MARSHALL, Texas – Boosted by Bret Atkins' 33-point performance, the East Texas Baptist University men's basketball team withstood a hard-charging second-half effort by the University of Texas-Tyler to win, 69-64, on Saturday afternoon inside of Ornelas Gym. Atkins hit eight three-pointers and making seven straight in the first half.

ETBU ups its overall record to 15-4 and 8-2 in American Southwest Conference games and is currently on a season-best seven-game winning streak. Additionally, the team improves to 9-1 on its home court this season.

Atkins stood out right out of the gate, scoring 30 points in the first half, just a single point fewer than Texas-Tyler had as an entire team in those opening 20 minutes. He converted eight-of-eight shots from 3-point range in just over 14 minutes of play to start the day before missing a 3-point attempt in the final minute of the first half. At the halftime buzzer, he had also hit all six of his first-half free throw attempts.

As a team in the first half, ETBU shot 59.1 percent from the floor (13-of-22), 78.6 percent from 3-point distance (11-of-14) and converted nine free throws to hold a 46-31 edge at the break. That 15-point advantage would prove crucial in the second half.

To open the second half, ETBU missed seven-straight shots from the field and turned the ball over three times in a four-plus-minute span. Conversely, Texas-Tyler scored six-consecutive points to bring the game to back within single digits after a Deon Rodgers basket at the 16:03 mark made it a 46-37 score.

ETBU would, however, use a 7-1 spurt to reassume a 15-point advantage with 12:20 remaining. In this stretch, Dylan Augustine hit a 3-point shot, while Wilbert Thomas and Anthony Davis each added a basket to account for the 53-38 lead. Following a Dalton Burleson basket at the 7:36 mark, ETBU remained ahead by 15 points, 61-46.

Texas-Tyler remained very much in the game though, scoring 13-of-15 points to draw within four points, 63-59, with 3:06 left in regulation. During this 13-2 run, Texas-Tyler hit four-of-six shots from the field and hit three free throws with five different players contributing points. In this same stretch, ETBU converted one-of-six shots from the floor, the lone basket coming from Junior Mitchell.

With the score still 63-59 in ETBU's favor and less than 30 seconds to play, ETBU hit six-of-eight free throw attempts to ward off the Texas-Tyler rally and emerge victorious. In the second half, ETBU shot 25.8 percent from the field (eight-of-31) and hit one-of-10 shots from 3-point range (10.0 percent). Meanwhile, Texas-Tyler converted 11-of-23 shots from the floor (47.8 percent). In all, Texas-Tyler edged ETBU in rebounding, 36-to-30.

Also finishing in double figures for ETBU were Augustine (14 points, three assists, three steals, two blocked shots) and Thomas (11 points, five rebounds, three steals).

ETBU returns to action on Monday night, playing at conference opponent Louisiana College, 7:30 p.m., in Pineville, Louisiana.