BROWNWOOD, Texas – Shooting over 50% from the floor, East Texas Baptist University held off Howard Payne University, 89-73, in American Southwest Conference play in the Brownwood Coliseum. ETBU is now 11-9 and 9-6 in the ASC.
Darry Moore led ETBU with 20 points shooting 6-of-7 from the floor with six rebounds.
Aaron Gregg and
Kevin Charles both had double-doubles. Gregg posted 19 points and 14 rebounds with five assists while Charles had 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Chris Haynes added 13 points, six rebounds, and three blocks. Myles Brown had 24 points for HPU.
ETBU shot 52% from the floor, 27% from the three-point line, and 70% from the stripe. HPU made 39% of their shots, was 38% from the arc, and 60% from the free-throw line. ETBU out rebounded HPU, 50-32, and forced 14 turnovers.
INTERVIEW
The first eight minutes of the game went back and forth with both teams leading. With 11:53 to go, the game was tied at 18 when ETBU started a run. Gregg hit a layup that gave ETBU the lead in a 6-0 run for an 24-18 lead at the 9:41 mark. By the 7:25 mark, HPU was within one, 27-26, but ETBU once again was up by six, 34-28, with 4:28 left on a Haynes three-pointer. A HPU free throw cut the lead to five, 34-29, and a 10-1 ETBU run followed for a 14-point lead, 44-30, with 1:18 to go in the half on two Moore free throws. Gregg kept the lead at 14, 46-32, with a layup just before the half ended.
By the 18:16 mark in the second half, ETBU went up 21 points on a Gregg fast break layup. ETBU kept their distance from that point on.
Jayden Williams continued to give ETBU a 20-point lead, 65-46, on a layup with 14:17 left. Less than three minutes later, HPU was within 14, 65-51, on a 5-0 run but Charles put ETBU back up by 20 points, 73-53, with 8:42 remaining. HPU came no closer than 12 points the rest of the way. Moore hit two more free throws with 1:27 to go for the final score of 89-73.
ETBU heads to Alpine, Texas, on Saturday for an ASC game vs. Sul Ross State at 3:00 p.m.
