Tuesday, January 12, 2010

MACON, Ga. - The ETSU Buccaneers men’s basketball team continues to overcome and refuses to fall from the Atlantic Sun elite despite tremendous losses on and off the court.

After posting a second-place finish in the A-Sun standings in the 2008-09 season, the Bucs claimed the 2009 Atlantic Sun title and the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. ETSU lost its top two scorers to graduation and in the offseason, the Bucs suffered something tragic and unexpected. During the summer, ETSU suffered the tragic loss of center Seth Coy in a car accident and entered the first game of the season with heavy hearts.

In the season opening homecoming game with Appalachian State, ETSU found itself nursing a one-point lead with 16 second remaining when Adam Sollazzo, Coy’s roommate who now wears No. 43, stepped to the line.

Sallazzo turned over the ball on the previous possession, allowing the Mountaineers to close within a point of the Bucs. The sophomore hit both free-throw attempts and Appalachian State’s last chance 3-point attempt came up short The Bucs started the season with a win for their fallen friend and Sallazzo ended the game as ETSU’s leading scorer, pouring in 13.

The Bucs also needed to replace the third leading scoring in school history as Courtney Pigram graduated after racking up 2,043 career points in Johnson City, Tenn. Kevin Tiggs also finished his ETSU career in 2009 with a total of 1,197 points in his career good for the 18th spot on the Bucs all-time scoring chart.