BROWNWOOD, Texas – Turning up the defense in the second quarter, #16 East Texas Baptist University ran away with an American Southwest Conference victory over Howard Payne University, 73-48. ETBU is now 15-3 and 11-2 in the ASC.
Grace Stephens collected a career-high 17 points with four rebounds shooting 6-of-8 from the field.
Taylor Singleton added 12 points with four rebounds.
Jade Goynes led the team with nine rebounds and had eight points. Bria Neal had 15 points for HPU.
ETBU forced 20 turnovers with eight steals and out rebounded HPU, 48-25. ETBU shot just 35% from the floor, 33% from the arc, and 75% from the line. HPU finished making 30% from the floor, 21% from the three-point line, and 70% from the free throw line.
INTERVIEW
FIRST HALF
The first quarter was the closest as ETBU came away with a 23-18 lead. ETBU took an early 6-2 lead on a three-pointer by
Mallory Stephens (7:20) but almost two minutes later HPU had the lead, 10-8, on an 8-2 run. By the 4:14 mark, HPU extended the lead to four, 14-10. ETBU ended the last four minutes on a 13-4 run for the five-point lead. Goynes game ETBU the lead, 19-18, with 2:01 left and then made it a five-point lead, 23-18, with 41 seconds left.
It was the second quarter that was the turning point as ETBU allowed just seven points for a 33-25 lead at the half. They set the tone for the rest of the game in this quarter.
Grace Stephens made it a seven point lead right away just 16 seconds in, 25-18, but HPU the lead down to two, 25-23, with 8:07 left. ETBU scored the next five points pushing the lead back to seven, 32-25, on another
Grace Stephens shot. Neither team hit a shot in the final 2:59 after that shot as Singleton made on free throw for the eight-point halftime lead.
SECOND HALF
The defensive pressure continued in the third quarter as HPU shot just 10% from the floor (1-of-10) not making any three-pointers (0-of-5). HPU had two free throws early on to come within six, 33-27, but by the 4:58 mark ETBU was up by 13 points on a
Brooke Webster layup, 40-27. HPU did cut the lead to 10, 43-33, on two more free throws with 1:20 left and even when the quarter ended was down 10 points, 46-36. Nine of HPU's points came on free throws in the quarter to stay within reach.
ETBU then opened up their offense in the fourth quarter scoring 27 points and holding HPU to 12 for the 73-48 win. With 6:01 left, HPU came within 11, 54-43, but over the next five minutes ETBU unleashed an huge run. ETBU had a 16-2 run in that time to make it 70-45.
Emma Stelzer finished off the run with a free throw.
Chloe Rogers finished off the game with a three-pointer at the 00:23 mark ending the scoring.
ETBU travels to Alpine, Texas, on Saturday to meet Sul Ross State at 1:00 p.m.
