ALPINE, Texas - Despite a late comeback, the East Texas Baptist University men's basketball team came up short agains Sul Ross State University, 72-70. ETBU is now 8-5 overall and 2-2 in the American Southwest Conference East Divisoin.

Charlie Cochran led the team with 21 points while Landin Brown added 12 points. The Lobos were led by 29 points from Julian Paredes while Tristen Lincon scored 17 points. ETBU did outshoot the Lobos from the field (45.5%-42.9%), but were outperformed at both the three-point line (43.5%-38.9%) and the free throw line (70.6%-50.0%)

After an early 4-1 start for ETBU, the Lobos would go on an 8-3 run (16:52-11:33) grabbing their first lead, 9-7. Six straight points from ETBU (10:36), including layups from Jaden Conner and Kevin Charles plus free throws from Logan Blow, put ETBU up 13-9. Paredes would knock down five straight (8:40-7:11) to regain the lead only for the Tigers to go on a 10-2 run (7:37-5:50) with Blow (7:37) and Landin Brown (6:18) knocking down three's. ETBU led 23-16 but the Lobos answered with a 15-2 surge (5:50-2:08) to lead 31-25. Lincon went for seven points in the stretch as SRUS led 33-28 at halftime.

ETBU brought the game within two, 39-37, to begin the second half as the score remained tight the rest of the way. ETBU would retake the lead at 11:56 with an Aaron Gregg layup and then raced out to a four-point lead, 52-48. The Lobos would respond with an 11-2 surge (8:28-5:34) to lead 59-54.  The margin would be the same as it was 70-64 in SRSU's favor with 2:57 to go. A last-ditch effort to rally started with a pair of Cochran free throws (2:02) before Logan Blow converted a three (1:11) to come within one, 70-69. ETBU knotted the score with a Gregg free throw, but the Lobos had the final say hitting the game-winning shot with eight seconds left ending ETBU's comeback, 72-70.

ETBU will look to bounce back against Howard Payne University at 3:30 PM on Saturday in Brownwood.