MARSHALL, Texas – Notching 100 points for just the second time this season, the East Texas Baptist University Tigers cruised past the Howard Payne YellowJackets, 104-79, on Thursday night in American Southwest Conference men's basketball paly. With the victory, ETBU improves to 12-2 overall and 5-0 in East Division.

ETBU shot 50.6% from the field (39-of-77) and connected on 10-of-35 (28.6%) from the three point line. Defensively, the Tigers forced 23 turnovers and owned the advantage on the glass 40-35 in the matchup. Ahmad Caldwell led the way with 17 points and eight rebounds and Chris Haynes chipped in 12 points and three steals of his own. Dooley led the assist effort on the night, dishing out four in the win. Jase Miguez led all scorers with 22 points for HPU.

Talen Davis scored the opening basket of the game, sinking a turnaround jumper from the elbow for the 2-0 score in the first minute of the contest. The Tigers would then take the lead on a layup by Robby Dooley on the breakaway, bringing the score to 4-2 just 30 seconds later. Another jumper by Davis squared the game at 6-6, until a three pointer by Jordan Gray put ETBU back on top 9-6 with just under 16 minutes to play in the half. HPU managed to square the game up again (11-11) after a layup by Miguez until another basket by Dooley, plus the foul, would give ETBU the 14-11 advantage at the 14:04 mark of the contest. The Tigers would hold its first double digit lead of the contest at the midway point of the half after a short jumper by Jayden Williams pushed the game to 27-16. Williams would close out the half with yet another long jumper, giving ETBU its largest lead of the opening frame, at 50-26.

Miguez tried to trim the deficit by opening the second half with a shot from distance on the first possession, making it a 50-28 contest. Westin Riddick responded with back-to-back three pointers to increase the lead to 28 (58-31) over the next two minutes.  A layup by Caldwell would put the finishing touches on a dominant performance by the Tigers (83-49) at the 10:37 mark of the quarter. ETBU would lead by as many as 35 before closing out the ASC contest 104-79 on Thursday night.

The Tigers will battle Sul Ross State University on Saturday, Jan. 18, in Ornelas Gymnasium. The tip-off for is set for 3:00 p.m.