MARSHALL, Texas – In the final 2:25 of the game, tied at 57, East Texas Baptist University went on a 9-4 run to take the American Southwest Conference win over LeTourneau University, 67-61. It is the first time ETBU has defeated LETU since 2018 breaking an eight-game losing streak to the Yellowjackets. ETBU is now 16-5 and 10-4 in the ASC.
 
"That is a big win for us down two guys with one a starter and we played our starting five a lot of minutes tonight," said head coach Chris Lovell. "We knew it was going to be a war and going to be tough and physical and hope we could outlast them and be good enough in the end to win. I am really proud of them."
 
Darry Moore and Kevin Charles each had double-doubles for ETBU. Moore led the team with 22 points and 11 rebounds shooting .500 from the floor. Charles then added 11 points and 10 rebounds going 4-of-5 from the floor. Aaron Gregg finished with 18 points and six assists also shooting 50 percent. LETU had four players in double figures as Jackson Mayes led the team with 16 points.
 
LETU was held to 38 percent shooting and 25 percent from the arc going 13-of-17 from the line. ETBU shot 47 percent making just two three-pointers (20 percent) and was 10-of-19 from the free throw line (52 percent). ETBU also won the in rebounds, 39-34.
 
It was a slow first half as the game was tied at 10 with 14:09 left on a Charles layup. There were two more ties with the last one at 22 on another Charles fast-break layup with 10:26 to go. LETU took a four-point lead, 26-22, at the 6:27 mark and then neither team scored four almost four minutes. Charles made a free throw at 3:20 and then Moore had a jumper at 2:38 cutting LETU's lead to one, 26-25 (2:38). That was ETBU's last made shot of the half as LETU went into the half up, 31-25.
 
ETBU shot 55 percent in the second half making both of their three-pointers. ETBU had a rough road ahead of them as LETU took an eight-point lead, 37-29, at 17:56. With 13:51 left to play, LETU held onto their eight-point lead, 39-31. At the 12:24 mark, LETU made two free throws for a seven-point lead, 41-34. ETBU answered over the next two minutes with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 41 on a Gregg three-pointer. The game then went back-and-forth the rest of the way with eight ties. With just under a minute to play, LETU tied up the game on two free throws. It was just 23 seconds later that Gregg had a driving layup to put ETBU up, 63-61. ETBU forced a turnover with 29 seconds left and Gregg was fouled eight seconds later making both free throws to go up by four, 65-61, with 21 seconds left. After a missed LETU layup, Moore was fouled with six seconds left making 1-of-2 free throws to seal the win, 65-61.
 
The last win for ETBU vs. LETU came on February 23, 2018, in Alpine, Texas, at the ASC Tournament, 108-101.
 
ETBU will host Sul Ross State on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 7:30 p.m.