In what is the 104th season of Buccaneer basketball, ETSU hosted Emory & Henry and won decisively 88-66 to get the official season under way.
The Bucs have now won 38 of their last 42 home openers.
In the first half, the Bucs had a bit of a slow start as Emory & Henry battled to stay competitive. After a jump ball call, ETSU threw the ball in from under their own goal, resulting in a three-pointer by Jamarius Hariston (Salisbury, N.C.).
This opened the lead up to 23-14 at the 9:36 mark. Jordan King (Albany, N.Y.) started to heat up as he had a pair of three pointers in the closing minute of the first half, giving him nine points. The Bucs had a 45-31 lead going into the break.
In the second half, ETSU was in full control of the game as their lead never got below double figures. Coming off the bench, Justice Smith (Lyons, N.Y.) provided an instant spark in the Bucs offense. He has 12 second-half points on 6-7 shooting. He led the team in scoring with a total of 20 points.
With just under eight minutes to go in the second half, Jaden Seymour (Charlotte, N.C.) caught the ball at the free throw line, and with a timely shot fake was able to drive to the basket for the bucket and the foul. With the foul shot being good, this pushed the lead to a game high of 24.
Playing 23 minutes off the bench, Brock Jancek (Knoxville, Tenn.) was another key piece in a winning effort for ETSU. He finished with 14 points and 7 boards, and in a 22-point victory the Bucs won 88-66.
ETSU controlled the rebound battle 44-34, with 26 of those being offensive rebounds. An impressive 52 bench points proves that this year’s Bucs squad has depth and players ready to impact the game at any moment.
ETSU will compete in the 2022 Asheville Championship, which begins Nov. 11 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville.
For more information on Buccaneer men’s basketball, visit ETSUBucs.com.
