The East Tennessee State University (ETSU) men’s basketball team moved closer to securing a Southern Conference (SoCon) title after defeating Furman 78-69 at Timmons Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, on Wednesday.
A veteran guard for the Buccaneers matched his NCAA career-high by making six three-pointers. The team collectively shot 50% from beyond the arc, finishing 12-for-25 on three-point attempts. This marked their highest number of made threes in SoCon play this season and their most since hitting nine against South Alabama on December 5.
The game was tied at halftime, with both teams unable to build a lead larger than six points. The Buccaneers, who were missing a starting forward, took control midway through the second half. The turning point came when Matthews hit his third three-pointer with 12:35 remaining. He added two more threes within the next two minutes, and another teammate contributed a three-pointer that extended ETSU’s lead to double digits for the first time in the game. Matthews capped his performance with a final three-pointer at the two-minute mark, giving ETSU a 74-61 advantage.
Matthews finished with a season-high 18 points. Another player scored 17 points and led the team with eight rebounds. Morris contributed 12 points despite early foul trouble, while Smith recorded a season-high eight assists along with eight points and five rebounds off the bench. ETSU’s bench outscored Furman’s reserves by a margin of 34-10.
With this victory, ETSU improved its record to 20-8 overall and 12-3 in conference play. Their magic number to clinch at least a share of the regular season SoCon title is now two. The team can secure at least part of the championship with a win in their next game against UNCG on Saturday at 4 p.m.
For additional details about ETSU men’s basketball, visit ETSUBucs.com.
