MARSHALL, Texas – Holding Belhaven University to just 21.7% percent shooting from the field in the first half and 29.2% for the game, the #15/16 East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team picked up a 79-54 victory over the Belhaven Blazers on Saturday afternoon. With the win, ETBU is now 15-2 overall and 8-2 in the American Southwest Conference East Division.
 
Kendrick Clark had a game high 18 points as she nailed four three-point shots in the contest. Kim Childress and Erin Meeks also reached double figures, as Childress finished with 14 and Meeks with 10 making 4-of-5 from the field. Amanda Wilson led the Tigers with six rebounds. Taylor Singleton picked up five steals in the contest, while Valerie Matlock led with four assists. BU was led by Lauren Brooks who finished with 10 points.
 
Kim Childress started the scoring with a layup (9:23) for ETBU. Two free-throws by Belhaven (9:02) would be their first points of the game. Belhaven would take their only lead of the game on a three-pointer by Peyton Papenburg (8:34), 5-2. Amanda Wilson helped the tigers tie the game at 5-5 when she drew a foul on a layup attempt, converting the shot and the free throw making it a three-point play (8:25). Both teams would trade scores tying the game at 10-10. An Erin Meeks jump shot (4:54) would give the Tigers a 12-10 lead. ETBU would not look back as April Matthews hit a three (3:51) to push the lead to 15-10. The Tigers would close the first quarter on a 9-2 run (3:30-00:27) giving them the 24-12 advantage after one period of play.
 
The Tigers started the second period of play on an 11-1 run as Clark hit a three-point shot (9:22) pushing the Tiger lead to 27-12. BU would get one free throw to fall (7:07) making it 27-13. The Tigers would go on to reel off seven straight points on two made free-throws by Tatyana Lacey (6:04), a three by Hanna Hudson (4:36), and two more made free throws from Bianca Bowring (3:56). BU would go on an 8-0 run to close the half trailing ETBU, 34-21.
 
The third quarter saw ETBU continue to hold the Blazers under 30% shooting from the field. The Tigers outscored BU 24-14 in the quarter. Childress started the scoring on a lay-up (9:39), followed by a made lay-up from BU (8:54) making the score 36-23. The Tigers would go on a 14-7 run midway through the third quarter (7:50-3:21) giving them the 50-30 advantage. The run was sparked by Clark who hit a jump shot (7:50), and a three-point shot (7:04). Erin Meeks provided a spark during the run as well as she made back-to-back lay-ups (5:42, 5:11) drawing a foul and converting on the three-point play on the last one. A Paige Royal three-pointer (3:21) would cap the run, giving ETBU a 20 point advantage. Sydney Saxton would tack on three points from the free-throw line pushing the score to 53-35. Clark hit a jumper (00:55), followed by a Wilson lay-up and free throw giving the Tigers the 58-35 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Despite shooting 50% from the field in the fourth quarter, the Blazers were not able to match ETBU's 21 points in the quarter. BU started the quarter on a 7-1 run (9:24-7:02) making the score 59-42. The Tigers went on a 16-5 run of their own (6:41-3:06) to extend the margin to 75-48. The Tiger run started as Childress made a lay-up (6:41), followed by a three-pointer from Clark (6:08). Childress would get a three of her own (5:33), followed by a lay-up from Childress (4:49). A Hudson jumper (3:50) would bring the Tiger lead to 71-47. The run was capped off by two Browning made free-throws and an Anna Moss lay-up (3:06) making the score 75-47. BU would go on a 6-4 run to close the game making the final score 79-54.
 
The Tigers will be back in action on Thursday at 5:30 P.M. as they travel to Tyler, Texas, to take on the University of Texas at Tyler.