Box Score
Updated Stats

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -- Despite trailing by 22 points, 30-8, midway through the first half, the Samford University basketball team battled all the way back to nearly tie the score at 52-49 with just under 16 minutes to play in the game, but then the homestanding ETSU Buccaneers used a 13-2 run down the stretch to post a 96-76 victory in Southern Conference play at Freedom Hall.
 
With the loss, Samford (8-16, 4-7 SoCon) moved to 1-12 on the road this season and suffered its seventh straight defeat against ETSU (20-4, 11-0 SoCon).
 
The Buccaneers entered Thursday's contest as one of the hottest teams in the nation. ETSU is in the midst of a 14-game winning streak and has not been defeated since coming just short, 68-66, on the road at No. 6-ranked Xavier on Dec. 16. The Buccaneers have been victorious in 18 of their last 19 games this season.
 
ETSU jumped out to its early advantage behind the stellar first-half play from senior guard Desonta Bradford.
 
Bradford, the reigning SoCon Player of the Week, scored 16 of his game-high 31 points in the opening period and knocked down his first four 3-point baskets of the contest. He finished the game shooting 12-of-16 from the floor to go with his five rebound and four assists.
 
Samford received 23 points from senior guard Demetrius Denzel-Dyson, a career-high 21 points from senior center Eric Adams and 19 points from junior guard Justin Coleman. The three aforementioned players combined for 63 of the team's 76 total points.
 
Sophomore point guard Josh Sharkey flirted with a double-double Thursday by posting seven points and eight assists. The Bulldogs' nifty native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered the game ranked second in the conference in assists.
 
Coleman, who leads the SoCon in assists this year, pulled down a season-high eight rebounds in the contest. He played all 40 minutes of the game and added a pair of assists.
 
Samford, which has been bitten hard by the injury bug this season, was without the efforts of five players Thursday.
 
The Bulldogs have been tasked to overcome a number of injuries and sicknesses this year. So far, Samford's Coleman (leg), Christen Cunningham (illness), JT Mumber (illness), Alex Peters (nose/leg), Sharkey (leg), Alex Thompson (back), Luke Touliatos (illness) and Wyatt Walker (leg) have all been forced out of action at various times this season. The aforementioned players have already missed a combined total of 97 games due to either injury or illness this year.
 
After trailing at the half, 48-33, Samford used a quick 14-2 run to slash ETSU's lead to 52-49 with exactly 15:53 left to play in the game.
 
During the Bulldogs' second-half rally, they received four straight points from Adams, a layup from Sharkey, five points from Coleman and a free throw from Triston Chambers.
 
ETSU's Bradford and Devontavious Payne scored 15 and 12 points, respectively, in the second half of action to allow the Buccaneers to hang on for the victory.
 
The Samford University basketball team will next be in action Saturday at 6:30 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs continue their weekend road trip with a pivotal road test against the Western Carolina Catamounts to be held at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, North Carolina.
 
For quick score updates, breaking news and links to all of your favorite articles featuring the Bulldogs, please follow @SamfordHoopsFOE and @Samford_Sports on Twitter.

Box Score
Updated Stats