JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 8, 2025) – East Tennessee State University women's basketball fell just short in overtime against UNC Greensboro on Saturday in Freedom Hall.

Junior forward Meghan Downing played the best game of her career, scoring 18 (tying a career high) on 7-for-12 shooting from the field and 3-for-3 shooting from 3-point range. Entering the contest, Downing had made just two 3-pointers in her career. The New Madison, Ohio, native grabbed ten rebounds for her second double-double of the season, and her five blocks also tied a career high.

Downing now sits at 97 career swats, needing just two to break the all-time ETSU single-season block record. Her 97 rejections ties her with Serena Clark, who is one of the two players to hold part of the single-season block record, for sixth all-time in school history.

Meanwhile, 5th year guard Courtney Moore led the Bucs with 19 points on 3-for-6 shooting from 3-point range. Moore now has 11 consecutive games scoring in double-digits as she continues to have the best season of her career. Senior guard Braylyn Milton added 11 points and five rebounds, but the Bucs only mustered eight points outside of the trio of Moore, Downing and Milton.
 
The first half proceeded much like the one from the first meeting between the teams, with the two best defenses in the SoCon gritting it out on both ends of the floor. ETSU used contributions from the Downing, Moore and Milton trio to take a 12-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Each side went on droughts from the field in the opening 20, and neither hit a shot from the field for the first three minutes of the second frame. The perimeter shots began opening up after that, as each side knocked down three triples in the quarter. ETSU got a pair from Moore and Downing's first of the day, and the Bucs held a narrow 23-22 halftime advantage. 

Fresh back out of the locker room, each squad showed why it's ranked in the top 25 nationally in scoring defense (UNCG No. 1, ETSU No. 23). The Spartans and Bucs only mustered three made field goals in the quarter. ETSU didn't make one in the first six minutes, and UNCG didn't hit a shot from the field in the last 7:57. 

Free throws propelled the quarter point total to a meager 17, and the two teams went to the final frame tied at 33. For the night, UNCG went 21-29 from the free throw line to ETSU's 15-20.

As the game wore on, the defenses flagged slightly as each offense finally gained consistent traction. Milton hit a triple to get the proverbial lid off the basket, and instead of trading stops, the teams traded baskets. With 2:01 to play, the Spartans made a layup to take a one-point advantage. 

Neither team scored until redshirt junior guard Paige Lyons darted past a defender on the baseline to hit a layup to give ETSU the lead with 38 seconds left. UNCG responded to take a two-point lead. The Bucs got to the free throw line, but a 1-for-2 trip at the line forced a foul with mere seconds remaining.

With 6.8 seconds left UNCG hit both free throws to put them up by three, Milton inbounded to Moore, who took the ball the length of the floor before crossing over, stepping back and burying a deep 3-pointer from the left wing as time expired to send the game to overtime.

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Downing opened overtime by making her final triple of the night. On the next possession, she hit a layup to give the Bucs a five point lead with 3:46 remaining, but ETSU went cold from the field and wouldn't score again. UNCG hit a 3-pointer to tie the game with 2:45 to play off an ETSU turnover, and the Spartans went 7-10 from the free throw line in the extra period to seal the win.

Next, ETSU makes its final road trip of the regular season, beginning at Samford at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on Thursday, Feb. 13.

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