MARSHALL, Texas – Having to hold off a late #25 University of Texas Dallas rally, the East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team upset the Comets, 58-54, in Ornelas Gymnasium. ETBU is now 8-4 and 2-1 in the American Southwest Conference East Division. This is ETBU's first win over a ranked team since defeating #6 St. Thomas (MN), 61-58, in the 2018 NCAA Division III Sweet 16.
ETBU had three players in double-figures as
Taylor Singleton scored a team-high 16 points with four steals.
Kim Childress tallied 15 points and posted seven rebounds while
Kendrick Clark had 11 points. For the Comets, Raenett Hughes had a game-high 20 points while Kelley Skinner had 11 points.
The difference of the game turned out to be field goal percentage as the Tigers shot 45.1% while holding UTD to 32.7% from the field. Outrebounding UTD 33-30, ETBU finished with a 10-8 edge in steals, and 13-7 edge in assists. ETBU would finish with 26 points in the paint.
ETBU opened the game with momentum running out ta a 7-0 lead (10:00-7:55). UTD countered with 11 straight points (7:34-5:34) to lead 11-7. During the first quarter,
Amanda Wilson would hit her first two jumpers (9:40, 8:50) while Singleton connected with a three (7:55). The rest of the quarter would see ETBU score nine straight points with Clark (5:20, 0:35) and Childress (3:36, 0:03) giving ETBU a 16-11 lead.
With
Anna Moss (9:45) and Childress (9:17) scoring the second quarter's first five points, the Tigers finished a 14-0 run to lead 21-11. ETBU would continue to hold UTD to one free throw (8:12) and a three-pointer (5:37) in the first part of the quarter as they would extend their lead to 11, 26-15. The Comets would cut the score to 26-21 with five unanswered points (4:10-1:51) only for Singleton (0:55, 0:33) to put up five straight points for a double-digit lead, 31-21. UTD would bring the second quarter to a close with a layup to trail, 31-23.
The Tigers seemed to carry that momentum into the second half as they would go on a 7-3 run to lead 38-26 (8:24). A run of eight straight Comet points (7:56-4:55) would put them as close as 38-34. Clark's three at 3:00 was countered by a Comets' three as the lead was, 40-37. Despite UTD's rallies, ETBU still maintained the lead with baskets by Clark (2:08) and Singleton (1:29) while a pair of Childress free throws (0:19) brought the score to 46-42 after three quarters.
The fourth quarter would not see a basket until Singleton broke the drought at 7:04 to put the lead at six, 48-42. UTD would get five unanswered points to trail 48-47 with 5:11 to play. Wilson (4:51) and
Mallory Stephens (3:22) pushed the lead to 52-47 in the next minute and a half. With 1:45 to play, the Tigers led by one, 52-51, before Stephens would make a three-point play to lead 55-51. A three by UTD with 49 seconds left cut the lead to one, 55-54. ETBU would connect on a free throw to go up 56-54 with 13 seconds left. UTD would have a chance to win, but they committed a turnover and Singleton would ice the win with a pair of free throws.
ETBU continues their home stand with a 1:00 PM start against the University of Ozarks this Saturday at Ornelas.
