JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - East Tennessee State women's basketball secured the first win in the 2025-26 campaign in their first-ever meeting with Claflin.  The Bucs (1-3, 0-0 SoCon) downed the Panthers (0-1, 0-0 CIAA) 69-31 on Saturday afternoon in Brooks Gym.

NOTABLES

• Jaidyn Harper, the sophomore guard, was the leading scorer for the Bucs in the contest, boasting a career-high 14 points with career-highs in 3PT made (3) and field goals (5).
• Redshirt senior guard Paige Lyons collected a season-high 13 points, going 5-10 in field goals and tallying a season-high two steals in the process
• SaBreya Monsanto reset her career-high of 12 points, previously 11 from the Kennesaw State contest, going 4-6 from the field and 4-6 from the line for tied career-highs in both categories.  The freshman guard also collected a career-high four steals, two of which were steal and scores, and five rebounds and one assist.
• Monsanto joined senior guard Yanessa Boyd and senior forward Meghan Downing on defense with one block apiece.
• Sophomore forward Kennedy Younkin led the Bucs in rebounds with five defensive and two offensive for a total of seven.
• Anala Nelson, the graduate guard, put up a full sheet with seven points, two rebounds, five assists and three steals for a season-high in assists. 
• Freshman guard Emmah McAmis tallied her first collegiate three in the contest, making two total with a career-high five rebounds and two steals.
• 13 of 14 members of the squad saw action in the contest.
• The Bucs totaled 69 points, 46 rebounds, 18 steals, 10 assists and three blocks.

GAME FLOW
Q1

• The first quarter opened with slow scoring put a quick recovery by the Bucs to post the game-high of 21 in the first frame.
• The Bucs saw 13 points from the bench and 12 from fast breaks.
• Harper was the leading scorer in the first, going 2-2 in 3PT made with one rebound while Monsanto collected two steal and scores.

Q2

• The all-around leader for the squad in the second frame was Monsanto with two steals, four points and two rebounds.
• ETSU dominated in points from turnovers (12) and points from the bench (11).

Q3

• Downing ran the defense through the third quarter, collecting three defensive rebounds and four total.  Four Bucs even contributed to the scoring in the frame with two points apiece.
• The Bucs held the Panthers to zero points in the paint in the third.

Q4

• Lyons commanded the fourth with seven points, two of which from a score and steal, adding on a second steal in the frame.
• The strength of the squad was found in the paint and off the bench with 14 points in the paint and 13 from the bench in the final minutes, putting up 20+ points in the frame for the third time in the contest.

UP NEXT
ETSU enters a five-game road slate, opening up the action at Tennessee Tech on Friday, November 20 and close the road span with an MTE in Louisville over Thanksgiving weekend.