MARSHALL, Texas – Trailing by eight points in the third quarter, the East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team rallied with a strong fourth quarter for a three-point victory over LeTourneau University, 50-47. The Tigers have won nine straight games and are 15-4 overall and 9-1 in the American Southwest Conference East Division.
Scoring 13 points in the second half,
Kendrick Clark (four steals) was ETBU's top scorer with 19 points overall while
Amanda Wilson (three blocks) finished with a double-double adding 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Mallory Stephens would also pitch in eight points while
Kim Childress shared team highs with Wilson with three blocks and 10 rebounds. Micayla Mikulski was the top scorer for LETU with 20 points while Keauna Whitfield finished with 15 points.
While both teams shot under 30% from the field, ETBU had the edge over LETU, 28.8%-26.9%. LETU did outshoot ETBU from three-point range (23.5%-11.1%). ETBU would finish with more bench points (14-2), points in the paint (26-18), and second chance points (16-12).
ETBU would began the first half with a 7-2 run as (10:00-5:20) with Wilson connecting on five of the points (9:10, 5:20). Another basket by Wilson (4:51) and a free throw by
Anna Moss (3:39) extended their lead to six, 10-4. However, LETU would respond with six unanswered points (3:21-2:06), which would lead to a 10-10 tie after the first quarter.
Clark would put ETBU up, 12-10 (8:55), early in the second quarter only for LETU to grab their first lead of the game, 13-12 (8:27). ETBU then turned the tide in their favor with a 7-1 run (7:54-4:03), led by five points from
Mallory Stephens for a five-point lead, 19-14. Mallory (0:37) and her sister
Grace Stephens (1:30) would push ETBU's lead to 25-18 before a LETU three-pointer at the buzzer cut the score to 25-21 at the half.
As the third quarter started, the Yellow Jackets (9:15-7:15) found some rhythm with a 13-1 run for an eight-point lead, 34-26. ETBU's lone point came from a
Mollie Daniel free throw (8:18). But Childress (6:34, 5:29),
Grace Stephens (4:56), and Clark (2:38) brought ETBU to within 34-31 before the Yellow Jackets extended the margin to 36-31 (2:15). Clark then scored a layup with 21 seconds left to place ETBU only three points behind at 36-33 through three quarters.
LETU went up five points (7:59), 38-33, in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter before Wilson cut it to 38-35. Then, with time ticking on the shot clock, Clark would hit the first and only three for ETBU all game long to beat the buzzer and tie the score (6:32) at 38. This would ignite ETBU, who would score eight straight points (4:31-1:48), to lead, 46-38. This proved to be too much for LETU to overcome although they would hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to trim the final score to, 50-47.
ETBU travels to Clarksville, Ark., next Thursday for a 5:30 PM start with the University of Ozarks.
