CORAL GABLES, Fla. (Nov. 24, 2023) – The ETSU women's basketball team won its fourth straight game on Friday when it knocked off Norfolk State, 55-35. With Friday's victory, the Buccaneers improve to 4-1 on the season, while the Spartans move to 5-1. It is the second straight season that ETSU has been 4-1 through five games.
 
Offensively, the Bucs were led by the duo of Breanne Beatty and Courtney Moore. Beatty scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field to go with a team-high nine rebounds. Moore, meanwhile, netted 11 points in her return to the lineup. Moore has now scored in double figures in each game she has played in this season.
 
As a team, the Bucs continue to excel defensively as they held the Spartans to 35 points and 26.4 percent shooting for the game. ETSU held Norfolk State to under 10 points in two of the four quarters on Friday. The Bucs have now held opposing teams to 10 points or less on eight occasions this season. ETSU also held a decisive edge on the glass, out-rebounding the Spartans 43-26 on the day. Beatty had nine rebounds as did Journee McDaniel to lead the charge.
 
ETSU jumped on the Spartans early on Friday. The Bucs scored the first six points of the game and eight of the first 10 in the contest to gain the early advantage. With the lead, ETSU leaned on its defense as it held the Spartans without a made field goal for the final five minutes of the first quarter. Thanks to early offense and defense, ETSU had an 11-point lead after one frame, 18-7.
 
The Buccaneer defense continued to keep the Spartan offense in check in the second quarter. Norfolk State went 2-for-10 from the field in the second and scored just five points in the stanza. The five points allowed by the Bucs is the second-lowest in a quarter this season (two at Radford – Nov. 15, 2023). With the defense continuing to thrive, the Buccaneer lead grew to as many as 19 points before settling at 17 at the half, 29-12.
 
Norfolk State's offense started to click better in the second half. ETSU, however, was efficient with its offensive chances shooting 10-for-21 from the field. The Buccaneer grew to as many as 24 points midway through the fourth quarter. The final differential ended at 20 points, 55-35.
 
The 35 points allowed by the Bucs is the fewest by the team this season. Furthermore, the 35 points are the fewest for a Division I team against ETSU since December 1, 2022 vs. Vanderbilt (31).
 
The Bucs will take on either Colgate or Miami on Sunday. The opponent will be determined on the results from Friday's game between the Raiders and the Hurricanes. If the Bucs draw Colgate, the game will be played at 11 a.m. If it's the homestanding Hurricanes, tip-off will be at 1:30 p.m.
 
To purchase season or single game tickets for ETSU women's basketball, visit ETSUTickets.com or call 423-439-3878.
 
For more information on Buccaneer women's basketball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women's basketball tab.