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ETSU Uses Long-Range Game to Outduel Women's Basketball

MSU Athletics

The East Tennessee State women's basketball team knocked down 14 three-pointers, hitting 54 percent from beyond the arc on Monday as the Buccaneers held off Morehead State 86-77 in an Education Day matinee at Johnson Arena.

ETSU, a Southern Conference member, won its fourth consecutive game and improved to 7-4. The Eagles slipped to 4-6 overall. ETSU now leads the overall series 6-4.

The visitors hit 14-of-26 from three-point range, 32-of-65 (49 percent) overall and led by as much as 76-60 in the middle of the second half.

"You have to take your hat off to ETSU," Head Coach Greg Todd said. "Even if no one is the crowd, it's hard to hit that many three-pointers if you just shoot it 26 times. It's unusual for four different players to shoot almost 50 percent out there."

Morehead State senior guard Almesha Jones registered a game-high 24 points, her fourth straight 20-point effort, and had four steals and six assists. With her first steal, she became the first player in program history to achieve at least 1,000 career points, 400 assists and 200 steals. She also passed former teammate Terrice Robinson into 19th place in career scoring at Morehead State with 1,081 points.

ETSU got a team-best 20 points and nine assists from Chandler Christopher, who nailed 4-of-5 three-pointers. Shamauria Bridges drilled five triples and scored 19, while Tianna Tarter connected on four from distance and notched 17 points and seven assists. The Buccaneers handed out 24 assists.

"I thought we did a decent job defending in the post," Todd added. "But their perimeter shooting was too good. We didn't do a great job at all finding their players when they got hot."

Senior guard Maiki Viela tossed in 18 points, her second-best effort in nine games at MSU, and hit four three-pointers. Freshman forward Eriel McKee tallied her season averages of 14 points and nine rebounds. She has scored in double digits in all seven collegiate games and leads MSU in rebounding. Senior forward Casey Ryans scored 10 and grabbed seven boards.

MSU tallied season-bests in shooting efficiency (27-of-53, 51 percent) and three-point accuracy (8-of-17, 47 percent).

"I thought that was our best game offensively all year," Todd said. "We just need to clean up some things defensively and then we can be much better."

Viela dropped in a layup to make it a 28-26 MSU lead with 9:27 left in the first half, but Tarter drilled a trey 23 seconds later, and ETSU never trailed again.

Morehead State has a quick turnaround as the Eagles travel to USC-Upstate for a 7 p.m. contest Wednesday.

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