MARSHALL, Texas – In a game where both teams made more than half their shots, the East Texas Baptist University men's basketball team scored an 11-point win, 99-88, over the Belhaven University Blazers in Ornelas Gym. ETBU is now 19-5 overall and is 12-3 in the American Southwest Conference East Division.
 
ETBU had a pair of 20-point scorers with Christopher Haynes (four blocks) and Nathan Fontenot putting up 23 and 20 points respectively. Landin Brown was just short of a triple-double as he (eight rebounds) tied a career-high in points (19) while setting a new career-high in assists (13). Jordan Gray would contribute 12 points, too. For BU, Brosnan Cooks scored a game-high 40 points.
 
While both teams made 50% or higher from the field, ETBU had an 8.3 advantage (58.3%-50.0%), which included a 55.9%-50.0% win in the three-point shooting category. ETBU also outrebounded BU, 34-29, dished out 22 assists to the Blazers' 12 and saw their bench outscore BU, 28-17.
 
The first half saw both teams hit more than 50% from the field. Early on, BU's Cooks would guide the Blazers with their first 19 points to lead 19-10. Fontenot would respond with a pair of three-pointers (14:13, 13:02) to cut the lead to six, 22-16. Yet, BU would make a pair of three's which grew their lead to 10 points, 31-21 (11:24). Still behind by 10, 36-26 at the 7:10 mark, ETBU would finish the half on a 19-8 run. Haynes would score six of ETBU's next eight points (6:55-4:50) while Gray converted a three-pointer to tie the game at 38 (4:23). ETBU would go into the locker room up 45-44 as Haynes (3:36-2:32) tallied five straight points while Fontenot converted a pair of free throws (0:08) for the lead.
 
ETBU started the second half with a 14-8 run (20:00-17:03) that featured nine points from Westin Riddick moving the lead to seven, 59-52. The Blazers would then seize their first lead of the half, 63-61, thanks to an 11-2 run (16:48-14:59) only for Brown (14:40) and Haynes (14:01) to grab the lead back, 66-63. BU would take the final lead at 68-66 (13:18). Both teams would keep pace with each other until Brown (8:17) put ETBU back in front 78-76. Then, a series of three's from Fontenot (6:30), Haynes (5:02), and Gray (4:20) pushed the Tiger lead to eight, 88-80. BU would come within four, 90-86, but once again, ETBU put together big shots with three-point plays from Brown (2:22) and Gray (0:59). In the end, a Robby Dooley layup brought ETBU's lead to 99-88 for the final score.

ETBU will honor eight seniors on Saturday as they host Louisiana College at 3:00 PM in Ornelas Gym.