COLLEGE HOOPS: Bucs storm past James Madison

By: SPENCER HUDDLESTON | TriCities.com
Published: January 31, 2012

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Isiah Brown scored a season-high 23 points and East Tennessee State University never trailed on the way to a 70-56 Atlantic Sun Conference victory over visiting James Madison University, the Bucs’ first win in four games.

Teammate Adam Sollazzo chipped in 15 points in the victory, returning to form at a crucial time as the Bucs (11-10, 5-5 A-Sun) look to finish strong in the last month of conference play.

“I’ve been shooting a good percentage lately,” said Brown, who eclipsed the 1,000-point career mark in last week’s loss at USC Upstate. “I got a lot of touches, and I capitalized.”

From the tip-off, the Bucs looked determined not to drop their fourth in a row against the visiting Dukes (10-13, 3-8 CAA). Behind a combined 7 for 8 shooting effort from Sollazzo and Brown, the Bucs stormed out to an 18-5 lead in the game’s first nine minutes. Junior guard Sheldon Cooley shined in the Bucs’ full-court “Black Press”, grabbing six of his team’s 18 steals.

“They jumped on us from the very beginning, and we never recovered,” said JMU head coach Matt Brady. “We let them have a lot of baskets at the rim, and they dominated us.”

Further good news for the Bucs was the re-emergence of Sollazzo. The senior point guard was out of rhythm during his squad’s losing streak, but found his stroke early on Monday and thrived in the Bucs’ fastbreak.

“That first big three helped my confidence,” said Sollazzo. “I haven’t been playing like I can, and it was good to see that go in.”

JMU guard Humpty Hitchens was the only player keeping the Dukes from being run out of the gym, shooting 6 for 10 from three-point range and helping his squad cut the lead to seven before halftime, the closest they would get for the remainder of the matchup.

“I think we can defend anyone we play,” said ETSU coach Murry Bartow. “The difference is that we were more efficient offensively, and that changed the dynamic of our team.”

The Bucs return to action Saturday at Kennesaw State, a team that has yet to record a win in the A-Sun. To Brown and his teammates, it is the perfect opportunity to improve their own standing.

“It’s crucial that we get back on a roll,” said Brown. “We need to keep doing what we need to do to win games.”