0
0
The East Tennessee State Buccaneers hosted The Citadel Bulldogs for a matchup Friday night, at Freedom Hall. After a nail-biting win over Furman, The Citadel was ready to face ETSU and prove they can continue an uptick against a very aggressive ETSU defense.
all bark, no bite.#GoBucs | #OurHouseOurTime pic.twitter.com/yTw97graVN
— ETSU Men's Basketball (@ETSU_MBB) January 24, 2026
Jaylen Smith scored 17 points, followed close by Cam Morris III with 16, then Blake Barkley with 14 to lead the Buccaneers to a 29-point win over the Bulldogs. The points are not the only metric that stand out. Bucs overall were shooting at a 56% for FG, with Jayden Smith standing out at 6-11 FGs. Bucs not only excelled as well in rebounds, but almost doubled what the Bulldogs produced, 24 rebounds to 42 rebounds. Blake Barkley took the lead there, with 10 rebounds for the Bucs. As all good defensemen know, steals are crucial and can make or break a game. The Bucs before this matchup maintained a 9.5 average per game, and Friday night’s performance was no exception. The Bucs had 8 steals, and forced 10 turnovers, leading to an astounding 21 points for The Bucs from turnovers alone.
📊 Halftime Leaders
Morris III – 13 pts, 4 reb
Smith – 11 pts, 5 ast
Barkley – 10 pts, 6 reb#GoBucs | #OurHouseOurTime pic.twitter.com/3twzXZupfP— ETSU Men's Basketball (@ETSU_MBB) January 24, 2026
The Bulldogs were consistent in fighting back against the Bucs pressure. Standout players were Logan Applegate, with 18 points for The Bulldogs, and Braxton Williams with 8 points, with 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block. The Bulldogs go on to host VMI next Thursday at McAlister Field House in Charleston at 7pm. This should be a solid meeting of the minds as both teams have had some similar struggles this season and are striving to make the best of the final weeks of the season before heading to Asheville in March.
home cookin’ #GoBucs | #OurHouseOurTime pic.twitter.com/I8sQK1J4CJ
— ETSU Men's Basketball (@ETSU_MBB) January 24, 2026
Looking to next week, Jayden Smith commented “We know our mission… Can’t let down, got to keep going.” And Cam Morris III added “stay hungry, keep getting better every day.” Coach Brooks also seemed optimistic going into the final part of the season, his goal to keep moving forward. When speaking of the turnovers and steals, Coach Brooks stated “..we score when we take care of the ball.” And that certainly has been proven, exhibit A being the determination witnessed at Freedom Hall. What’s next for the Bucs? Hosting the only team in the SoCon that has managed to beat them, the Catamounts of Western Carolina. The Catamounts are coming off of a home win against VMI with a similar scoring win of 88-58. The Catamounts and Bucs will meet once again at Freedom Hall on January 29th, with a 7pm tipoff.
Abigail Moore
Writer
Greenville Sports Media
About the Author
