MARSHALL, Texas – A battle down to the final seconds in an American Southwest Conference East Division rivalry, the East Texas Baptist University men's basketball team came up one-point short of defeating LeTourneau University, 85-84. ETBU is now 6-7 overall and 4-3 in the ASC East.
 
ETBU had six players reach double-figures, led by 16 points from Robby Dooley, who also had a team high eight rebounds. Jordan Gray and Westin Riddick scored 13 points each while Chris Haynes, Zach Elliott, and Jarrell Taylor had 12, 11, and 10 points respectively. As a team, ETBU recorded 10 blocks with Spencer Cochran leading with three while Dooley (two), Nathan Fontenot, Nolan Johnson, Haynes, Gray, and Taylor also contributed in that category. ETBU would outshoot LETU 52.2%-40.5% from the field while finishing with 90% made from the free throw line. In addition, they outscored LETU 58-44 in the paint.
 
LETU had a game-high performance from Caleb Loggins, who posted 26 points while Nate West had a double-double with 20 points, and 10 rebounds. LETU made 36.4% from three-point range. While both teams finished with 41 rebounds, LETU grabbed 18 offensive while ETBU had eight.
 
Early on, the Yellow Jackets started on a roll with a 13-2 run (20:00-15:50) but Johnson (15:42, 15:16) would ignite an 18-5 (15:42-9:39) rally that featured seven points from Gray (12:58-11:33) as the Tigers had their first lead at 20-18. This would increase to 29-20 as a pair of jumpers from Riddick (8:14, 7:33) and Taylor (9:04, 7:57) provided the largest lead of the game for ETBU. The Tigers maintained the lead for the remainder of the half although LETU would get it as close as 31-28 (4:31) before ETBU pushed it to 37-29 after a Taylor layup (2:40). Five straight points from LETU would bring the score to 37-34 in ETBU's favor by halftime.
 
Once LETU took the lead to start the second half (20:00-19:09), the two teams would exchange leads (18:22-12:34) for the first part of the second half. One Tiger player that had a big performance in the stretch was Elliott, who came up with seven points (16:28, 13:39, 12:56), including the go-ahead basket to make it 59-57. LETU responded with a 10-0 run (12:34-10:03) to grab a 67-59 lead. Layups by Taylor (9:21), Johnson (8:24), and Elliott (7:52) cut the score to 67-65. But again, LETU would push the margin up to 74-67 (4:20). Riddick's three (3:53) and Hayne's layup (3:22) were countered by five points from Loggins (3:40-2:55) as the score read 79-72. It would grow to nine on another Yellow Jacket layup (2:37) as the score read 81-72.
 
The Tigers would pour in eight unanswered points (2:24-0:28), which included six from Dooley to trail 81-80. A pair of LETU free throws (0:20) brought the lead to three at 83-80. Gray then knocked down a pair of free throws to trail 83-82 with twelve seconds left. After committing a foul, Dooley got an opportunity to put ETBU ahead with ten seconds to play as he was fouled following two miss free throws. Dooley sunk both free throws as ETBU led by one, 84-83. But in the final seconds, LETU's West drove by for the game-winning layup with two seconds left. ETBU's last shot was blocked as LETU secured the win.
 
ETBU will hit the road on Thursday for a 7:30 PM tipoff against the University of Texas Dallas in Richardson, Texas.