CHARLESTON S.C. – ETSU Men’s Basketball ended their two-game journey with a victory on Saturday, when the Bucs defeated The Citadel Bulldogs 77-67.
Following a disappointing 65-56 loss at Mercer earlier in the week, the Bucs were able to bounce back with an explosive offense in the first half.
Entering the day, the Bucs (12-15) had won 11 of their last 15 meetings with the Bulldogs and looked to extend the dominant stretch over their SoCon rivals. The Bulldogs (15-12) were hoping to stop a recent skid.
A high-scoring half that saw both teams combine for 92 points was slowed down in the second period when both teams worked out defensive issues.
The Bucs defense was crucial to the victory, holding the Bulldogs to only 22 second-half points. The Citadel’s highly efficient shooting from the first half was limited by the Bucs greatly in the second half. Held to just 27 percent shooting, the Bulldogs struggled to find the basket in the second half of play.
The Bucs continued to have their own offensive struggles, shooting just 40 percent from the field and only 19 percent from beyond the arc netting just five of their 27 attempts.
The Bucs were led by Ledarrius Brewer’s (Meridian, Miss.) season-high 29 points and 11 rebounds. Also responsible for shooting four of the five made three-pointers for the team, some could argue that the halfcourt buzzer-beater by Brewer helped to carry momentum into the locker room for the Bucs.
The Bucs had a total of four players in double-digits, led next by David Sloan (Louisville, Ky.) with his 13. Mohab Yasser (Giza, Egypt) was big off the bench adding 12 points. Jordan King (Albany, N.Y.) was next with his 11 points and six rebounds.
The Bucs now return home for the final time this season, to take on the in-state SoCon rival Chattanooga Mocs on Feb. 23. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
