ABILENE, Texas – Fighting for rankings in the top tier of the American Southwest Conference, East Texas Baptist University fought to the end but fell short of an upset over Hardin-Simmons University, 84-75. ETBU's four-game win streak comes to an end as they are now 8-8 overall and 6-5 in the ASC.
Charlie Cochran led ETBU with 21 points and seven rebounds shooting 50% from the floor.
Darry Moore collected 14 points while both
Aaron Gregg and
Kevin Charles had 13 points. HSU's Steven Quinn led all scorers with 31 points. ETBU shot 42% from the floor, 16% from the arc, and 74% from the line while HSU made 56% of their shots, 61% from three-point land, and 82% from the free throw line. HSU also out rebounded ETBU, 33-29.
FIRST HALF
After ETBU took a 2-0 lead to start the game on a
Jayden Williams layup, HSU came racing back to take the lead and didn't lose it the entire half. Just five minutes in, HSU had an eight point lead, 13-5, and by the 11:34 mark it was 10 points, 22-12. With 9:17 to go, HSU pushed the lead to 13 points, 28-15. They continued their 13-point lead, 33-20, with 7:12 to play when ETBU's offense made a run. In the final seven minutes, ETBU went on a 12-4 run to cut the lead to five, 37-32, at the half.
AARON GREGG LAYUP
SECOND HALF
ETBU made a run for the lead in the second half as it took almost eight minutes to get there. With 12:18 left in the game,
Chris Haynes made two free throws for a two-point lead, 49-47. That was 17-10 run in that time to retake the lead for the first time since the opening bucket. HSU built their lead back up to six points, 55-49, by the 9:41 mark only to see
Kevin Charles tie the game at 57 on an 8-0 run over two minutes. Once again, HSU answered with a 10-3 run for a seven-point lead, 67-60, with 5:04 left. Three straight free throws by Cochran pulled ETBU within four points, 69-65, with 4:07 remaining but not even a minute later the lead was back to eight, 73-65 (3:34). ETBU would get no closer than seven points in the final three minutes as HSU won at home, 84-75.
RYAN ELZY LAYUP
STAT OF THE GAME
HSU shot 61% from the three-point line going 8-of-13 for 24 points and made 56% of their overall shots while ETBU made just two three-pointers (16%)
NOTES
- This is Charlie Cochrans's second 20+ point game in the last three games and has scored 10+ points in three straight games. He now has scored 20+ points in eight career games at ETBU.
- ETBU made just two three-pointers on the night shooting 16%
- Kevin Charles has scored 10+ points in four games this year and now in two straight games. It is the first time he has scored double digits in back-to-back games.
- It is the fifth time this season that ETBU has been out rebounded.
- ETBU is now 3-of-28 in three-point shooting vs. HSU this year going 1-of-16 vs. the Cowboys at home on Dec. 4
UP NEXT
ETBU will go across town in Abilene to face McMurry University at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. McM is 6-8 and 4-5 and just behind ETBU in the ASC standings. McM took the last meeting, 82-74, in Marshall on Dec. 2, 2021. ETBU had won five straight vs. McM before the loss in December.
