Johnson City, Tenn. (Oct. 29, 2013) â€" The Milligan College men's basketball team was unable to hold off the Buccaneers of East Tennessee State University Tuesday night as they fell 118-83 in the season's first exhibition game.
 
The Buffaloes started the night with a defensive mindset. However, the Bucs jumped to an early 11-6 lead in the first minutes of the half. The Bucs extended their lead to 10 points making the score 26-16. The Buffaloes would soon bring the Bucs lead to only five points at 29-24 after a pair of free throws by Kurt Brooks (Newport, Tenn.) and a set of 3-pointers by Mickey Woods (Port Arthur, TX) and Will Robinson (Elizabethton, Tenn.).
 
After a Milligan foul, the Bucs were able to score six unanswered points; giving ETSU an 11-point lead. The Buffaloes would fight back late in the first half to try and close the gap but would finish the half trailing 50-38.
 
The Buffaloes started the second half with a quick 3-pointer by Mike Woods, Jr. (Swannanoa, N.C.) after a steal by Cartree Pettis (Oveido, FL). After five minutes of play, the Bucs would continue to stretch their lead to 20 points and make the score 69-49.
 
Throughout the remainder of the second half, Milligan was unable to cut into ETSU's lead. The Buffaloes would end the game falling 118-83.

Head Coach Bill Robinson commented saying, "I'm encouraged by our competitiveness tonight. Defensively, we obviously need to get better but we shot the ball very well. Overall, it was a very positive night."
 
The Buffaloes played well offensively shooting 43.9% from the field and 45.2% from the 3-point range. Milligan's Mike Woods, Jr. (Swannanoa, N.C.) would lead the Buffaloes' scoring with 21 points as well as 5 rebounds. Tyler Rose (Danbury, N.C.) would follow Woods with 10 points. Pettis and Mickey Woods (Port Arthur, TX) would have nine and eight points respectively.
 
The Buffaloes will travel to the University of Alabama at Birmingham for their next exhibition game. Game time is slated for 2 p.m. in Birmingham, AL.