ALPINE, Texas – A 14-2 run midway through the second half propelled Sul Ross State University to the lead as they held off East Texas Baptist University, 72-61, in American Southwest Conference play. ETBU is now 11-10 and 9-7 in the ASC.
 
Aaron Gregg was the only player in double figures with 17 points and seven rebounds. Darry Moore and Jayden Williams added nine points each. SRSU's Trey Nelson had 28 points and Julian Paredes added 26 to lead all scorers.
 
ETBU shot 37% from the floor but made just 15% from the arc and 63% from the foul line. SRSU shot 40% from the floor, 33% from the three-point line, and 73% from the stripe. Both teams had 40 rebounds as ETBU forced 14 turnovers with nine steals.
 
It took three minutes for the first bucket to be scored in the game by either team as SRSU scored at the 16:56 mark for a 3-0 lead. That was the beginning of the lead for SRSU the entire first half. By the 12:08 mark SRSU had a six-point lead, 13-7. Just a minute and half later, Jaden Conner cut the lead to one, 13-12, on a 5-0 run but that is as close as ETBU would come the rest of the half. With 53 seconds left, SRSU had an eight-point lead, 29-21, and took a 31-24 lead at the half.
 
ETBU opened the second half on a 10-2 run for a one-point lead, 34-33. Moore made a layup for their first lead of the game. SRSU came charging back for a four-point lead, 38-34, with their own 5-0 run at the 16:17 mark. Over the next five minutes, ETBU had a 12-3 run for a 46-41 lead on another Moore layup on a fast break. This was ETBU's largest lead but they lost the momentum as SRSU changed the game answering with the 14-2 run and a 55-48 lead with 6:30 left. ETBU had the lead down to three, 62-59, on a Conner three-pointer with 2:11 left but that is as close as they would come as SRSU took the win, 72-61.
 
ETBU will travel to Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss., on Tuesday, Feb. 8, for their last meeting with the Blazers.