The Bucs men’s basketball team got their first road win of the season as they traveled to Rock Hill, South Carolina, over the weekend to play the Winthrop Eagles. The Eagles had the score at 71-64 in the closing half until the Bucs rallied back, eventually winning 76-74.
The Bucs started out strong against the Eagles in the first half gaining an eight-point advantage at 15-7. The Bucs outperformed the Eagles with 42 rebounds, nine steals and 28 bench points.
The Eagles gained some momentum and made the score 24-19 before the two teams switched leads, with the Bucs finishing the first half with the lead at 35-30.
The Bucs jumped ahead early in the second half with a score 43-38. The Bucs held on to the lead until the Eagles tied it at 47 at 14:07. The Eagles held the lead until the Bucs tied it up three more times with the last one at 62.
The Bucs rallied an amazing comeback with under four minutes in the game. Sophomore Patrick Good (Johnson City, Tennessee) made two three-pointers along with two free throws by freshman Davien Williamson (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) and a solo free throw by junior Jeremy Rodriguez (Santiago, Dominican Republic).
The Bucs sealed the deal with a Rodriguez jump shot off an assist by junior Isaiah Tisdale (Lexington, Kentucky) at 21 seconds to put the score at 75-74. One final free throw by Williamson put the Bucs up by two.
The final play of the game came from a failed three pointer by Winthrop player Kyle Zunic as the Bucs held on with a two-point win.
Tisdale lead the team in points with 17 as Rodriguez led the team with rebounds at 13.
“This is best team I’ve ever been on,” said junior Tre Tiller (Chattanooga, Tennessee).
The Bucs record stands at 2-2 as they play the next three games at home. The Bucs will play the Cayman Island Classic against Chicago State on Monday.
