ETSU falls to Samford in Southern Conference championship

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WJHL) — The ETSU men’s basketball team fell to Samford 76-69 in the Southern Conference championship game Monday night.

In a physical game that saw 53 totals fouls called, the Bucs kept responding to early punches, as they had all tournament.

“It was a tough game – a tough game,” ETSU graduate guard Ebby Asamoah said afterwards. “We played physical, we bring the aggression every time.”

“You can’t leave it up to the refs,” he continued. “It was us – it was us versus them.”

Achor Achor capped an 11-2 game-opening run with a steal and a slam for Samford, as the Bulldogs grabbed the early momentum. However, the Bucs answered right back, taking its first lead of the game at 16-15 on an Ebby Asamoah three-point play.

The two sides traded baskets for the remainder of the half, as Samford took a 40-38 advantage into the break.

The top-seeded Bulldogs opened the second frame with a flurry, stretching the lead to as much as nine points midway through the half.

But, the Bucs stuck close, shaving the lead to a single point with 6:23 remaining in the contest.

The Blue and Gold defense and rebounding remained strong down the stretch, but the Bulldogs sunk enough free throws to cut down in the nets in the Harrah’s Cherokee Center.

“Just unbelievably proud of our team – man,” ETSU head coach Brooks Savage said after the game. “If you had told me in mid-January, in the midst of a five-game losing streak, that we would be in the championship game on Monday night – under four minutes, right there? I’d have taken that.”

ETSU was paced by 18 points from Asamoah, while Quimari Peterson added 17 points of his own in the loss.

“We know how close we are to our goal and we’ve just got to keep pushing each other, keep getting better and just keep working on things that got us here,” Peterson explained.

“It’s been a great season, really,” ETSU junior forward Jaden Seymour said. “All around – all the ups and downs – I really wouldn’t change anything about it.”

“I mean, I feel like towards the end of the season we just figured a lot of things out,” he continued. “We stayed as a group and figured out how to play together.”

Seymour posted a team-high eleven rebounds, while the Bucs won the battle on the glass, 41-32.

Walking off after the loss, Savage waved to the fans that filled up the arena in Asheville – thanking them for their support.

Before he stepped into the tunnel, he spoke just three words – ‘we’ll be back.’

“We’re going to win championships, we’re going to play for championships here,” he said after the game. “That’s all I’ve ever done here.”

“When you first get the job, you’re selling a dream,” he told reporters. “For me, I had a little bit of past experience, but I hadn’t done it as a head coach … I think now this puts some validity to that vision.”

ETSU concludes Savage’s first season at the helm with a record of 19-16.

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