MARSHALL, Texas – Putting their six-game win streak on the line in the next five days, the East Texas Baptist University men's basketball team will be taking on the University of Redlands, LeTourneau University, and Hendrix College this week. ETBU is coming off a 2-0 weekend at home taking down Concordia Texas and #24 the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
 
"We are coming off a really strong week and I felt like Concordia Texas was a really tough game here at home and we weathered that storm and they are a really good team that beat Mary Hardin-Baylor. We then moved onto nationally ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor and we really came out and executed our game plan from the beginning and get a big win. The momentum from that is carrying us into this big week for us and those wins put us on the national radar as well. We are just trying to get better every day," says head coach Chris Lovell.
 
The Tigers are 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the American Southwest Conference. They began ASC play the first weekend of December in Abilene defeating McMurry, 79-68, and Hardin-Simmons, 80-77. ETBU then came home and played Concordia Texas winning 75-70 and shooting 46% overall and 41% behind the arc on December 8. This past Saturday, December 10, ETBU upset #24 UMHB, 72-64, shooting 45% overall, 35% for 3-pointers, and 80% on the line. 
 
Leading the team are Aaron Gregg, Darry Moore, and Kevin Charles, as Gregg was named this week's ASC Player of the Week. He is averaging 18.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.25 steals per game shooting 50% from the floor and 40% from the three-point line. He made a season high four three-pointers in the game against UMHB, as well as grabbing a season high of eight rebounds. He posted 23 points versus Concordia Texas and 29 against UMHB averaging 26 points per game.  
 
Moore has been a leader in multiple categories this season with 162 points, 52 rebounds, averaging 20.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, and shooting 62% from the floor. Earlier this season, Moore reached a career-high of 30 points the game against Hardin-Simmons. He has also been the ASC Player of the Week twice.
 
Charles has recorded 81 points this season averaging 13.5 per game with 39 rebounds for a 6.5 average. Over the weekend, he totaled 23 points with 14 against Concordia Texas and nine against UMHB. Charles had a season high of nine rebounds against Concordia Texas along with shooting 55% going 6-for-11 in the game. 
 
"I don't know what I was thinking when I scheduled this playing three games in five days. We are playing three very tough opponents. All are regional opponents and if we can win these games it will help us both nationally and regionally when it comes down to the end of the year when trying to make the NCAA Tournament," says Lovell.
 
Beginning on Thursday, December 15, ETBU will have their first of three games in five days at 7:00 p.m. hosting the Redland for the first time in program history. Redlands holds a 5-1 overall record and is 1-0 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. They just defeated LeTourneau University on Tuesday night, 79-68. The Bulldogs are averaging 89.5 points and 41.3 rebounds per game. Leading the team is Chosen Amidi at 14.6 points per game and Neil Owens at 15.0 points per game.
 
ETBU will play their second game of the week on Saturday in ASC play at LeTourneau at 3:00 pm in Longview, Texas. LETU holds a 3-6 overall record and is 0-4 in the ASC. The two teams last faced off in January 2022 as the Yellowjackets won, 75-81. LETU is led by Deonte Jackson with 210 points averaging 23.3 per game shooting 47% going 73-for-157. Alongside him is Warren Richardson with 125 points averaging 13.9 per game and leading the team with 87 rebounds at 9.7 per game. 
 
Monday, December 19, ends the three-game stretch in five days facing Hendrix College in Ornelas Gym at 5:00 p.m. Hendrix is 0-7 and led by Colten Berry and Craig Collier. Berry leads the team with 50 points averaging 7.1 per game and shoots 64% overall. Collier has recorded 46 points averaging 9.2 points per game. 

ETBU will finish off Christmas break on December 31 in Jackson, Miss., against Belhaven University.