CHARLESTON, S.C. (WJHL) — Jeromy Rodriguez and Tray Boyd III each scored a career-high number of points as the ETSU men’s basketball team opened conference play with a 96-84 win over The Citadel inside McAlister Field House on Wednesday night.
Boyd scored 23 points in the first half alone, already making it a career game for the senior guard. He ended the night with 25 points.
Rodriguez put up a career-high 26 points in the game and also grabbed 16 rebounds.
The Bulldogs managed to keep the score close for much of the first half until Boyd sank three three-pointers within a minute to make the score 42-34 with five minutes left in the half. Another layup by Boyd and a three-pointer by Daivien Williamson gave the Bucs a 13-point lead, their largest lead of the half, with 4:17 left.
The Bucs started the second half leading 54-44 before making it a 21-point game by the middle of the half. The Bulldogs chipped away at that lead near the end but the Bucs kept them at bay.
Overall, ETSU shot 55% from the field and 71% from the line.
Kaiden Rice lead the Bulldogs in scoring with 30 points.
The Bucs are now 8-1 on the season, marking the team’s best start since the 1990-91 season when ETSU went 14-1. The team is also on a five-game win streak.
ETSU’s sole loss was to No. 4 Kansas on Nov. 19.
The ETSU men will travel to Fargo, North Dakota to face North Dakota State on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.
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