JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.
Kellen Brand hit a 3-pointer to help Appalachian State's men's basketball team erase a six-point second-half deficit, but East Tennessee State rallied to win its season opener 62-58 yesterday at the Memorial Center.
Those three points put Brand, a senior, over the 1,000 mark for his career, and he went on to score eight in the game. The Mountaineers (1-1) were led by 14 points from Donald Sims, who sank all six of his free-throw attempts.
ASU was trailing by five points with eight minutes to play but pulled even and took a lead two minutes later, thanks to a 3-pointer by Nathan Healy, followed by three free throws.
Down 57-53, Ryann Abraham converted a three-point play to pull ASU within one.
The next possession decided the game, as Isaac Butts was whistled for an intentional foul while attempting to block a shot in the paint.
ETSU's Justin Tubbs sank both free throws to give the Bucs another three-point advantage in the final minute, as well as another possession.
APPALACHIAN STATE -- Hunter 1-2 1-2 3, Butts 3-4 0-0 6, Sims 3-9 6-6 14, Abraham 2-8 3-5 7, Brand 3-7 1-2 8, Healy 2-3 5-6 10, Wright 2-5 2-2 6, Booth 0-0 0-0 0, Webb 0-1 0-0 0, Williamson 2-5 0-0 4. Totals 18-44 18-23 58.
ETSU -- Hubbard 2-10 0-1 4, Brown 2-4 0-5 4, Smith 0-3 3-4 3, Davis 1-1 0-1 2, Williams 3-7 2-4 8, Tubbs 3-7 3-4 11, Grimm 0-2 0-0 0, Cooley 4-8 2-2 11, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Poderis 1-1 0-0 2, Sollazzo 4-7 5-6 13, Ward 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 22-54 15-27 62.
Halftime--Tied 27-27. 3-Point Goals--Appalachian State 4-18 (Sims 2-7, Healy 1-1, Brand 1-4, Wright 0-1, Webb 0-1, Abraham 0-4), ETSU 3-15 (Tubbs 2-4, Cooley 1-3, Hubbard 0-1, Grimm 0-1, Sollazzo 0-1, Smith 0-2, Williams 0-3). Fouled Out--None. Rebounds--Appalachian State 36 (Butts 12), ETSU 34 (Hubbard 7). Assists--Appalachian State 6 (Abraham 3), ETSU 8 (Hubbard, Sollazzo 2). Total Fouls--Appalachian State 19, ETSU 22. A--5,562.
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