Johnson City Times

A new season-high for blocks and a complete effort all-around guided ETSU women’s basketball to a third consecutive win on Thursday, as the Bucs dominated nearby rival Western Carolina with a 70-39 victory in Brooks Gym.

The Bucs had nearly every statistical advantage and used a 14-0 run to build an early lead. Ahead 18-10 at the start of the second quarter, a quick basket by Nevaeh Brown (Charlotte, N.C.) extended the lead to double-digits — a double-digit lead that lasted for good.

ETSU pulls to an even 3-3 record in conference play while sporting an eye-catching 16-6 overall record. Western Carolina falls to 8-13 overall and 1-5 in league play.

For the fifth time this season, graduate guard Jiselle Thomas (Norwalk, Ohio) eclipsed the 20 point mark with a game-high 21 points. She shot 8-16 from the floor while adding three assists, three rebounds and two steals. Brown and Courtney Moore (Gainesville, Fla.) also scored in double figures to combine for 22 points.

Defensively, the Blue and Gold had a 19-10 advantage in turnovers and turned those into a 24-3 advantage in points off turnovers. ETSU also had seven blocks for a new season-high, including five in the first half from five different players. Leading the charge was Jakhyia Davis (Knoxville, Tenn.) with three swats to go with a game-high nine rebounds.

The 70-39 victory was ETSU’s largest win in a Southern Conference game since Feb. 28, 2019 — a 72-41 win at Western Carolina. The win also marked ETSU’s first three-game win streak in conference play since 2019, which included the aforementioned win over the Catamounts.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Quarter: ETSU could not ask for a much better start, using a 14-0 run to take an early lead. The run nearly doubled ETSU’s longest opening scoring run this season, which came in the form of an 8-0 run in the last game at Wofford. Western Carolina worked the deficit back to a manageable 18-10 score with a 10-4 run to end the frame. Courtney Moore had a pair of triples while Thomas had seven first quarter points. Four of ETSU’s blocks also came in the opening frame from Moore, Nevaeh Brown, Meghan Downing (New Madison, Ohio) and Journee McDaniel (New Bern, N.C.).

Second Quarter: ETSU led by at least eight points the rest of the way despite a closer quarter, as ETSU outscored Western Carolina 16-11 in the second frame. Ten of the 16 points came in the paint, while eight of the 16 points came from Jiselle Thomas. Davis and reigning SoCon Player of the Week Kendall Folley (Lebanon, Ohio) teamed up for seven combined rebounds in the quarter.

Third Quarter: For the third consecutive game, ETSU made its opponent pay after the halftime break. The Bucs outscored WCU by a 20-8 margin in the third quarter, including a 13-0 advantage in points off turnovers. WCU had eight turnovers and zero assists. Kendall Folley had did all of her damage in the third quarter with eight points on 4-4 shooting and two steals.

Fourth Quarter: ETSU cruised in the fourth quarter and had 11 combined points from Ella Boyle (Roswell, Ga.) and Meleah Kirtner (Wytheville, Va.). Meanwhile, the ETSU defense continued clamping down in the fourth quarter, allowing just 18 total points in the second half and just 2-9 shooting by WCU in the fourth quarter.

 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• In the last three games against Furman, Wofford and Western Carolina, ETSU is outscoring the opponent 71-29 in the third quarter. Today’s third quarter score was 20-8.
• The Bucs shot over 40 percent for a third straight game, finishing 28-64 for nearly 44 percent.
• ETSU has a 10-0 record when shooting over 40 percent and a 13-0 record when outshooting its opponent.
• ETSU scored 70+ points for the fifth time this season and is 5-0 when doing so.
• Meanwhile, the ETSU defense gave up less than 40 points for the fifth time this season. The Bucs are also 5-0 when this happens.
• The Catamounts shot 13-44 for 29.5 percent, attempting 20 less shots than the Bucs. The 44 attempts are the second fewest by an ETSU opponent this season behind UAlbany with 40.
• The Bucs had a 24-3 advantage in points off turnovers.
• The Blue and Gold dominated the paint with a 36-16 scoring advantage near the rim and a 44-30 advantage in rebounding.
• ETSU was also good in transition with an 18-4 advantage in fast break points.
• The Blue and Gold had 21 offensive boards and 16 second chance points.
• In Brooks Gym, ETSU now owns a 7-3 record.

Original source can be found here