The men’s basketball team won their first scheduled game for the 2019-20 season with an exhibition game against the Limestone Saints taking an 18 point lead inside Freedom Hall on Nov. 1.
The Bucs finished their 2018-19 with an overall record of 24-10 and a conference record of 13-5.
Even though the Saints scored the first and the last shots of the game, ETSU led the scoreboard for most of both halves, with a seven point lead during the first half, and an 18 point lead by the sound of the final buzzer.
The 80 points were scored by 10 Buccaneers throughout the game.
During the first 20 minutes of the game, the Blue and Gold played Limestone toe-to-toe. With each team putting their best foot forward, the Bucs dominated from the beginning.
The Bucs shot 31-66 from the field, and forced 27 turnovers from the Saints that they then turned into 30 points on the offensive side. The Bucs also made nine out of their 11 attempts at free throws and ended the half leading 30-23.
The Bucs kept up the momentum coming into the second half leading by seven. They used a 23-8 run to advance the scoreboard early on in the half. The Bucs increased their shooting percentage to 53%, recording 50 points in the final half.
The Bucs made nine threes throughout the game with four of them by senior Tray Boyd III (Memphis, Tennessee), along with 12 points off the bench. Davian Williamson (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) totaled eight assists and 11 points, while Isaiah Tisdale (Lexington, Kentucky) accounted four steals and recorded the game high of 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
The Bucs are back to start the official season at their next game on Nov. 6 at Freedom Hall, where they are scheduled to play the Newberry Wolves at 7 p.m.
