Getty ETSU Buccaneers forward Vonnie Patterson.
The East Tennessee State Buccaneers basketball team will host the UAB Blazers at Freedom Hall Civic Center on Saturday.
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The game (4 p.m. ET start time) won’t be on regular TV anywhere, but you can watch UAB vs East Tennessee State live on ESPN+ right here:
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You can also watch on your computer via ESPN.com.
UAB vs East Tennessee State Preview
The Buccaneers haven’t played since Nov. 27, when they pounded the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 57-43 in the Gulf Coast Showcase to improve to 1-2 on the year and give Jason Shay his first victory as a head coach. A scheduled Dec. 8 matchup with the UNC-Asheville Bulldogs was scrapped due to COVID-19 concerns within the ETSU program.
“I think we got better over the first three games and we’re going to continue to get better as the season progresses,” Shay said after besting MTSU, according to the Johnson City Press. “This is just a start.”
ETSU shot just 20-of-50 (34.5 percent) from the field and 4-of-22 (18.2 percent) from 3-point range, but they held the Blue Raiders to 15-of-50 (30 percent) shooting and 4-of-21 (19 percent) from deep, helping their foes to 27 turnovers.
“Like I’ve said, we’ve worked so hard on our defense,” Shay said, per the Johnson City Press. “I knew it was coming along. I’m surprised with our offense, but sometimes that happens early in the year, you get these ugly games where your offense is behind your defense.”
ETSU junior guard Ledarrius Brewer scored 20 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, both game highs. Shay praised the play of senior center Silas Adheke, who scored 8 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and came up with a pair of blocks in 22 minutes.
“Silas anchored our defense early and he was a rim protector,” Shay said, per the Johnson City Press. “He anchors our defense and gets us in the right positions to start. He had a solid game. If we can get that from him night in and night out, that’ll be be great.”
The Blazers improved to 5-0 on Wednesday, blasting Division II’s Tuskegee Golden Tigers 89-64. On short notice, the Golden Tigers stepped in to replace the Mobile Rams, an NAIA squad, who had to drop out due to COVID-19 concerns within the program.
Senior guard Quan Jackson and fellow guard Tavin Lovan, a junior, scored 22 points apiece to lead the Blazers. The pair combined to shoot 12-of-21 from the field and grab 12 rebounds.
“Quan is our guy,” UAB head coach Andy Kennedy said, according to AL.com. “He’s the playmaker for us. He is going to make plays, keeps his hands on balls, slashing open floor and our best finisher on the open floor. Tavin Lovan, we have been challenging him. He should be a guy, as far as a downhill driver, he’s as good a guy as we have in our league.”