JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Nov. 11, 2025) – Northern Kentucky is a name the ETSU men's basketball team has not heard in a long time, but the Norse make the trip from Highland Heights to visit the Bucs at Freedom Hall for the first time in eight years on Wednesday at 7:00pm.
MATCHUP: ETSU (1-1) vs. Northern Kentucky (1-1)
DATE: November 12, 2025, 7:00pm
VENUE: Freedom Hall Civic Center (Johnson City, TN)
TV: ESPN+ (
Keith Brake, Bruce Tranbarger)
RADIO: WXSM-AM 640 (
Jay Sandos)
LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast
TICKETS: ETSUTickets.com
GAME SPONSOR: Reliable Title
The Bucs fell 68-64 at Presbyterian on Saturday night, leading for most of the second half but unable to hold the Blue Hose off in the final minutes.
Cam Morris III led the way with 17 points, while
Brian Taylor II had 13 and is the only Buccaneer to score 10 or more points in both games to start the year. Taylor has been efficient, as well, shooting 68.8% from the field and 50% from three point range.
ETSU is 16-11 in the game following a loss under
Brooks Savage, and they are 7-2 in home games immediately after road losses in two previous seasons under Savage.
Northern Kentucky returns to Northeast Tennessee after a 95-56 loss at #18 Tennessee on Saturday in Knoxville. Grad student Kael Robinson and senior Donovan Oday have two double-digit scoring games apiece for the Norse so far and combined for 28 points on 11-for-23 shooting against the Volunteers. As a team, NKU is shooting just over 50% from the field but 51% from the free throw line, making just 25 of 49 attempts from the stripe so far this season.
ETSU and Northern Kentucky were briefly conference neighbors in the Atlantic Sun from 2012-2014, and have met six times prior to Tuesday. ETSU won four of those, including three of the four conference games played between the two teams. The last matchup between the Bucs and the Norse was December 6, 2017, when Devontavius Payne and Bo Hodges combined for 30 points and the Bucs shot 59% from the field in an 84-71 win at Freedom Hall.
For more information on ETSU men's basketball, go to ETSUBucs.com.
