JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Senior forward Brad Nuckles scored eight points and grabbed two critical defensive rebounds in overtime, while fellow senior forward Eryk Thomas picked up his first career double-double to lead ETSU to its third overtime victory of the season 78-66 over Kennesaw State Friday night in the A-Sun/CSS Game of the Week.
With a crowd of 4,729 looking on during a regionally televised game, the Bucs won their sixth straight game and now hold a 1 ½ game lead on Belmont for the top spot in the A-Sun standings with an overall record of 14-7 and a league mark of 8-1. Nuckles finished with his fourth straight double-double, posting 18 points and 12 rebounds on the evening. Meanwhile, Thomas finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game and it was,” said ETSU head coach Murry Bartow, whose team dropped Kennesaw State to 8-13, 4-5. “We played a lackluster first half, a good second half, and a great overtime. Again, the defensive numbers won the game for us, but you can’t say enough about Brad and Eryk. I’m proud of the way our guys continue to pull it out in close games. That tells you something about their character.”
