BELTON, Texas – A hot shooting University of Mary Hardin-Baylor team opened up the first half making 60 percent of their shots as they held off East Texas Baptist University, 79-69. ETBU is now 2-5 and 2-2 in the American Southwest Conference.
 
Joshua R Davis scored a career-high 18 points shooting 60 percent from the floor. Ryan Elzy added 14 points and five rebounds. Michael Roberts and Kurt Labeaud also added five rebounds. Josiah Johnson led all scorers with 20 points for UMHB.
 
ETBU made 50 percent of their shots, wen 4-of=14 from the arc (28 percent), and was 50 percent from the line (11-of-22). UMHB finished at 50 percent shooting, 46 percent from the three-point line (7-of-15), and 73 percent in free throws. UMBH edged ETBU in rebounding, 34-33.
 
UMHB led all of the first half taking a three-point lead, 13-10, in the first five minutes. Jaden Conner kept ETBU within four, 16-12, at the 13:56 mark but with 8:47 left UMHB had a 15-point lead, 30-15. At the 6:08 mark, UMHB had a 20-point lead, 36-16, but in five minutes ETBU cut the lead to 11, 43-32, on a 16-7 run. Labeaud had a fast-break layup to cut the lead to 11. UMHB had a jumper with 37 seconds left to make it a 13-point lead at the half, 45-32.
 
Elzy cut the lead to 10, 47-37, just over a minute into the second half. By the 15:17 mark, UMHB put the lead back to 17, 56-39. Elzy once again cut the lead to 10, 60-50, with 10:47 to go on a fast break jumper. UMHB went on a run to push the lead to 17, 69-52, and kept a double-digit lead the rest of the game. ETBU had a jumper by Kody Alexander with 34 seconds left to make the final, 79-69.
 
ETBU will host LeTourneau University on Thursday, December 14, at 5:30 p.m.