SHREVEPORT, La.- With four players reaching double figures, the East Texas Baptist University men's basketball team captured the 89-81 victory over Centenary College to start the season at 1-0. ETBU led from start to finish with only two ties in the first half.

Robby Dooley tallied a team and career-high 23 points and dished out four assists, while freshman Nathan Fontenot was lights out from the field with 17 points off the bench in Wednesday night's win. Westin Reddick added 14 points making four three-pointers and Landin Brown finished with 10 points. Brown also led the team in rebounding with five.

ETBU landed the first punch in the opening half, starting off the ball game with a 13-5 run which was capped off by a layup by Alan Wilkerson at the 13:03 mark of the game. Centenary's Regis Johnson would bring the score to within one on a layup just two minutes later, putting the score at 15-14. On the ensuing possessions, the Tigers received a layup from Darrice Whitley and a midrange jumper by Fontenot that fueled a 6-0 run to go on top by seven with 8:42 remaining in the first half.

The Gents refused to go away, as the home team sparked a 13-4 spurt to cut the lead to two, 27-25, over the next four minutes. With mere seconds to play in the first half and the game score sitting at 36-34, Brown dished the ball to the corner to an open Fontenot, who nailed the three pointer plus the foul to give ETBU the six point advantage, at 40-34. Another three pointer by Fontenot in the closing seconds gave the Tigers a 43-36 lead heading into the locker room.

ETBU connected on 17-of-39 shots, for a 43.6 percent clip in the opening half, including knocking down five three pointers. Fontenot led the Tigers with 16 first half points.

Riddick helped ETBU get underway for the second half, drilling a three pointer from the wing to give his team the 10 point advantage at 46-36. Dooley responded with a three pointer of his own to increase the lead to 13, 49-36 at the 19:03 mark of the contest. Centenary cut the lead to three, at 51-48 over the next three minutes of play. But Dooley and Riddick combined to score the team's next seven points to push the lead back to nine, 58-49 with 13:29 on the game clock.

In the final minute of play, the Gents refused to give in, as they cut the lead down to eight points, 87-79, until a steal and a layup by Dooley sealed the game for ETBU, putting them up 89-79. The Tigers then held on for the road victory 89-81, to start the season at 1-0.

ETBU will return home for a midday matchup with Sul Ross State on Friday, November 17. The game is set to tip-off at 2:00 p.m. from Ornelas Gym