SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Wofford men's basketball team fell to second place in the Southern Conference standings after losing to the East Tennessee State Buccaneers on Sunday evening, 72-86, in Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.
The Terriers (15-8, 7-3) were led by
Nils Machowski's 23 points, followed by
Chace Watley with 19.
Brian Sumpter pulled down eight rebounds while
Cayden Vasko dished out five assists. Sumpter and Machowski each had one block.
How It Happened
Brian Sumpter opened scoring for the Terriers with a backdoor cut slam dunk with a pass from
Nils Machowski. Both teams had a slow start, scoring just nine combined points before the first media timeout. ETSU found a rhythm over the next frame, shooting ahead by nine points, 23-14. Machowski was the main offensive conduit, going two for two from before the arc. Wofford went back and forth with the Buccaneers to prevent a ten-point deficit.
With six minutes left in the half, Wofford grabbed a quick 5-0 run to cut into the ETSU lead. After exchanging scores, the Terriers were able to force their way back to just a one-point deficit with crucial makes from
Chace Watley and
Brendan Rigsbee. The East Tennessee State bench called a timeout with 2:19 left in the half, 35-34. Wofford was only able to pull things closer from behind the arc. Rigsbee made a corner three to tie the game, before ETSU could answer with a layup on the other end. The teams went into the locker room with Wofford trailing, 39-41.
Cayden Vasko started scoring for the half with a three from the wing. Shortly after, Sumpter found a 4-0 run by himself, highlighted by a backdoor dunk off a slipped pass from fellow freshman, Watley. The Buccaneers forced back-to-back turnovers on their way to an 8-0 run, leading to a Wofford timeout with the Terriers down 50-59.
Despite an and one make from Watley, ETSU was able to reach a ten-point lead with nine minutes left in the game. A technical foul for the Buccaneers gave Wofford some relief.
Nils Machowski converted one of two from the line but followed it up with a three-pointer on the next possession. Wofford was able to hold ETSU from making a field goal for over four minutes. The Bucs went ten for ten from the line in that time, keeping Wofford from pulling the game closer. With four minutes left to play, the Terriers trailed, 63-73.
The Terriers continued to prevent ETSU from making field goals but brought the Bucs to the line. ETSU made 13 consecutive free throws before missing. With a minute left in the game, the Terriers found themselves down by ten and began to foul. The game would end with the Terriers falling to second place in the conference, 74-86.
Inside the Numbers
Up Next
The Terriers return to the road to face their final SoCon opponent, VMI, on Wednesday, February 4. The Keydets will host Wofford in Cameron Hall with tip-off at 6 p.m. Listen along on the Wofford Digital Network or watch on ESPN+.
