TYLER, Texas – Once again battling down to the end, the East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team gave all their heart against the #7 University of Texas-Tyler but came up short, 90-78, as the season ends in the American Southwest Conference Tournament semi-final game. ETBU finishes their season at 17-10 and earned their first ASC Tournament win since the 2007-08 season.
Four players were in double figures as April Leonard (three rebounds, three assists), Morgan Garrett (four rebounds, two assists), and Cekret Davis (five assists, two rebounds) had 15 points while Taylee Alexander finished with 13 points. For UTT, Michelle Obach finished with a game high 28 points while D'Onna Matthews had 25.
UT-Tyler barely outshot ETBU in field goal range with a 45.5-45.3% edge. ETBU's three-point game saw them outshoot the Patriots 46.7-35.7% UTT had a better free throw percentage shooting 71.4% while ETBU shot 61.9%. UTT outrebounded ETBU 53-34 and dished out 20 assists while ETBU had 17.
The first quarter would set the stage early on. ETBU started the game with a 6-2 run and would build their lead to as large as seven at 14-7 on a three-pointer by Leonard. UT-Tyler would answer back with a 10-3 run to tie the game at 17 all. ETBU would retake the lead to 20-17 on a three by Garrett and 22-19 on a tipin by Alexander. But the Patriots kept coming back. By the end of the first quarter, UTT had a 28-25 lead.
The second quarter saw UTT and ETBU keep within five points of each other. After UTT made it 34-27 on a three-point play, ETBU answered with a 6-0 run to make it a one point deficit, 34-33, at the 6:15 mark. It would prove to be the closest ETBU would come to UTT as the Patriots would march ahead back to a 42-35 lead. ETBU would cut it to four to 43-39. Both teams finished the quarter strong, but it was UTT who held a 52-44 lead at halftime.
UTT's momentum would carry on into the third as they would increase their lead to 57-47. Once again, the Tigers would not surrender and cut the lead back to 61-56. But after a layup by Shuntin Ragay, UTT carried their run and would build a double-digit lead. ETBU got within single digits on a Davis free throw, but a three by Obach would give UTT a 70-58 lead after three.
The fourth quarter proved to be too much for ETBU to overcome as they traded baskets with UTT. UTT would build their largest lead of the game at 17 with 4:19 to play. Yet the four seniors of Leonard, Garrett, Davis, and Ambrosia Woodard would give it their final all to chip at the lead. Leonard's jumper at the 1:56 mark brought ETBU to single-digits for the final time before UTT ran off with the win.
The 17 wins for ETBU were the most since 2007-08. ETBU loses just four seniors from the team under first-year head coach Edsel Hamilton.
