MARSHALL, Texas – Heading to the West Coast to start the season, #20 East Texas Baptist University will be in California for two games on Saturday and Sunday. The Tigers will face Pomona-Pitzer College on Saturday night and the University of Redlands on Sunday night.
 
It will be the first time for ETBU to play in California in program history. ETBU is 4-0 against West Coast teams and 2-0 vs. California teams. ETBU has played Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Redlands from California. In 2015, ETBU held off CMS in Ornleas Gym in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 80-75, and then beat Redlands last year at home, 97-91.
 
Lovell is 2-1 in season openers at ETBU since taking over the team in the 2020-21 season. He defeated Piedmont College in Georgia to open his tenure as head coach in 2020. In 2021, they fell to St. Thomas Texas but last year ETBU won, 95-76, on November 12 in Ornelas Gym to start the season.
 
This year will feature nine new players with six freshman and three transfers combined with seven returners. Preseason All-American and ASC Tournament MVP Darry Moore leads the returners averaging 20.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game as the only returner receiving awards. Kevin Charles and Aaron Gregg both graduated and Charles is playing professionally overseas.
 
Jaden Conner, Boll Nyang, Jayden Williams, Ryan Elzy, Kurt Labeaud, and Michael Roberts return from last year. Elzy and Labeaud, along with Moore, are the returning starters from last years ASC Tournament Championship team. Elzy averaged 9.6 points and 3.9 rebounds with 56 assists while Labeaud averaged 4.7 points and 70 assists.
 
ETBU opens up the new season at 9:00 p.m. central time on Saturday night in Claremont, Calif.
 

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Notes vs. PPC
Vs. Pomona-Pitzer