BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Dominating from the beginning of the game, the East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team won their fifth straight game taking out Covenant College, 88-46, at Battle Coliseum in Alabama. ETBU is now 5-0 for the third time in years to start off the season.
 
Kenidi White and Bridget Upton led the team with 12 points while Kaia Williams added 11 points. Hanna Hudson, Kyla West, and Erin Berry all had nine points. Upton also dished out five assists and White led the team with five rebounds. Mollie Dittmar collected three blocked shots, too. Covenant had three players score nine points each in Destiny Mergilles, Megan Rouse, and Karis McIntosh.
 
ETBU won in all the categories shooting 51% from the floor, 38% from the arc, and 68% from the stripe. Covenant shot just 30% from the floor, 20% from the three-point line, and 57% from the foul line. ETBU out rebounded the Scots, 41-33, and forced 38 turnovers with five blocks.
 
Setting the tone early, ETBU held Covenant to just six points in the first quarter while score 28. The Scots made just three shots and took only eight overall. Covenant made their first basket just 28 seconds in for a quick 2-0 lead and then made it 4-2 on a jumper with 8:54 left. Over the next five and half minutes, ETBU put together a 19-0 run for the 21-4 advantage. Covenant went six minutes and 32 seconds without a made bucket. Williams scored seven of the 19 points in that run as ETBU had a 28-6 lead.
 
Covenant's second quarter came together better as they outscored ETBU, 19-11. Taylor Singleton gave ETBU their largest lead of the half (23 points) on a free throw at the 9:00 minute mark. The Scots went on a 9-3 run to cut the lead to 17, 32-15, with 3:31 remaining. That is as close as they would come as a Bridget Upton layup with 1:53 to go put ETBU back up by 22, 37-15. ETBU went into the half with a 19-point lead, 39-20.
 
Pushing the lead to 25 points, 49-24, just three minutes into the third quarter, Brooke Webster hit a free throw for the 49^th point. White put ETBU by 26 points at the six minute mark on a jumper, 51-25, but Covenant found a slight opening for a run. They had an 8-2 run to cut the lead to 20 points, 53-33, with 2:30 left. Emma Steltzer ended the third quarter on a free throw as ETBU finished with a 23-point lead, 58-35.
 
Finishing up the game with their best quarter, ETBU scored 30 points and shot 69% making five three-pointers (71%; 5-of-7) to run away with the game. They only allowed 11 points and held the Scots to 22% shooting in the fourth quarter. Covenant cut the lead down to 20, 64-44, with 6:04 left in the game but ETBU finished on a 24-2 run making it 88-46. Covenant went four minutes without making a shot as ETBU ran away with the score. West started the run with six straight points and then Berry nailed three straight three-pointers for a 33-point lead, 79-46, with 2:19 to go. White had the final five points of the game on two free throws and a three-pointer as ETBU came away with the 42-point win.
 
ETBU will face Piedmont College for a second time this season on Friday, December 11, at 1:00 p.m. in their final game in Alabama.