RALEIGH, N.C. (Nov. 6, 2026) – The ETSU men's basketball team led on the road at NC State by 10 points with 15:42 remaining in the second half, but the Wolfpack sparked a rally and defeated the Buccaneers 77-63 on Friday night. With Friday's loss, the Bucs move to 0-2 on the season.
The Bucs were balanced on Friday with five different players scoring 10 or more points.
Tyran Mason was ETSU's leading scorer with 14 points on a 5-for-9 effort from the field.
Marqus Marion totaled a career-high 12 points, while
Jayden Cooper and
BJ Ward both added 11.
Trevor Hennig also added 10 points off the bench for the Blue and Gold. In addition to his 11 points, Ward also facilitated the ball well with seven assists on the night.
Friday's matchup began much like ETSU's season opener at Arizona State on Monday, with several Bucs finding success from beyond the arc. Five different ETSU players hit at least one three in the first half, including Mason, who scored 10 of his 14 points before the break. Thanks in part to the play of Mason and the rest of the Bucs, ETSU led for nearly 11 minutes (10:45) of the first half. NC State looked like it would take the lead into halftime, but Cooper connected on a three with under a minute to go to give ETSU a 36-35 advantage after one half of play.
The Bucs continued to play well in the early minutes of the second half. A 9-0 run by ETSU built its lead out to double digits, 48-38. Marion accounted for six of those nine points for the Bucs during this hot streak. NC State broke the run, but a layup from
Elton Smith pushed ETSU's lead back to double digits at 52-42 with 15:42 remaining.
The momentum quickly shifted in NC State's favor, as the Wolfpack scored 35 of the next 46 points to erase ETSU's lead and take control of the game. NC State capitalized on ETSU's miscues, turning six second-half turnovers into 14 points. Overall, 24 of the Wolfpack's 77 points came following an ETSU turnover (31.1 percent).
ETSU will make its regular season home debut on Wednesday when it takes on Campbell. Tip-off between the Buccaneers and Camels is set for 7 p.m. from Freedom Hall.
For more information on ETSU men's basketball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click the men's basketball tab.
