BY BRIAN T. SMITH
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
Johnson City – Kevin Tiggs is becoming scary.
Ever since Tiggs played his first game in an East Tennessee State uniform this season, his dynamic talents have shined and his still-untapped potential has rang out.
Yet Tiggs, a 6-foot-4 junior forward who transferred from Mott Community College, has also regularly battled with his confidence.
One game Tiggs would destroy opposing defenses and set career-highs. The next, he’d quietly take three shots and disappear in the Buccaneers’ offensive rotation.
Well, watch out world.
Because Tiggs’ confidence issues are now in the rearview mirror. And a confident Tiggs is dangerous. And downright scary.
“It was fun. It’s always fun to win. I was swinging that ball around. And every day, every day we’re getting stronger,” said Tiggs, who scored a game-high 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds in ETSU’s 85-79 win over Mercer on Friday evening in an Atlantic Sun conference matchup at Memorial Center before an announced crowd of 5,193.
Tiggs’ dominant outing keyed the Bucs’ fourth-straight win and pushed ETSU to a 7-2 record in its last nine games.
“I think we’re getting better,” said Bucs coach Murry Bartow.
“Sometimes when you lose a couple guys and those numbers get smaller, the team becomes tighter. And I think that’s kind of what’s kind of starting to happen. And when you’re winning, chemistry’s better, coach is in a better mood, the players are in a better mood – things are better.”
ETSU shot 43.2 percent (32 of 74) from the field, forced 15 turnovers and recorded 38 points-in-the-paint.
Kenyona Swader added 22 points and nine rebounds for the Bucs (12-9, 6-2), while Courtney Pigram contributed 12 points, seven rebounds and three steals.
James Florence scored a team-high 20 points for the Bears (9-12, 4-4).
Tiggs scored the Bucs’ first nine points, and ETSU took an early 9-7 lead when Tiggs slashed his way towards the basket and converted a reverse layup.
“When we recruited Kevin, that’s what we thought we were getting,” Bartow said. “He’s a hard, hard matchup, because he’s a 4 man being defended by a bigger guy. It’s just hard to stay in front of him.”
As strong as Tiggs’ game was, it was once again ETSU junior point guard Jocolby Davis (four points, three assists, five rebounds) who got the Bucs rolling.
Davis made a series of jaw-dropping passes, fake passes and slicing moves midway through the first quarter, and he keyed a 16-2 ETSU run that was topped off by consecutive 3s from the left wing by Travis Strong.
ETSU connected on 41.2 percent (7 of 17) of its 3-point attempts in the first half, and took a 44-40 lead into the break.
The Bears pulled within 76-74 with 3:10 left in the second half via a 3-point play by Florence.
But a 3-pointer from the far-right baseline by Andrew Reed made it 81-75 Bucs with 1:33 remaining in the contest.
“I believe it’s starting to come together,” Pigram said. “We’re creating matchup problems. And hopefully everyone can come out next game and keep putting it all together.”
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