JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Dec. 1, 2024) – East Tennessee State University women's basketball fired on all cylinders to post its best offensive outing of the season in a 78-71 win over Memphis on Sunday.

Senior guard Courtney Moore led ETSU with a season-high 25 points on 4-for-7 shooting from 3-point range. Her fourth 3-pointer of the night tied her for fourth all-time in program history for made 3's. Senior guard Braylyn Milton added 14 and redshirt junior guard Paige Lyons scored 11. 

The two squads got out to an even start, both playing strong defense in the first quarter. Sophomore guard Brecken Snotherly returned to the Bucs' lineup for the first time since the second game of the season in the quarter and immediately added a boost of energy for ETSU.  

With 26 seconds remaining in the opening quarter, Lyons drove to the basket and finished through contact, drawing a foul for the and-one. She hit the ensuing free throw, giving the Bucs a 14-13 lead to end the first quarter. 

In the second frame, the Blue & Gold flipped the game on its head. The Tigers hit a pair of shots in the first 1:15, sandwiched around five points from Moore, before ETSU's stifling defense kicked in. The Bucs held Memphis to just two more made field goals in the quarter while forcing four turnovers. 

At the same time, ETSU was scorching hot from the field, hitting 11 of its 18 attempts in the quarter. Moore, Lyons, Snotherly, 5th year forward Isabella Hunt, freshman guard Jaidyn Harper, junior forward Meghan Downing and senior guard Kendall Folley all scored in the quarter, including another and-one from Lyons.

Folley's layup with nine seconds left gave the Bucs a 41-22 lead heading into the break.

With their backs against the wall, the Tigers responded emphatically in the third quarter, scoring nine points in the first two minutes. Memphis' offense clicked in the quarter and poured on 30 points to tie the game at 52 after holding ETSU to just 11 in the frame. The Tigers got to the rim effectively, scoring 18 of their 30 points in the paint.

The Bucs responded to Memphis' run in the fourth quarter, opening the frame with four points apiece from Folley and Milton to force a timeout. Out of the timeout, the Tigers drew within four, but then Moore took over the game, scoring nine ETSU points in a row on a pair of 3-pointers and an and-one basket. 

Her last triple gave the Bucs a ten point lead, and Memphis would not get the lead back under five, as Milton hit a trio of shots and Folley knocked down a free throw to seal the 78-71 win for ETSU.

Next, the Bucs hit the road to take on No. 12 West Virginia at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, in Morgantown, W.V.

For more information on Buccaneer women's basketball, follow @ETSU_WBB on X (Twitter) and Instagram, and visit ETSUBucs.com.