CHEROKEE, N.C. – An interesting neutral site game awaits ETSU women’s basketball before the holiday break, as the Bucs travel to Cherokee, N.C. to take on Mount St. Mary’s inside the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
The game will be part of the Cherokee Invitational, which includes two nightcap college games with Western Carolina and UNC Wilmington on Wednesday and ETSU and Mount St. Mary’s on Thursday. The Bucs will not play any other opponents at the invitational — just the singular game against the Mount.
The site for the games will be Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort in Cherokee, N.C.
Tickets are $15 and are available for purchase with card or cash at the gate. The game will be video streamed on PassThaBallLive.com with subscription required. ETSU will have a free radio broadcast via WXSM-AM 640 and live stats are available for free via StatBroadcast.
MATCHUP INFO
Thursday, Dec. 22 – East Tennessee State vs. Mount St. Mary’s
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Cherokee, N.C.
Arena: Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort
Watch: PassThaBallLive.com — Subscription Required
Radio: WXSM-AM 640 | 104.9 NASH ICON
Radio Broadcaster: Keith Brake (Play-by-Play)
Follow: Live Stats
Tickets: Available at the gate with cash or card — $15
Tournament Homepage: CherokeeInvitational.com
ABOUT THE BUCS
- ETSU enters with a 11-3 record, including wins in the last three games.
- The 11 non-conference wins are tied for the most since the 1983-84 season — the same season the Southern Conference began sponsoring a women’s basketball championship. A win tomorrow would set the new modern era record for non-conference wins at 12.
- After the first two losses of the season, ETSU went on to enjoy four-game win streaks. A win tomorrow would mark the third four-game win streak of the season.
- Last time out, ETSU used a 17-0 second half run to defeat Longwood by a 69-52 final inside Brooks Gym. ETSU went 3-0 in the last three games — all against Big South Conference opponents.
- ETSU has the 18th best scoring defense in the nation with 53.5 points allowed per game. In the nine games after the season opener, ETSU allowed just 46.3 PPG which would rank second in the nation. In yesterday’s game, ETSU allowed just 52 points.
- In all 11 wins, ETSU has limited the opponent to under 60 points, under 40 percent shooting and less rebounds. ETSU has also led at halftime in every win this season.
- ETSU is now the top rebounding team in the Southern Conference and ranks 38th nationally with a +9.2 rebound margin. ETSU also ranks 28th nationally in offensive rebounding at 15.4 boards per game.
- Graduate guard Jiselle Thomas (Norwalk, Ohio) leads the Bucs with 14.0 points per game. She scored her 1,000th career point in the season opener against No. 1 South Carolina and ranks among the top scorers in the SoCon this season.
- Sophomore guard Nevaeh Brown (Charlotte, N.C.) is averaging an even 11.0 PPG following a 16-point performance in last night’s win over Longwood.
- ETSU’s two-headed monster on the boards has been true freshman Journee McDaniel (New Bern, N.C.) and graduate Jayla Ruffus-Milner (North Hills, Calif.). Both players finished with 10 rebounds on Wednesday and are the only duo to rank among the top five of the SoCon.
- Ruffus-Milner scored her 400th career point this past Sunday against Bowling Green and grabbed her 400th career rebound against UNC Asheville.
- The Blue and Gold are led by first year Coach Brenda Mock Brown, who took over in August. Despite a late arrival to campus, Mock has guided the Bucs to a successful 11-3 record and can double ETSU’s win total of six from last season with a win tomorrow.
- This season, ETSU will seek its first winning campaign and postseason appearance since 2018, where the team finished 20-13 overall, 11-3 in the SoCon and with an appearance in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). ETSU has made three NCAA tournament appearances all-time (2008, 2009, 2010) and four WNIT appearances (1995, 2006, 2014, 2018).
ABOUT “THE MOUNT”
- Mount St. Mary’s enters with an even 5-5 record. All five wins have come at home and all five losses have been on the road. Tomorrow will be the first neutral site game of the season.
- After a 1-4 start against tough competition, the Mount has won four of their last five games.
- MSM began conference play last week with a 64-46 loss to Manhattan, but won the second Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game last time out against Siena, 65-59, at home in Emmitsburg, Md. this past Sunday. This marked the first win for the Mount as a MAAC member over a conference foe.
- The Mount are coming off a 16-13 season in 2021-22 where, despite an 11-7 conference record, the team won the Northeast Conference tournament as the No. 3 seed. Mount Saint Mary’s advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s inaugural women’s basketball First Four and were defeated by Longwood — ETSU’s opponent from yesterday.
- Michaela Harrison registered a game-high 19 points last Monday, putting the graduate student 23 points behind Becky Lovett (1977-82) for fifth on the Mount St. Mary’s all-time scoring list.
- Natalie Villaflor also averages double figures, tied with Jessica Tomasetti at 11.7 per game. Tomasetti had her first career double-double in the conference win over Siena.
- Isabella Hunt continues to lead the team in rebounding, assists and steals.
- The Mount are led by head coach Antoine White, who is in his second season at the helm and his sixth on the staff. White led the Mount to their second straight NCAA Tournament last season and owns a 21-18 overall record with the school.
SERIES HISTORY
- Tomorrow will be the first all-time meeting between the teams.
