ASHEVILLE, N.C. (March 4, 2023) – ETSU men and women’s basketball were bounced out of the Southern Conference Tournament in Asheville, N.C. over the weekend following a semifinal loss for the women’s team against in-state rival Chattanooga Mocs and a quarterfinal loss for the men’s squad against Western Carolina.
Women’s basketball entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed and handily put away Samford in their quarterfinal matchup with a 63-47 victory. Entering their semifinal matchup against the No. 2 seeded Chattanooga, the Bucs were poised to continue their route to the championship game, but the Mocs had other plans.
A closely contested game soon became one-sided as Chattanooga would close out the half on a 16-0 run, outscoring the Bucs 18-2 in the second quarter and entering the half with a 31-16 lead.
The Bucs were led by Nevaeh Brown (Charlotte, N.C.) and her 12 points. She was the only Buc to reach double digits.
The Bucs were never able to close that lead as Chattanooga kept their momentum through the rest of the game, with the Mocs outscoring the Bucs by 14 points in the second half to increase their lead and knock the Bucs out of the SoCon Tourney with a 69-40 victory.
While it is a disappointing end to a great season for the women’s basketball program, there is much to be excited about for the Bucs who finished with a (23-9) record under a first-year head coach in Coach Mock. Earning their first winning season since 2017-18, the women’s basketball team is in the best position when entering the offseason in many years.
Men’s basketball had a disappointing 2022-23 season, finishing with a (12-20) record on the year as well as a first-round exit from the SoCon Tournament at the hands of a (18-14) Western Carolina in a 69-57 loss.
Poor shooting had plagued the men’s team all season and remained a struggle in their matchup against WCU, shooting just 36% from the field and 23% from downtown.
The Bucs were led by Jalen Haynes’ (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 23-points and Jordan King’s (Albany, N.Y.) 18 points. The duo made up 41 of 57 points scored by ETSU.
As men’s basketball enters an offseason that is certainly full of questions, it is apparent that the women’s program is in a much better position as men’s basketball now has back-to-back losing seasons under head coach, Desmond Oliver.
For more information on ETSU athletics, visit ETSUBucs.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.