Hello from Freedom Hall, where we are just a few minutes away from the tip for ETSU’s home basketball opener, against Campbell.
Jack Browder is on the Campbell squad, but not active. He’s still seeking a court measure to get a fifth year of eligibility, as a Class of 2022 high school graduate who played four seasons at Division II Carson-Newman. Browder’s fiancee, former Tennessee softball star Karlyn Pickens, is in the house.
Live updates as they happen here from Johnson City.
Final in Johnson City: ETSU 68, Campbell 53
That’s the first victory of the season for the Bucs in their first home game. Tyran Mason leads the way with 19 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, leading the team in scoring and sharing the team lead in assists. ETSU has outrebounded Campbell 24-8 in the second half, the key stat in the game. Of those 24 boards, 13 came on the offensive glass.
Final media timeout
There’s 3:27 to go in the game and ETSU leads Campbell 59-48. A big 3 by Trevor Hennig, who was 0-for-3 from deep and 1-of-4 overall. Then Maki Johnson with the steal and bucket. Campbell takes timeout, which stands as the media timeout.
Third chance
An impressive possession by the Bucs, who got two offensive rounds after misses before Kendall Campbell finds BJ Ward for the backdoor cut. Then a defensive lapse, as the Camels with a quick bucket on the other end. Then Colt Busse answers with another 3 for ETSU. It’s 50-44 Bucs as we approach the five-minute mark.
Campbell rallies
Brooks Savage is irate as he takes the timeout with 8:53 left. Campbell has rallied within 43-42, after a pair of corner 3s from Rashawn Inglemon right in front of his own bench. Same spot, same result. ETSU is in a funk in the meantime, scoreless since two free throws by Tran Mason with 10:58 left in the game and without a field goal since that Busse 3 as the shot clock expired.
ETSU challenge
Brooks Savage challenging the call that gave Campbell possession on the deadball alternating rule, and the Bucs leading 43-36 with 9:48 to go. Things are getting physical under the basket on both sides. I’m a little surprised Campbell isn’t doing more to feed the ball down low. Also seeing less movement offensively than I expected from ETSU in this five out system.
Tyran Mason with a game-high 14 points for ETSU, and his four boards currently leads all players on both teams as well.
Is eight enough?
A 3 by freshman Colt Busse as time expires on the shot clock and ETSU takes a 41-33 inside the 12-minute mark, matching the Bucs’ biggest advantage of the game. Campbell’s Andre Wright Jr. answers with a bucket and draws a foul at the other end. The Bucs lead 41-35 with 11:24 to go in the game.
ETSU is pulling away on the glass, outrebounding Campbell 31-21. The Bucs still committing double as many turnovers as the Camels, 12-6, and is 1 of 6 from the line. Campbell no better on the made free throws, with one in two tries.
ETSU in front
First media timeout of the second half and ETSU leads 28-25 with 15:50 left in the game. BJ Ward has hit a pair of 3s in these early minutes of the half, after making just one shot in the first half and attempting zero 3 balls.
Halftime: ETSU 25, Campbell 25
A pretty underwhelming half for ETSU, but the Bucs head to the locker room with the score tied. BJ Ward with a nifty bounce pass to Marqus Marion for the slam in the final seconds. (You can check out some of these dunks and highlights on our social media).
The Bucs outshooting Campbell 38% to 33%, outrebounding the Camels 20-18 … and it’s still tied. The Camels have attempted seven more shots, and ETSU has made nine turnovers compared to four for Campbell.
Tyran Mason is the top scorer for the Bucs with 10 points. He also has three rebounds.
Final media break of the half
With 3:09 to go until the break, Campbell still holds a 24-20 lead. The Bucs in a 1-for-6 mini slump from the field, have eight turnovers compared to three for Campbell. The starting backcourt of BJ Ward and Jayden Cooper has combined for four points on just five total shot attempts, with one make each.
Ward got his first points of the game, driving to the basket and drawing contact with 5:10 to go.
Campbell answers
The Camels come out of the timeout on a 7-0 run. A couple of plays on the inside where Crump looked mismatched against Sentinel Moore. Moore blocked the dunk try by Crump, then pointed at him, and threw down a one-handed slam at the other end.
Back-to-back slams
A pair of dunks by Tyran Mason have flipped the lead, as the Bucs have the slim 18-17 advantage with 7:04 to go in the half. Campbell turned it over, Elton Smith flipped the ball out to Tyran Mason, who slammed it home. That gave the Bucs their first lead since the early going, at 16-15. Then Mason got it on another breakaway.
ETSU is getting outrebounded, has committed more turnovers (5-2), and has zero points from its preseason all-conference point guard BJ Ward … and the Bucs still lead by one.
3 ball, anyone?
When we interviewed Maki Johnson back in October, he talked about gaining the ability to flush a bad shooting performance and come out and hit the next game. Well, Johnson, who didn’t hit a 3 against either Arizona State or NC State, sank his first attempt here, which helped Campbell pull within 10-9. Then Waddles answered with a 3 for the Camels, pushing it back to four at 13-9. ETSU reserve DeCarl Payne, just after entering the game, hit a 3 as well, and it’s 13-12 at the second media timeout, with 11:43 to go in the half.
Crump debuts
Brendan Crump is in for the Bucs, making his season debut. He missed the Arizona State and NC State games. Crump currently joined on the floor by Trevor Hennig, BJ Ward, Tyran Mason. Mason just hit a 3, and it’s 8-6 Campbell.
Sluggish start
Not a great first four minutes plus for the Bucs. They trail 6-3 at the first media timeout, with 15:45 showing in the opening half. ETSU has made one of its first five shots from the field, committed to two turnovers compared to zero for Campbell, and the Camels are outrebounding the Bucs 5-4.
Again, very early.
Marion goes deep
First points at home this season come on a 3 by Wake Forest transfer Marqus Marion. it also flips the advantage, giving ETSU the very early 3-2 lead.
Campbell forces a shot clock violation on ETSU on the Bucs’ opening possession. Both teams a combined 0-for-5 from the field in the first 90 seconds, until an inside bucket by Sentinel Moore gives the Camels the early 2-0 lead.
Starting Lineups
For Campbell,
AJ Wright Jr., Rashawn Inglemon, Lance Waddles, Sentinel Moore, Norden Kapic
For ETSU
BJ Ward, Jayden Cooper, Tyran Mason, Kendall Campbell, Marqus Marion