Sunday, December 20, 2009

MACON, Ga. - Atlantic Sun Men's hoops fans receive an early Christmas gift with a rematch of last year's General Shale Brick A-Sun Championship title game as the champion ETSU Buccaneers host Jacksonville at 7:00 p.m on Monday from the ETSU/MSHA Athletic Center.

In March, the Bucs secured their eighth NCAA bid with a 85-68 victory in Nashville, Tenn. Last year’s two regular-season meetings came down to the final seconds of regulation as Mike Smith won the game in Johnson City for ETSU with a jumper with three seconds left. In the rematch in Jacksonville, Ben Smith forced OT for the Dolphins, hitting a tying 3-pointer in the final 10 seconds. In the extra session, Smith scored six more points and the Dolphins outscored the Bucs, 14-4, winning by an 82-72 count.

ETSU has forged to a 5-7 mark thanks to Tommy Hubbard and Justin Tubbs, both averaging more than 14 points per game. The matchup concludes a three-game in six-day stretch for the Dolphins, who enter the contest having faced the third-toughest schedule in the nation, according to the Sagarin ratings.

In the previous three meetings in Johnson City, the Bucs have emerged victorious each time. In those three contests, the Bucs have averaged 84.3 points while shooting 47.5 percent from the floor and 45.2 percent from the 3-point arc.

ETSU seeks its fourth-straight 2-0 start in A-Sun play while Jacksonville, the preseason co-favorite tries to avoid an 0-2 start. No A-Sun school has dropped its first two league games and gone on to win at least a share of a regular-season title since Georgia State in the 1999-2000 season.

Catch all the action on ASun.TV.