The Buccaneers’ staunch defense is proving to be their best asset on this seven game road stretch. ETSU still plays a long way from home with two more games at Houston and Raleigh before they return to Brooks Gym on Dec. 16.
This difficult road trip has given the Bucs a chance to showcase their growth this season. This was the case during Sunday afternoon’s game against the Winthrop Eagles.
Similar to the game against the Murray State Racers, the emphasis from the tip-off was defense. The Bucs have cranked up the effort during this stretch of the season, and it reflects in the box score.
The Bucs struggled to out rebound opponents early in the season, but they cleaned the glass against the Eagles, totaling 26 offensive boards and 47 total.
ETSU had a high degree of success with their defensive aggression against Murray State. They continued their effort to jump passing lanes and create turnovers. This is the second game in a row a player has recorded 11 steals.
Tianna Tarter (Johnson City, Tennessee) had a double-double of 16 points and 11 steasl, tying the single-game steals record set just last week by freshman teammate Erica Haynes-Overton (Nashville, Tennessee).
On the offensive end, the Bucs experienced a rough shooting night, with a three-point percentage under 20 percent, but when the shots weren’t falling, ETSU began to pound the ball inside.
Britney Snowden (Pensacola, Florida) had 6 points and 8 rebounds to go along with her 3 steals. Sadasia Tipps (Hickory, North Carolina) had 8 points and 2 blocks coming off the bench, and also an impressive 7 offensive boards. Anajae Stephney (Knoxville, Tennessee) added in another 5 boards to the box score.
According to an ETSU interview with Head Coach Brittney Ezell, she said, “Anytime you can get a road win, you are thrilled…Our team battled some adversity on this trip with travel issues and injuries, but still found a way to win which is a great sign of toughness.”
The Bucs will continue their road trip on Sunday in Houston, a team that likes to pound the glass and create turnovers as well. It should be serve as another challenge in this long road trip.
