RICHARDSON, Texas – A momentum swing to start the second for the University of Texas Dallas was just enough to hold off East Texas Baptist University, 79-71, in American Southwest Conference play. ETBU was just down three to start the second half but a 13-5 run in just under four minutes gave UTD an 11-point lead, 52-41, as they never lost the lead. ETBU is now 7-8 and 3-4 in the ASC.
 
Four players finished in double figures as Kurt Labeaud had 14 points and four assists. Joshua R Davis added 12 points all coming off three pointers as both Ryan Elzy and Michael Roberts had 10 points. Jaden Conner also had four rebounds. Austin Page gave UTD 20 points.
 
ETBU shot 44 percent making nine three-pointers (42 percent) and was 10-of-15 from the line (66 percent). UTD, though, shot 50 percent from the floor, 40 percent from the arc, and 79 percent from the line. UTD out rebounded ETBU, 36-28, and scored 40 points in the paint.
 
UTD took an early 8-2 lead and was up 11-4 at the 17:21 mark. ETBU responded over five minutes on a 14-4 run to take a three-point lead, 18-15. Davis put ETBU in front, 16-15, at 13:43 on a three-pointer and Michael Roberts gave the Tigers a three-point lead, 18-15. Another Davis three-pointer made it a four-point lead, 21-17, and Labeaud gave ETBU their largest lead of six, 23-17, at 10:44 on a layup. Davis hit his third three-pointer at 8:57 for a five-point lead, 28-23, as ETBU kept a three-point lead, 34-31, at 3:31 on a Nathan Fleming layup. UTD finished the final three-minutes on an 8-2 run to take a three-point lead at the half, 39-36.
 
The momentum shift from the end of the first half on the 8-2 run continued into the second half for UTD with a 13-5 run in the first four minutes. Their lead went to 11 points, 52-41, and were still up by 11, 53-42, at the 15:27 mark. A 9-2 run by ETBU put the Tigers within four, 55-51, with 12:37 left. Jaden Conner hit a three-pointer to pull ETBU within four. UTD put the lead back to nine, 62-53, by the 10:12 mark but Conner came through again four minutes later. He hit a three-pointer at 6:26 as ETBU was within three, 62-59. In three minutes, though, UTD had a double-digit lead, again, at 10, 71-61, at 3:35. ETBU came no closer than seven, 75-68, in the final three minutes with 24 seconds left as UTD hit four free throws for the 79-71 win.
 
ETBU will travel to Arkansas on Saturday to face Ozarks at 3:00 p.m.