MARSHALL, Texas – Up by six points just five minutes into the second half, East Texas Baptist University gave up a 21-8 run to LeTourneau University as the YellowJackets slipped away with the win in Ornelas Gym, 77-70. ETBU is now 2-6 overall and 2-3 in the American Southwest Conference.
 
Jayden Williams was one-point shy of his career-high with 22 points hitting 60 percent of his shots grabbing five rebounds. Darry Moore added 13 points and eight rebounds while Joshua R Davis had 12 points. Caedmon Liebengood led LETU with 21 points.
 
ETBU shot 48 percent on the game making 53 percent (7-of-13) from the three-point line but went 11-of-18 from the stripe (61 percent). LETU finished shooting 49 percent, made 42 percent of their three-pointers, and was 86 percent (13-of-15) from the free throw line. LETU out rebounded ETBU, 31-30, and forced 13 turnovers for 13 points.
 
ETBU was up 48-42 with 15:13 left to play on a Jayden Williams three-pointer when the momentum changed. Over the next eight minutes, LETU put together a 21-8 run to take the lead, 63-56. Joshua R Davis hit a three-pointer with 4:43 to go pulling ETBU within three, 63-60, but just over a minute later LETU pushed the lead back to seven, 67-60. Davis once again put ETBU within four, 69-65, with 1:32 on the clock as that was as close as ETBU would come in the final minute. LETU would go 7-of-8 from the foul line in the final minute for the seven-point win over ETBU, 77-70.
 
The second half opened up with a Kody Alexander dunk 45 seconds in for a six-point lead, 39-33. Williams kept the lead at six, 41-35, on two free throws at the 17:55 mark but LETU was within one, 41-40, 20 seconds later. Still within one at the 15:56 mark, Moore slammed down a dunk for a three-point lead, 45-42, 20 seconds later. Williams hit the three-pointer at 15:13 for the six-point lead, 46-42, before LETU went on their run.
 
LETU opened up the first half with an 11-7 lead in the first five minutes. At the 12:06 mark, LETU had an eight-point lead, 18-10. ETBU cut the lead to three, 24-21, with 7:14 left on a Davis layup. LETU pushed their lead back to seven, 31-24, at the 4:13 mark. ETBU then ended the half on a 13-2 run to take the halftime lead, 37-33. Moore had seven of the 13 points as Jaden Conner produced five. Moore finished off the run with a dunk just before the half for the four-point lead.
 
ETBU will host Pacific University on Friday, December 14, at 7:00 p.m. in Ornelas Gym.