Samford Bulldogs @ East Tennessee State Buccaneers
Boyd III sparks East Tennessee St past Samford 81-72 in OT
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -- Tray Boyd III scored seven of his 22 points in overtime and East Tennessee State ended the game on an 11-0 run to hold off Samford 81-72 on Thursday night.
Josh Sharkey hit two free throws with 3:55 remaining in the extra period to give Samford a 72-70 lead. Boyd knotted the score with a layup at the 2:29 mark. Jeromy Rodriguez sank two free throws to put the Buccaneers (12-4, 2-1 Southern Conference) on top 74-72. Boyd followed with a 3-pointer and two free throws and Patrick Good capped the game-ending run with two free throws with 29 seconds left.
Rodriguez finished with 12 points and a career-high 19 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season for East Tennessee State. Mladen Armus pitched in with 11 points and a career-best 17 boards for his second career double-double. Kevon Tucker hit three 3-pointers and scored 11. The Buccaneers owned the boards by a 48-31 margin.
Ruben Guerrero paced the Bulldogs (11-5, 1-2) with 16 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Sharkey added 13 points and a career-high 14 assists, but he had eight of Samford's 18 turnovers. Brandon Austin and Robert Allen scored 16 and 13, respectively.
Game Information
Johnson City, TN
Referee:Karl Hess
Referee:Jon Wall
Referee:James Smith
2025-26 Standings
| Southern ConferenceSouthern Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Tennessee State | 13-5 | - | 23-11 |
| Mercer | 11-7 | 2 | 19-13 |
| Wofford | 11-7 | 2 | 19-13 |
| Samford | 11-7 | 2 | 18-14 |
| Furman | 10-8 | 3 | 22-13 |
| Western Carolina | 10-8 | 3 | 15-16 |
| UNC Greensboro | 9-9 | 4 | 15-19 |
| Chattanooga | 7-11 | 6 | 13-19 |
| The Citadel | 7-11 | 6 | 11-22 |
| VMI | 1-17 | 12 | 6-26 |
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