Jan. 19, 2007

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Head Coach Tony Ingle and his Owls head into Johnson City at .500 in the league, as they get ready to tangle with the first-place ETSU Buccaneers in the Atlantic Sun Conference Game-of-the-Week on CSS-TV at 7:30 p.m.

Playing in front of the loudest and wildest crowd in the conference, the Owls will look to make their second visit to the Memorial Center more pleasurable than last season's 110-74 loss.

The first-place Buccaneers have a talented squad including guard Courtney Pigram and forward Brad Nuckles. With the league's third-best offense (71.8) and defense (67.1), the streaking Bucs are without question one of the hottest teams in the league.

After suffering a one-point, overtime loss to Belmont for their lone conference defeat of the season, ETSU enters the game with a four-game winning streak. The Owls enter the game with a three-game winning streak and Golden Ingle has shown a re-emergence on the offensive end of the court.

The battle of the big men could be the difference in the game as Kennesaw State's Shuan Stegall will have to battle with a trio of ETSU big men including Nuckles, 6'6" Eryk Thomas and 6'8" Andrew Reed.

While Stegall is one of the most talented and versatile post players in the league he will have a task handling the triple towers of ETSU. Bench players Jonathan Whipple, Keonte Keith, Marvin Listenbee and Alex Cornett gives head coach Tony Ingle height and depth to handle the seven ETSU players who stand 6'6" or taller.

The meeting is the third-ever between the two growing rivals with each team winning on their home court last season.