MARSHALL, Texas - Returning back East Texas after a long trip to West Texas last weekend, the East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team will face Concordia University Texas and #10 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor In Ornelas Gym. It will be their first home game since they opened the season on Nov. 11-12 against Christopher Newport and Centenary College.
 
"This is the ASC. It doesn't get any easier no matter who you are playing or where you are playing," says head coach Blake Arbogast. "We are going to bounce back (after the loss to HSU) and get to work for Concordia which is a very scrappy team and do a good job there and shooting the three-ball and running their system well." 
 
ETBU began American Southwest Conference play with a win on Thursday, December 1, against McMurry University, 76-51, in Abilene. Following that, they put up a tough fight on Saturday, December 3, against #24 Hardin-Simmons University, but fell behind early on fall,81-65. 
 
Jade Goynes, Kaia Williams, and Mollie Dittmar all have stepped up their play lately in categories to lead the team. Goynes has recorded 70 points, averaging 17.5 points per game and led the team in points against both McMurry (16 points) and Hardin-Simmons (20 points). Her 20 points vs. HSU on 6-for-7 shooting was a career-high.
 
Williams leads the team in assists with 17 and 10 steals averaging 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. In the McMurry game, she led with six assists and then had 10 points against HSU.
 
Dittmar leads the team in rebounds with 42 this season averaging 6.0 per game. She led the team with six rebounds vs. HSU and recorded her first double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds vs. Fontbonne.
 
Concordia Texas comes to Marshall with a 2-4 overall record and a 0-1 ASC record. The Tornados have shot 31% overall, 27% behind the arc, and averages 52 points per game.  ETBU defeated Concordia Texas last season on February 24^th ,57-47. The last time the Tornados defeated ETBU came on December 17th, 2016, 60-81. Havyn Perez leads the team with 9.1 points per game while Natalie Velardez averages 8.1 rebounds per game. 
 
#10 UMHB will be in Ornelas Gym on Saturday, December 10, at 1:00 pm. UMHB holds a 4-0 overall record, and is 1-0 in the ASC, previously beating Concordia 78-57. The Cru is led by Arieona Rosborough, who has totaled 22 rebounds, nine blocks, and averaged 15 points per game. These two teams played three times last year as ETBU won on February 19, 71-57, in Belton but lost the first meeting, 72-70, in overtime and then in the NCAA Tournament in Tennessee, 75-57. UMHB is averaging 70 points per game and holding teams to just 57.5 points per game.
 
ETBU is 1-1 at home this season and UMHB will be their third nationally ranked team they will face this year. They will face Concordia Texas at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday night in Ornelas Gym.