CLARKSVILLE, Ark. – Winning four out of their last five games, the East Texas Baptist University men's basketball team even their record in the American Southwest Conference at 4-4 with an 85-67 win over the University of the Ozarks. ETBU is now 6-7 overall and won two straight games after the Christmas break.
 
Four players scored in double figures as Aaron Gregg had 24 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Chris Haynes added 16 points while Jayden Williams had 11 points and Jaden Conner 10 points. Kamren Roelke had 20 points for Ozarks. ETBU shot 51% from the floor, 42% from the three-point line, and 60% from the stripe. Ozarks finished at 43% from the floor, 33% from three-point range, and 86% from the foul line. ETBU out rebounded Ozarks, 36-29, and forced 13 turnovers with 10 steals.
 
Evenly matched in the first half, ETBU led by just six at the half, 32-26. In the first 10 minutes, Ozarks had three two-point leads. They started off with two leads in the first two minutes, 2-0, and 5-3, and then 8-6 with 15:24 to go. Conner put ETBU up, 9-8, on a three-pointer and then Haynes converted a three-point play for the lead, 11-8. Ozarks tied the game at 11 (13:12) and took a two-point lead, 13-11, with 10:55 remaining. Gregg nailed a three-pointer that started a 7-2 run and a five-point lead, 18-13, at the 9:56 mark. ETBU kept the lead the rest of the half pushing it to six points, 24-18, on a Kevin Charles lay-up. Ozarks brought it down to two points, twice, but ETBU scored the final four points of the half for the six-point lead.
 
Opening the second half on a 7-0 run, ETBU took a 13-point lead, 39-26. Haynes hit a three-pointer to put ETBU by 13 as Darry Moore started the run with a dunk. Ozarks brought it down to 11 points, 43-32, at the 15:44 mark but in the next minute ETBU had a 7-0 run extending the lead to 18 points, 50-32. Williams converted a fast break for the 18-point lead on a steal by Gregg. By the 12:49 mark, ETBU made it a 20-point lead on a Charlie Cochran three-pointer. Conner made one-of-two free throws for a 23-point lead, 67-44, with just over eight minutes left in the game. With 6:43 to go, Haynes stole the ball and made a lay-up for a 25-point lead, 71-46, which was the largest lead of the game. ETBU kept their distance the rest of the game for an 18-point win, 85-67.
 
ETBU will host Mary Hardin-Baylor on Thursday, January 13, at 7:30 pm.