MARSHALL, Texas – A tough test for the East Texas Baptist University took place in Ornelas Gym on Sunday afternoon as #12 Trinity University just slipped by Tigers, 80-71. ETBU led at the end of the first quarter but Trinity's hot shooting over the next two periods propelled them to a comeback handing ETBU their first loss of the season. ETBU is now 1-1 on the year and will face two more nationally ranked teams next weekend in Virginia.
 
The game came down to three-pointers made as ETBU shot just 35 percent (5-of-14) while Trinity made 16 three-pointers (38 percent). The difference came as Trinity only made 24 shots from the floor (36 percent) but 16 were from beyond the arc. ETBU went 20-of-27 from the stripe (74 percent) while Trinity made just 64 percent (16-of-25). ETBU out rebounded Trintiy, 40-29, and forced 11 turnovers. Trinity, though, had 15 steals as ETBU committed 27 turnovers.
 
Three players scored in double figures as Payton Hicks led with 15 points making seven free throws. She also added eight assists and five rebounds. Ashlynn Galvin finished with 11 points and four rebounds while Jayla Hall came off the bench for 10 points shooting .500 from the floor. Hannah Matthews led the team with seven rebounds. TU's Josie Napoli scored 27 points to lead all scorers hitting seven three-pointers.
 
ETBU leapt out to a 24-9 lead at the end of the first quarter looking to make a statement. With a four-point lead, 12-8 (4:22), ETBU finished the final four minutes of the quarter on a 12-1 run. Eight of the 12 points came on free throws from Hicks and Kadia Ward. It was ETBU's best shooting quarter of the game at 63 percent and they went 10-of-12 from the line.
 
The difference came in the second quarter when TU scored 30 points as ETBU held onto a two-point lead at the half, 41-39. TU hit seven three-pointers (70 percent) in the quarter and made 66 percent of their shots from the floor. ETBU started the quarter with a Hicks' jumper for a 17-point lead, 26-9, but TU had an 18-6 run over five minutes to pull within five, 32-27. Hicks scored the next four points for a nine-point lead, 36-27, with 3:11 left in the quarter. TU tied the game at 39 with 31 seconds left but Tristan Smith hit a layup with 14 seconds left for the two-point halftime lead, 41-39.
 
TU outscored ETBU, 23-13, in the third quarter to take the lead, but it didn't come easy. Michaela James hit a three-pointer just 20 seconds in for a five-point lead, 44-39. Jayla Hall had a layup with 6:20 to go to keep the lead at four, 46-42. TU then went on a 5-0 run in a minute and half for a one-point lead, 47-46. Hall had another layup in the paint to retake the lead, 48-47, at the 4:15 mark. Over the next four minutes, TU had a 15-4 run for a 10-point lead, 62-52. Galvin had a bucket with 13 seconds left to bring TU's lead to eight, 62-54, as the third quarter ended.
 
It was an even fourth quarter as TU had 18 points to ETBU's 17. TU hit a three-pointer at the 9:05 mark to put the lead at 11, 65-54. ETBU went on a 6-0 run to trim the lead to five, 65-60, with 7:07 left. Hicks had a three-pointer as Ward made a free throw and Matthews a layup. That is as close as ETBU would come the rest of the quarter. TU had the lead back to 11, 74-63, with 3:49 left but two free throws by Alexis Purcell put ETBU within six, 77-71, with 1:19 left. That was the final points for ETBU as TU went on to win, 80-71.
 
ETBU travels to Newport News, Va., next weekend to face #18 Elizabethtown College and #3 Christopher Newport facing their second and third nationally ranked teams.