Buccaneers report: Notes, quotes

March 24, 2008
The Sports Xchange

Notes, quotes · Strategy and personnel · Getting inside

FINAL RECORD
19-13, 11-5, tied for third in Atlantic Sun.

WHAT WENT RIGHT
During conference play, the Bucs ranked first in the league in free-throw shooting (72.8 percent) and turnover margin (plus-2.3) and second in scoring (79.4 points per game) and steals (9.1 per game). They were 12-2 when scoring at least 80 points and 8-2 when holding opponents under 70 points.

WHAT WENT WRONG
In late December the Buccaneers lost sophomore point guard Dequan Twilley and sophomore forward Blake Mishler. Twilley was dismissed from the team for undisclosed reasons and Mishler transferred to Illinois State. The team pulled together and was seconds away from a berth in the Atlantic Sun title game when senior Kenyona Swader was whistled for a controversial technical foul.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"This is the most disappointing loss I've had as a head coach. We just couldn't make shots the last seven minutes." -- East Tennessee State head coach Murry Bartow after the Buccaneers squandered a 10-point lead with 6:22 remaining in an Atlantic Sun semifinal loss to Belmont.