ATLANTA, Ga. - The hot shooting of Emory University became the difference in the game as the East Texas Baptist University men's basketball team went down 95-66 on the second day of the Emory Holiday Classic. ETBU is now 5-5 overall and will pick up play again on January 3 in Ornelas Gym.
 
The Tigers were led by Nathan Fontenot, who posted 18 points, including all five three-pointers. Robby Dooley tallied 14 points while Christopher Haynes finished with 11 points on the night. ETBU shot 35.6% from the field while making 25% from downtown.
 
ETBU would get their first and only lead of the game when Haynes scored twenty-two seconds in but EU responded with eleven straight points (18:57-17:11) to trail 11-2. At 16:07, the Eagles led 14-4 before ETBU would put together a 7-2 rally (15:37-14:59) to trail 16-11. Fontenot would answer EU's five straight points by knocking down back-to-back three's making it 21-17. He then followed with three-straight free throws as the lead was shrunk to 24-20 (10:12). This pattern of EU extending the lead only to have ETBU respond by cutting it to one score kept up as ETBU came within 36-33 (4:23) just before the end of the half. The Eagles would end the first half with a 8-1 run to go up by 10 points, 44-34.
 
EU's momentum carried into the second half as they took a 9-2 surge (20:00-18:37) for a 53-36 lead. ETBU would manage to get within single digits by posting nine unanswered points (17:45-16:33) to trail 53-45 with Nolan Johnson converting four points (17:24, 16:33). This would be the closest ETBU would come as a 15-4 run (16:08-13:32) swung the momentum back to EU. Even though the Tigers trailed, they received contributions from Spencer Cochran, who posted five (9:50, 6:13) of his seven points in the second half. Brady Moore would also get his first points of the season with a three at the 2:17 mark in the second half.

ETBU will resume their season with American Southwest Conference play against McMurry University this Thursday, Jan. 3, at Ornelas Gym. Tipoff is at 7:30 PM.