BELTON, Texas – Facing the top team in the American Southwest Conference, the East Texas Baptist University men's basketball team came up shy of an upset over #9 Mary Hardin-Baylor, 94-90. ETBU is now 14-11 overall and 12-8 in the ASC. They will be the #5 seed in the ASC Tournament next week.
Aaron Gregg finished with 22 points, five assists, and five rebounds to lead the team.
Darry Moore added 20 points with three assists.
Chris Haynes collected 18 points and seven rebounds while
Jayden Williams had 13 points and eight assists. Josiah Johnson had 34 points for UMHB.
ETBU shot 60% from the floor making 46% of their shots from the three-point line and 93% from the line. UMHB finished shooting 56%, was 47% from the arc, and 76% in free throws. ETBU won the rebounding battle, 26-23, and forced 10 turnovers.
Williams started the game with a three-pointer for the early lead. Both teams traded leads in the first six minutes as Gregg put ETBU back up by three, 15-12, with 14:04 left. UMHB went on an 11-0 run for an eight-point lead, 23-15, two and half minutes. ETBU tied the game at 26 on a Williams three-pointer with 7:53 left. By the six minute mark, UMHB went back up by four, 34-30, and had a five-point lead, 41-36, with 2:24 left. ETBU answered with a 6-0 run to take the lead, 42-41, on a Gregg fast break layup with 1:17 to go. Two free throws by UMHB ended the half with 1:05 to go as they had a one-point lead, 43-42.
UMHB pushed their lead to six points, 52-46, with 17:16 to go. ETBU had the lead down to two points four times as a Moore dunk made it 56-54 with 15:22 to go. Over the next five minutes, UMHB kept their lead at six points. With 7:12 left, UMHB made it a seven-point lead, 75-68. Gregg cut the lead to four, 84-80, with 3:54 left but UMHB didn't let ETBU get much closer. ETBU was within three points in the final 15 seconds but couldn't find a way to tie the game as UMHB won 94-90.
ETBU will travel back down to Belton, Texas, on Thursday to face Texas Dallas in the first round of the ASC Tournament.
