MARSHALL, Texas – Earning their 11^th win at home this season, the East Texas Baptist University men's basketball team defeated Howard Payne, 99-81. The Tigers are now 18-5 overall, sitting third in the American Southwest Conference at 12-4. For Senior Day, ETBU honored Kevin Charles and Aaron Gregg. 
 
ETBU had four players in the double-digits, Darry Moore, Ryan Elzy, Gregg, and Charles. Moore set a career-high with 34 points. Gregg also set a new record, recording the first triple-double in over ten years of the program, with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Charles finished at 19 points and six rebounds while Elzy put up 11 points and six rebounds. 
 
The Tigers shot 56% overall, with five shots beyond the arc and shooting 79% on the line. HPU shot 51% from the floor, also having five three-point shots, shooting 63% on the free throw line. ETBU won rebounding, 42-20, and forced 22 turnovers.
 
The game began with a layup by HPU, 2-0, for an early lead. Gregg reacted with a three-point jumper at 19:13, 3-2. The ball stayed on both sides of the court before Charles put up two jumpers setting the score 13-6 for the Tigers, 16:54. The Yellowjackets lowered the ETBU lead to three with a shot outside the paint at 13:53, 14-11. In just over a minute, shots from Gregg and Moore put the Tigers up by 10, 21-11. HPU lowered the lead down back down to three at 10:52, 21-18. Moore recorded a dunk at 9:52 and a shot in the paint at 8:22, setting the score at 25-18. A three-point shot at 6:24 by Gregg made it a nine-point game, 31-22. The Yellowjackets responded with a three of their own, 31-25. After multiple shots on the line, Michael Roberts recorded a shot from outside the arc with just over two minutes left, 39-30. HPU lowered the Tiger lead to seven with a layup, 39-32. With 1:13 left in the half, Moore drew a foul on a layup, bringing the Tiger lead to nine, 42-33. The first half ended with a six-point lead, 43-37, for ETBU. 
 
HPU came into the second half drawing a foul with 18:23 left, lowering the ETBU lead to four, 43-39. Gregg and Elzy completed fast break layups at 17:14 and 16:52, respectively, setting the Tiger lead to eight, 49-41. Elzy recorded a fast break three-point jumper with 15:20 left, bringing the lead to 13, 56-43. With 14:11 left in the game, Martin McDowell put up a shot from outside the arc for a 16-point lead, 61-45. HPU closed the gap to 13 with a jumper, 63-50, at 13:18. HPU then had a run, lowering the Tiger lead to 10 with 10:05 left. Shots by Charles, Moore, and Kurt Labeaud made it a 21-point lead with 8:02 left, 81-60. With just under seven minutes left, Moore had a layup and drew a foul, 86-62. Layups from the Yellowjackets closed the gap to 20 with 5:58 left, 86-66. With 4:39 left, a second chance layup by Moore set the score 90-68. HPU followed swiftly with a step back jumper, 90-70. After shots on the line from both teams, McDowell recorded a turn-around jump shot with 3:26 left in the game for a 23-point lead, 94-71. The Yellowjackets put up two shots in the paint just after McDowells's shot, to come within 19, 94-75. Labeaud got a steal which was passed to Ethan Montgomery, earning the final ETBU point of the night, 98-75. ETBU made one free throw with 10 seconds left as the final was 99-81.  
 
ETBU will play again next Thursday, February 16th at Ozarks, and will finish the regular season on Saturday, February 18th at Texas Dallas.