WAVERLY, Iowa – A gallant fourth quarter effort to overcome a 18-point deficit fell short of another upset in the NCAA Division III Tournament as East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team came up short against #2 Wartburg College, 65-61. ETBU was within two points with two minutes to go but didn't get the break they needed to tie the game or take the lead. ETBU's magical season ends in the Elite 8 with an overall record of 25-7.
ETBU's run through the post season is over but stepping back to look at it the Tigers have put themselves on the NCAA Division III map. By defeating two marque programs in the post season in #19 Whitman College and #6 St. Thomas and pushing #2 Wartburg to their limits, ETBU's name is now out about their program.
"It's hard to find words to say how much I love these girls and how proud of them I am. These girls, this team, this university are doing what we are doing for a bigger purpose and I hope people can look out there tonight and watch a group of girls play the game of basketball and see the amazing love, grace, and mercy that Jesus gives to us," says head coach
Rusty Rainbolt. "If you don't watch that game tonight and say that there is something special about both of those teams, that atmosphere, and everything, then you are blind and your heart is hard. I am going to say this again and have said it a hundred times, we didn't want it to end but when it did ended we are perfectly okay because we are not doing this for ourselves. We just want as a team to promote the Lord and I think that was done tonight by these girls."
Katy Boren and
Kim Childress finished with 18 and 16 points respectively to lead ETBU.
Madison McCoy finished with 11 assists and six rebounds. ETBU outshot WU 43.1%-36.0% while they made 90% of their free throws.
Baylie Lindsey (9:31) started the game with a layup for an early 2-0 lead. But after five straight points from the Knights to lead 5-2 (8:29), ETBU suddenly caught fire as they would finish the quarter with a 13-2 run.
Amanda Wilson (7:52, 6:13), Childress (7:29), McCoy (6:45),
Erin Meeks (2:08), and
Sydney Saxton (0:08) would help score the thirteen points to give ETBU a 15-7 edge after the first quarter.
WC would show their experience as they started the second quarter scoring 13 straight points (10:00-4:14). ETBU would finally break the scoreless drought with a three-pointer by Childress (3:54) to trail 20-13. ETBU would get as close as 24-23 (1:44) before Childress would retake the lead for ETBU (1:15) 25-24. A three-pointer by WC would give the Knights a 27-25 lead at halftime.
The third quarter would prove to be a difficult one for ETBU as WC would race out with seventeen straight points (10:00-4:52) to grab a 44-27 lead. While Childress would score six of the next eight points (4:33, 3:55, 2:08) to trail 46-31, Boren would hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to fourteen points at 48-34 (0:53). Ultimately, WC would grab a 52-36 lead after three quarters.
WC scored the first points of the fourth quarter to grab an 54-36 lead at 9:38. The Tigers though would answer with seven straight points from Wilson (8:42), Boren (7:58), and
Karley McHenry (7:20) to trail 54-43. The Knights however would get the lead back to sixteen at 60-44 with 5:58 to go. Just when it appeared the story was over, ETBU had one magical run left. It was a 12-0 run (5:30-2:45) that propelled the Tigers to trail 60-56. Keying the run was ten straight points by Boren while McCoy added a layup in the stretch. Following a made free throw by WC (2:13), Boren once again sank a three-pointer (2:00) to trail 61-59. ETBU then had a chance to tie the game, but missed a layup and WC would sink free throws (1:10, 0:25) to make it 64-59. McCoy would hit a jumper with 0:10 seconds left to trail by three. But victory was assured by WC with a free throw.
ETBU ends their magical season with 25 wins which is the most in the NCAA Division III era and the best since 28 wins in 1998-99. This season will go down as the best season, ever, in the history of the program.
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