The ETSU women knocked off a solid A10 team in Duquesne in Brooks Gym by 81-77.
http://www.etsubucs.com/wbasketball/news...cs-in-win/
This was the most fun I've had watching the Lady Bucs since the days of Siarre Evans, TaRonda Wiles and Latisha Belcher. They faced a big Duquesne team with a lot of Eastern European talent (a Fin, an Estonian, a Serb and a Hungarian in the top 8) that could shoot the lights out (they came in averaging .463 from 3 as a team) and really hit the boards (+2.3 rebounding margin coming in) having posted a road win over Pitt 66-53. But maybe a little short in speed and athleticism, as senior guard Tianna Tarter (33 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 7 steals) and freshman guard Erica Haynes-Overton (21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals) ran rings around them.
As an example of newfound balance: having just seen Tianna Tarter triple teamed the previous possession, with 28 seconds left Raven Dean (9 points) used her newly minted 3 point shot to put the Bucs up by 3, and freshman Alayjah Sherer added a free throw for the final 4 point margin. They even managed to outrebound the bigger Dukes 37-35.
The Bucs have been frustrating to watch the last couple of years, rising and falling on Tianna's hot streaks, with little but the even streakier Shamauria Bridges to help her out. But this years' team, relying heavily on 4 newcomers (freshmen Haynes-Overton and Alayjah Sherer, JUCO Brittany Snowden and Graduate transfer Shy Copney) and several improving oldsters (especially Junior Raven Dean, Senior Malloree Shurr and Junior Sadasia Tipps) has the kind of balance that evens out the low spots and allows the guards to challenge the opposition all over the floor.
Tianna and Erica, the senior and the freshman, are the best pair of guards that I can remember the Lady Bucs fielding on the same team. The speed and athleticism, rebounding, ballhawking defense (they average 3 and 3.6 steals per game respectively) and court smarts is just remarkable. Tianna is doing this with a nose broken just 7 days ago and a plastic mask, and still playing 40 minutes. Erica as a freshman is the best thing since, well, Tianna as a freshman. Boy is it fun to watch them go. As they better incorporate the new players, this group, now 4-1, should just get better.
I think that most basketball fans would really enjoy a trip to Brooks to watch this group.