JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Nov. 3, 2014) â€" Much like the women's game at the end of last week, it was only a matter of time before East Tennessee State University's depth and physicality took over. While the Milligan College men's basketball team traded punches with ETSU throughout the first half and a fair portion of the second half, the Buccaneers used streaky shooting and a strong inside presence to open the game up in the second half and come away with a 94-77 victory Monday night at Freedom Hall.
 
"My guys played extremely well tonight," Head Coach Bill Robinson said after the game. "I think ETSU is better than they were last year and for us to be able to keep it under 20 points, that was a big goal for us tonight. I'm extremely proud of our guys."
 
The game, an exhibition, saw 12 lead changes in the first half, but it was a pivotal run sparked by ETSU's defense at the end of the first half and another run sparked by the Buccaneer offense at the start of the second half that was the difference.
 
With Milligan (2-0) in the lead 28-26, the Buccaneers closed out the first half on a 13-2 run, the latter part of which proved to be especially significant as they scored the last six points, four from dunks, over a 90-second span. The last basket came from ETSU guard/forward Lester Wilson on a breakaway dunk at the buzzer, and the junior carried his own momentum over into the second half by knocking down two 3-pointers in the first two minutes coming out of the halftime break.
 
Lester's back-to-back 3-pointers helped ETSU start the second half with an 11-2 run to extend the lead to 50-32 just four minutes past the intermission. The combined run of 24-4 proved to be the difference.
 
Although the Buffaloes continued to battled, they were never able to get back to within 15. Lester hit another 3-pointer to give ETSU a 24-point lead at 60-36, and every time beyond that point Milligan looked to claw back, the Bucs had an answer.
 
Newcomers Gabriel Logan and Julian Bailey led Milligan with 13 points apiece, and Bailey added 10 rebounds for a double-double. Mickey Woods scored 12 points with four assists and four rebounds, and Kurt Brooks also reached double figures with 10 points, all in the second half.
 
"Our depth is really good this year," Robinson said. "I think we've got four real solid post players and we've had good depth at the guards. We've had shooters, it just depends on who's making it that night. We could have three or four guys who could go off and make shots. Kurt did that tonight in the second half. Last year it was Mike Woods Jr."
 
Milligan shot 42.9 percent from the floor (27-63) and 32 percent from 3-point territory (8-25). The Buffaloes hit five three's in the second half.
 
Milligan gave up 40 points in the paint and 16 on a second chance as ETSU outrebounded the Buffs 51-42 (20-13 on the offensive end).
 
Lester finished with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting. He connected on five 3-point baskets while adding 10 rebounds and three assists. Jalen Riley scored 23 points as the only other Buccaneer to reach double digits in scoring, although nine others found their way into the scoring column.
 
Bailey's 13 points were tough to come by, but the junior transfer managed to score several baskets in traffic, including one with from the right side that gave the Buffs a 23-22 lead with under eight minutes to go in the first half and a tough layup on a beautiful pass from Woods following a pick-and-roll that put the Buffs on top 28-26 with less than four to go.
 
"We had a lot of fans here today," Robinson said. "Our cheerleaders, our dancers, a lot of parents here and a lot of students. (The guys) obviously want to perform well in front of family and friends so it is more than just an exhibition against ETSU. We enjoy the competition, and hopefully it's something we continue to do for a long time."
 
Milligan will continue the regular season on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. with a home game against Alice Lloyd College. The game will immediately follow the women's season opener, a 5:30 p.m. game against St. Catharine College.