JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Jan. 27, 2024) – The ETSU men's basketball team took Southern Conference leader Samford to the brink. 
 
Five Buccaneers scored in double figures and ETSU had chances to force overtime in the closing seconds, but the timely shot didn't fall and Samford held on for the 75-72 win on Saturday night inside Freedom Hall. 
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• For the game, ETSU shot 38 percent from the floor (22-58) and 41 percent from three (9-22), while Samford hit at a 53 percent clip from the field (28-53) and 35 percent mark from long distance (8-23). The Bulldogs made three of their final four attempts from beyond the arc. 
• The Blue & Gold missed nine free throws as ETSU finished 19-of-28, compared to the Bulldogs going 11-of-17 at the line. The Bucs went 1-of-4 from the line in the final 30 seconds. 
• ETSU dished out 15 assists and out-rebounded Samford by 10, 40-30. The Bucs were plus-seven in second-chance points, 15-8. 
• Samford's bench produced 41 of its 75 points, while ETSU got 25 from its reserves – marking the second-most this season for the Bucs. 
• The Bulldogs outscored ETSU by 14 in the paint, 40-26. 
• Neither team led by double digits as Samford's largest margin was nine and ETSU led by six. The game featured nine ties and six lead changes. 
• With the setback, ETSU moved to 10-11, 2-6, while Samford improved to 18-3, 7-1. 

TOP PERFORMERS 

• Karon Boyd and Gabe Sisk provided the spark off the bench as they accounted for 23 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Boyd, who returned to action for the first time in five games, posted eight points, seven rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes. Sisk netted a career-high 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting (3-for-6 from three) with six rebounds and two assists. 
• Jaden Seymour and Jadyn Parker each scored 10 points with Parker registering his second straight double-double. Parker led all players with 11 rebounds and blocked three shots. 
• Ebby Asamoah knocked down four triples for the second straight game en route to netting 15 points. After having his streak of scoring in double figures eight consecutive games snapped at VMI, Quimari Peterson finished with 12 points and three steals. 
• Samford was led by Nathan Johnson as he scored 18 points on 4-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc. Achor Achor, Samford's leading scorer at 16.9 points per game, was held to a season-low three points. 

GAME SUMMARY 
The first half was nip-and-tuck as neither team led by more than six and the opening 20 minutes featured eight ties and six lead changes with Samford taking a 36-34 lead into the break. 
 
The Bulldogs scored the first four points of the contest, but with the scored knotted at 13, Sisk and Asamoah knocked down a pair of triples to give ETSU a 19-13 lead with 11:15 left in the frame. 
 
Samford answered with an 11-3 run to go back up by two, 24-22, but another triple by Sisk put the Blue & Gold ahead by one with under seven minutes left in the opening half. The lead shifted hands three more times for the remainder of the stanza and Samford took the two-point lead into the locker room. 
 
The Bulldogs opened the second half pushing their lead to seven in the first minute and forty seconds – forcing Coach Savage to call a 30-second timeout – as Samford led 41-34 at the 18:20 mark. 
 
ETSU regrouped and pulled within two when a pair of free throws by Seymour made it 43-41, but again, Samford answered with a mini 5-0 run to go back up seven with exactly 14 minutes remaining. 
 
The Bulldogs pushed its advantage to eight when Johnson netted a triple, making it 56-48 near the midway point of the half, but in quick minute, ETSU scored the next five points to close the gap to three, 56-53 with 9:18 showing on the clock. Boyd grabbed an offensive rebound and laid one in, while he then found Asamoah open for three during that surge. 
 
The game remained tight over the next four minutes and the Bucs eventually pulled even at 62 thanks to Peterson connecting on his second triple of the contest and ETSU called timeout with 4:08 remaining. 
 
Samford, who had its 17-game win streak snapped Wednesday at Furman, was facing a second straight setback, but the Bulldogs hit some unbelievable shots down the stretch. Rylan Jones ignited an 8-0 run with back-to-back deep threes – the second which hit the back of the rim, shot straight up and dropped in – to put Samford up 70-62 with 2:21 left in the game. 
 
Johnson later put Samford up by nine when his three from the right corner banked in, making it 73-64 with 1:37 remaining. 
 
The Bucs fought until the end and had the ball with a chance to force overtime in the closing seconds but attempts by Peterson and Sisk couldn't drop and the Bulldogs survived a scare. Peterson's look came deep from the right wing, which banked off the left side of the backboard. Following a rebound from Parker, he kicked it out to Sisk. With a Bulldog defender running at him, Sisk got a good look from three, but his shot hit off the back of the rim as time expired. 
 
UP NEXT
ETSU hits the road for a third straight midweek game as the Bucs play at Mercer Wednesday night at 7 p.m.  
  
For more information on ETSU men's basketball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men's basketball tab.