MARSHALL, Texas – For three quarters, the East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team hung tough with the #5 University of Texas-Tyler Patriots but were unable to keep pace dropping a close game, 72-61. The loss makes ETBU 12-6 on the year and 6-4 in the ASC East.

For ETBU, April Leonard led the team with 23 points on nine-of-15 shooting. Lauren Lee had 11 points and four rebounds. Morgan Garrett helped ETBU with nine points and four assists. Texas-Tyler was led by Makenzi May with 28 points while Michelle Obach contributed with 14 points.

ETBU won two-thirds of the shooting battle by hitting 44% from the field while UTT had 37% and 35% from the three point line while holding UTT to 19%. Of ETBU's 61 points, 30 of them came in the paint while UTT had 28. UTT shot 70% from the free throw line while ETBU had 56%. They also outrebounded ETBU 39-35, stole the ball nine times to ETBU's six, and made more assists with a 16-13 edge.

In the first quarter, ETBU got off to a fast start with Garrett hitting a layup from the tip off. Leonard would follow that with an And-1 to put ETBU up 5-0. Texas-Tyler would respond with a 8-5 run before Davis tied the game with a 3-pointer. The Tigers would take a 12-10 lead with baskets by Delia Hopkins and Malaisia Chisholm before the Patriots tied it at 12 to end the quarter.

UTT jumped out in the second with four points to make it 16-12. A Leonard three and a Chisholm layup got the ETBU lead back to 17-16. The rest of the quarter would be a back and forth affair with another Leonard three being followed by a pair of UTT free throws. UTT would mount a 7-2 run before ETBU clawed their way back with a pair of buckets by Lee to tie it at 28 at the break.

UTT jumped on ETBU on an 18-6 run to start the third making it 44-34 in their favor at the 4:34 mark. Three's by Chisholm and Garrett made it 44-40 before UTT added five straight to make it a nine point cushion. However, ETBU would end the quarter with five points from a three by Lee and a two by Garrett to make UTT's lead at 49-45.

Ultimately, the fourth quarter was in UTT's favor as they outscored ETBU 23-16 for the final score. Both teams traded baskets to start the quarter before the Patriots marched their way to a 12 point lead at 63-51 with 3:46 to play. That would prove to be the difference. But Leonard would not let the Tigers go down easily as she would hit two straight layups to cut UTT's lead to 63-57. That would be the closest ETBU would get as UTT made free throws and hung on for the win.

ETBU will travel to Pineville, Louisiana to play Louisiana College on Monday. Tip off starts at 5:30.