 71 Wilson Ave.
