With a crowd of 3,765 last Friday the men’s basketball team had the second-largest turnout this season. However, that wasn’t the only exciting aspect of this game. The team started off strong with a ball dedication to Cam Morris III, a graduate student, for scoring over 1,000 points in his career. Morris continues to prove he deserves this honor as he scored 16 points in the game.
The team shot a high 85.7% from the free throw line while keeping up a fast pace. As the first half came to an end, the score was 49-27 with ETSU showing a strong lead. The half was highlighted by a 19-0 run by the Bucs.
The Bucs kept the pressure on in the second half and maintained their lead with a final score of 84-55.
In addition to Morris’ 16, Blake Barkley had a double-double and Jaylen Smith scored 17. The Bucs scored a total of 40 points in the paint with 21 points off turnovers. The Bucs remain in first place in the Southern Conference with a 7-1 SoCon record and 15-6 overall.
After the game, head coach Brooks Savage was asked asked how well this team could do. “They can be as good as they wanna be,” said Savage.
The Bucs return to action Thursday, Jan. 29 against Western Carolina at Freedom Hall. Catch the game in-person or live on ESPN+. For more information visit etsubucs.com and click on men’s basketball.
