MARSHALL, Texas – Defense was the key for the #15/16 East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team as they picked up a 68-44 victory over the Louisiana College Wildcats on Thursday night. With the win, ETBU is now 14-2 overall and 7-2 in the American Southwest Conference East Division.

Kendrick Clark was the game's high scorer with 20 points. Kim Childress would also reach double digits as she notched 10 points. Amanda Wilson and Erin Meeks would post 11 and 10 rebounds respectively on the boards. Taylor Single added seven steals, six assists, four rebounds, and four points, too. For LC, Rydeja McQuarn scored 11 points while Kourtney McGhee tallied seven rebounds.

Although ETBU outshot the Wildcats with 37.8% from the field, it was their defense that held LC in check with 26.1% from the field and forced 24 turnovers with 18 steals. The Tigers would see 36 points in the paint, 25 points off the bench, 16 fast break points, and 14 second chance points. Aside from scoring, ETBU out rebounded LC 57-33.

TSingleton started the scoring with a layup (9:07) for ETBU. A three-pointer by LC (8:44) gave them their first and only lead of the game at 3-2. The Tigers would run off 13 straight points (8:32-6:38) with Clark (8:09, 7:36, 7:19) contributing seven points in the run as the lead was 15-3. Hanna Hudson (5:02, 4:02) would knock down a pair of three's before an April Matthews' layup put ETBU up 23-7 (3:33). After LC brought the lead down to eight at 23-15, the Tigers would get the final points of the quarter on a Wilson layup as they pushed the lead to ten at 25-15 through one quarter.

Clark found a rhythm at the start of the second quarter with seven straight points (9:34-8:17) to extend the lead to 32-15. Following free throws by LC (8:14) Valerie Matlock doubled ETBU's lead to 34-17. Following two scoreless minutes, the teams would trade points (5:35-4:35) with ETBU up 39-22. Clark would fire another pair of three's (5:27-3:45) while Erin Meeks (1:33) and Hanna Hudson (1:03) would finish ETBU's 8-2 run with a 47-26 lead.

The third quarter would see ETBU's defense go into effect as the Tigers would hold the Wildcats scoreless until there was thirty-four seconds to go in the quarter as LC netted one point. ETBU would manage to score twelve points in the quarter. Childress would step up for the Tigers scoring six points (8:26, 6:32, 0:49) while Wilson (8:56), Meeks (4:53), and Matthews (4:20) picked up the other half. The Wildcats would manage just a free throw as ETBU led 59-27 after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, ETBU posted just nine total points while LC managed to score 17 points. LC started with six straight points (10:00-7:02) to cut the deficit to twenty-six at 59-33. Matthews responded for the Tigers with five of ETBU's seven points in a 7-2 run (6:28-4:08) to extend the margin to 66-35. The Wildcats would end the quarter with a 7-2 run of their own making the final score 68-44 in ETBU's favor.

The Tigers are back in action on Saturday when they host Belhaven University at 1:00 PM.