RICHARDSON, Texas - Pulling away in the second half in the American Southwest Conference championship tournament, the East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team dominated Howard Payne University, 75-48. This marks ETBU's third straight 20-win season following the victory and the third year in a row they will compete in the ASC Tournament semi-finals.
 
Paige Royal led all scorers with 19 points off the bench while Amanda Wilson (17 points), Kim Childress (16points) and Kendrick Clark (11 points) all scored in double-figures. Hanna Hudson led ETBU with four assists while Clark and Taylor Singleton stole the ball three times. HPU was led by Lily Janek and Anastasia Willis, who tallied 12 and 11 points respectively.  
 
ETBU outshot HPU, 48.9%-23.6%, from the field. This would include hitting nine three-pointers to HPU's six. ETBU also outscored the Yellow Jackets in the paint (28-10), off turnovers (27-15), on fast breaks (7-5), and off the bench (30-9).  
 
ETBU would take control of the first quarter outscoring HPU, 20-9 (10:00-3:03). Starting with an 11-3 run, ETBU would get six points from Wilson (8:57, 7:41, 7:11). The Yellow Jackets would cut the lead to 14-9 (1:51), but ETBU would string together a run with six straight points on Mollie Daniel free throws (1:31) while Wilson (0:47) and Childress (0:30) each tallied points in the final minute.  
 
Four points from both teams to start the second quarter made it 24-13 in ETBU's favor (7:43). Not to be bothered, the Yellow Jackets would put together a 7-3 run (7:32-5:40) to cut the lead to seven, 27-20. Heading to the bench for support, ETBU called on Royal, who would then deliver 11 points including three three-pointers (4:14, 2:45, 1:39) as she would put ETBU back up by 12, 39-27. A layup for her to end the quarter gave ETBU a 41-27 lead at the break.  
 
Clark began the third quarter with five unanswered points (9:32-8:55) while Childress (8:16) converted a three to see ETBU up 49-27. ETBU would get their lead to as much as 52-33 on a Tatyana Lacey free throw. A HPU run of five straight points (2:19-0:46) cut the lead to 52-38. ETBU would get a Childress layup (0:17) to end the quarter leading 54-39.  
 
In the fourth quarter, the Tigers would reach a twenty-point lead at 59-39 following another three by Clark (8:33). Wilson would then complete her day with five straight points (8:00-7:19) while Royal converted six straight points (3:08-2:16) and Missie Kilo made a three (1:20) as ETBU led by as much as 74-45 before going on to win 75-48.  

ETBU will take on the winner of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Belhaven University tomorrow at 5:00 PM.