LONGVIEW, Texas - Piling up a season-high 90 points in a game they never surrendered the lead, the East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team came away with a win over Blackburn College, 90-63, on the first day of the LeTourneau University Classic. ETBU is now 5-3 overall.  

Every ETBU players would score as no one reached double-digits. Hanna Hudson and Haley Fiesler (four-of-four from the field) would both collect nine points. Kendrick Clark (four assists) and Tatyana Lacey both finished with eight points while Amanda Wilson added seven points. Mallory Stephens was the team leader in rebounds with six.   

ETBU finished shooting 46.1% from the field, 32% from the three-point stripe, and 48% from the free throw line. They wound up dominating the paint with 54 points, scored 36 off of turnovers and their bench would put up 55 points in the process. They out-rebounded the Beavers 45-38 and finished with 27 assists to BC's 20.  

The Tigers started with five straight points only to see BC answer back with five straight points of their own. Wilson followed by making a pair of free throws (6:08) which led to eight unanswered points (6:08-5:07) as Hudson scoring half of them (5:54, 5:07). Cutting the gap to 13-7 (4:22), BC could only manage three points in the final three minutes while ETBU saw Fiesler (3:21), Stephens (1:34), and Anna Moss (00:07) put ETBU up 19-10 at the end of the first period.

The second quarter saw ETBU put up 33 points starting with three free throws from Kaia Williams (9:37). Following three Beaver points, ETBU extended their lead with a 14-5 run (7:58-5:13) to go up 38-18. BC responded with 11 of the next 17 points to cut the deficit to 44-29. Yet, Sydni Johnson made a three-pointer (2:33) while Mollie Daniel (2:08) and Missie Kilo (0:14) each scored to end the first half leading, 52-29. 

ETBU's momentum would carry into the third quarter pushing their lead to 32 points (65-33) with 3:59 left. Fiesler would have four of those points during that time (7:21-7:07). Nine straight points by BC (3:35-2:29) were all the Beavers recorded to cut into ETBU's lead to 23-points, 65-42. A Kilo three-pointer (1:52) and four points from Cynthia Leib (1:29, 0:12) saw the Tigers go up 72-47 entering the final quarter.  

Leib would score the first basket of the fourth quarter, giving her six straight points for the Tigers. On three occasions, BC would come as close as 22 points (74-52, 76-54, 84-62). ETBu would manage 18 points in the fourth quarter with Fiesler (6:34) and Hudson (5:36) coming up with three-point plays to finish with nine apiece. Bianca Bowring would get her first points with free throws with 2:32 left to go as ETBU completed the victory.   


ETBU will have a 1:00 PM game with Benedictine College (Ill.) tomorrow at LeTourneau.