MARSHALL, Texas – It was a strong defensive effort in the second half for East Texas Baptist University as they came from behind taking a 67-60 win over the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. ETBU overcame a 10-point UMHB lead in the first half turning it into an eight-point second half lead out scoring the Cru, 36-28, in the second half. ETBU is now 10-9 overall and 6-5 in the American Southwest Conference.
 
Michael Roberts collected a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds going 5-of-9 from the floor. Darry Moore led the team in scoring with 17 points shooting 70 percent overall and had six rebounds. Jaden Conner then added 16 points and five rebounds making two three-pointers. Josiah Johnson led all scorers with 22 points for UMHB.
 
ETBU only shot 35 percent from the floor making just four three-pointers (20 percent) but went 15-of-22 from the line (68 percent). UMHB did make 45 percent of their shots, made only three three-pointers (27 percent), and shot 70 percent from the foul line. The difference came in the second half as UMHB only made 35 percent of their overall shots after shooting 54 percent in the first half. ETBU out rebounded the Cru, 39-33, forcing 14 turnovers with only have five turnovers themselves.
 
The first half was UMHB's strongest shooting half but ETBU stayed close down just one, 32-31, at the half. Moore gave ETBU a three-point lead, 9-6, on a layup at 14:59, but in the next four and half minutes UMHB went on a 15-2 run for a 10-point lead, 21-11. This was the Cru's largest lead of the game. ETBU cut the lead to six, 21-15, at 8:43 on a Moore layup and three minutes later had the lead, 23-22, on two Kurt Labeaud free throws. UMHB went on a 7-3 run in three minutes for a five-point lead, 30-25. In the final two and half minutes, ETBU cut the lead to one, twice, 30-29, on a Conner jumper and then ended the half down one, 32-31, when Moore made a shot with 22 seconds left.
 
ETBU outscored UMHB, 36-28, in the second half and started with a 10-5 run in the first five minutes for a four-point lead, 41-37. Roberts tied the game at 37 and then Labeaud and Conner scored the next four points over minute for the four-point lead. Conner hit at three-pointer at 13:10 for ETBU's largest lead of eight, 47-39, as ETBU opened up with a 16-7 run in the first seven minutes of the half. ETBU kept a five point lead for most of the next 10 minutes but UMHB was within two, 54-52, with 4:20 left to play. The Cru then tied the game at 58 with 1:51 to go but Labeaud hit a key three-pointer at 1:17 for a three-point lead. Two more UMHB free throws brought the ETBU lead to one, 61-60, at 1:01. Conner, though hit his second three-pointer of the game in a clutch situation with 38 seconds left pushing the ETBU lead to four, 64-60. ETBU made three-of-five free throws in the final 21 seconds holding off UMHB, 67-60.
 
ETBU will take on Concordia Texas at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday in Ornelas Gym.