ETSU tightens grip on SoCon lead with Citadel rout

On a night when East Tennessee State honored one championship team, another ETSU team took a step towards a championship of its own. Three weeks after a 25-point win over The Citadel in Charleston, the basketball Bucs routed the Bulldogs again, 84-55, on Friday night inside Freedom Hall Civic Center. In between two dominant halves, the ETSU baseball team was honored during a ceremony where they received their Southern Conference championship rings. The Bucs hoopsters improved to 15-6 overall and a league-leading 7-1 in the Southern Conference. It's their best start in SoCon play since the 2019-20 season. ETSU coach Brooks Savage was glad to see no letdown after a 67-66 win at Chattanooga on Wednesday. "When you play one-possession games, have an emotional rivalry win, it's letdown city. You see that all the time," Savage said. "I loved our approach. It shows their maturity and how they're locked in. We had a 19-0 run which was a double-kill shot." Jaylen Smith led the Bucs with 17 points, five assists and three steals. Cam Morris III scored 16 points, and Blake Barkley posted a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Ten players scored overall with eight players scoring six or more points. They included Jordan McCullum with seven points and three blocked shots. "Blake got the double-double and we were 14-of-16 as a team from two in the first half," Savage said. "Cam played really strong in the first half, and Jaylen really got us going, driving in there and spraying it out. When we're playing like that all-around, it's hard to guard." The Bulldogs, which had upset Furman two days earlier, fell to 6-15 overall and 3-5 in the SoCon. They opened the game by scoring the first six points, but the Bucs responded with the next 19 points. ETSU was up 49-24 with Morris III hitting a 3-point shot, only to see the Bucs assessed a technical foul for an excited McCullum running on the court. Despite the temporary setback, the Bucs led 49-27 at the half. ETSU dominated the game statistically. The Bucs hit 31-of-55 from the field (56.4 percent), won the rebounding battle 42-24 and had 20 assists They led 21-9 in points off turnovers, 40-14 points in the paint, 12-4 in second-chance points and 39-20 in bench scoring. However, the statistic that Savage most cared about was another victory. He pointed out two years ago, the Bucs were off to a 1-5 start and had to beat The Citadel at the buzzer. As for this season's team, Savage said the success comes down to the players' hunger and willingness to get better. "This team can be as good as they want to be," Savage said. "They're capable of winning, of beating anybody in the league. They've just got to do it. These guys just have to stay the course. We have to wash this one and get ready for the next one. But, I like where we're at right now." Logan Applegate was the only Citadel player in double figures. He led the Bulldogs with 18 points and six rebounds. ETSU returns to action at home Thursday 7 p.m. when the Bucs look to avenge its last loss against Western Carolina. The Citadel will host VMI in a battle of military schools the same time.