JACKSON, Miss. - Facing off against the highest scoring offense in the American Southwest Conference, the East Texas Baptist University women's basketball showed why they have the top defense by holding the Belhaven University Blazers to 27.2% shooting in the second half on their way to a 79-61 win. ETBU is 13-4 overall and 7-1 in the ASC and has won their last seven games.
 
Kim Childress recorded her seventh career double-double recording 29 points and 13 rebounds. Both Amanda Wilson and Mollie Daniel (four assists) would record 13 points. Mariah Collins led BU 20 points while Keke Lyles finished with 15 points. In total, ETBU outshot BU 42.2%-32.8% from the field and outbound them 43-28. ETBU also nabbed 15 steals, 17 assists, and saw their bench outscore the Blazers' 24-10.  
 
Each team traded baskets early in the first quarter before BU went on an 11-3 run (7:14-4:27) to lead 16-8. ETBU clawed their way back scoring nine of the final 13 points in the quarter. Wilson would start with four straight points while Clark (1:25) and Daniel (0:38) would bring BU's lead down to three, 20-17, after one quarter.
 
ETBU would retake the lead in the second quarter at 21-20 before a 9-2 Blazers' run (7:31-4:27) would up the score to 29-23. Once again, it was Wilson who ignited ETBU's rally with four straight points (4:24-4:22) while Childress knotted the game at 29 (3:53). After ETBU took the lead on free throws from Daniel (1:39), BU would seize their final lead of the first half with a three-pointer, 35-34, with just under a minute to play. Daniel (0:44) and April Matthews (0:18) would put the Tigers back up 38-35 at the break on free throws and a three-pointer. .  
 
By the start of the third quarter, ETBU still maintained the lead with BU getting as close as 43-39. ETBU then opened up their first double-digit lead score, 53-42. Childress would be the dominant factor for ETBU with 13 points in the quarter including six straight (4:55-3:07). BU would managed to bring the lead down to single digits, 58-50, but Childress would tally the final basket of the quarter as ETBU led 60-50 after three quarters.  
 
The fourth quarter would see Childress tally seven more points while the Tigers would open with a 12-4 run (10:00-5:02) to lead 72-54. ETBU then brought the contest to their first 20-point lead, 76-56, before the Blazers cut the deficit to as close as 18 points on two different occasions. In the end, the Tigers finished with a 79-61 victory to keep in in the hunt for first place in the ASC East Division.  
 
ETBU will take on LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, on Thursday, at 5:30 p.m.