CHARLESTON, S.C. (DEC. 30, 2025) - On the penultimate day of 2025, the ETSU men's basketball team had what Buccaneer great Kevin Tiggs used to call a "get-right game" in Charleston: a chance to get themselves on a winning track for a critical stretch to come by getting back to the things that make them successful.

Tuesday night, the Bucs got right.

ETSU snapped a three-game losing streak with a 74-49 rout of The Citadel at McAlister Field House to open SoCon play with a victory. Blake Barkley led ETSU with 17 points as one of four players in double figures for the Buccaneers (9-5, 1-0).

Scoring was hard to come by early, and the Bulldogs (3-11, 0-1) led 12-9 with 11:49 to go in the first half. ETSU got back in front by going 7-for-8 at the free throw line, and Cam Morris III put them ahead for good with 9:52 left in the half.

Allen Strothers ended a 4:28 drought from the field with a three that accelerated ETSU's consistent free throw shooting into a 14-1 run capped by a Barkley three with 6:26 remaining in the session that gave the Bucs their first double-digit lead of the night. Barkley added two more layups and a dunk to break into double figures before halftime and propel ETSU to a 38-20 lead.

Both teams were cold out of the half with just four made field goals in the first five minutes after the intermission, but ETSU did enough to hold their lead before breaking through with an 11-0 run that had them ahead by 28 with 3:44 left.

The 49 points allowed is a season-low for ETSU and the first time the Bucs have held a team under 50 points since UNCG on February 19. Barkley scored in double figures for the sixth time in seven games with his third game of 15 or more this season, joined by Taylor (13), Jordan McCullum (13), and Jaylen Smith (10). Morris led the team with nine rebounds to complement eight points. Smith led assists with four, and Maki Johnson tied a season high with three steals.

As a team, the Bucs shot 51% from the field, 40% from three-point range and 84% from the free throw line while winning rebounding 34-28 and turnovers 17-11. Their 12 steals were the most in a game since November 21 against Morehead State.

The Bucs begin their 2026 schedule on Saturday with Mercer at 4 p.m. at Freedom Hall. Tickets are available at ETSUTickets.com.
For more information on ETSU men's basketball, go to ETSUBucs.com.