MARSHALL, Texas – Held to their lowest shooting percentage of the season from the field and beyond the arc, the East Texas Baptist University men's basketball team fell to the LeTourneau University, 81-71, in American Southwest Conference East Division play. ETBU is now 15-4 overall and 8-2 in the ASC East. ETBU shot just 33% from the floor and 23% from three-point range.
 
Four Tigers were in double-figures as Robby Dooley led with 18 points and 10 rebounds while Chris Haynes, Landin Brown, and Jordan Gray scored 16, 15, and 11 points. LETU was led by two double-doubles from Nate West (31 points, 10 rebounds) and John Argue (15 points, 10 rebounds) while Justin Moore contributed 12 points. LETU outshot ETBU 41.4%-33.3%, which included a 37.9%-23.5% edge from the three-point area. ETBU did outrebound the Yellow Jackets 46-42 and would win the points off turnovers (20-9) and points in the paint (32-22).  
 
Each team would exchange early leads to where LETU led 7-6. LETU would seize control with (16:01-11:14) of the first half with a 12-4 run over five minutes putting them up, 19-10. Ignited by Brown's four straight points (10:15-8:42), a three by Fontenot (8:31) brought ETBU to within two at 19-17 (8:31). Undeterred, LETU sparked another rally to lead 26-20 (5:24). Gray would tie up the game with a pair of three's (4:53-4:14) at 26 and Haynes gave ETBU their first lead of the half, 28-26, with 3:32 left. LETU would score the final four points to grab a 30-28 lead at the half.

A 10-1 run (20:00-17:45) by LETU to begin the second half gave the YellowJackets an 11-point lead, 40-29. The Tigers answered with a 14-1 run of their own (17:28-14:11) as Haynes and Dooley would contribute with five points each in the stretch to give ETBU a 43-41 edge. After an exchange of points, Ahmad Caldwell would make a pair of field goals to tie the game at 49 (11:50). But from the point on, LETU would take command and never give the lead up again. Starting with an 11-2 run (11:22-8:05) to lead 60-51, they would regain the double-digit lead at 64-53 with 6:38. ETBU would not be able to get closer than eight points as the Yellow Jackets finished the game on free throws for the win, 81-71.

On the road for the final time in the regular season next week, ETBU travels to the University of Ozarks at 7:30 PM on Thursday.