MARSHALL, Texas – A dominant defensive effort from East Texas Baptist University shocked #14 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor as the Tigers took the upset win in Ornelas Gym handing the Cru their first American Southwest Conference women's basketball loss and second defeat on the year. ETBU held UMHB under 10 points in two quarters and out rebounded the Cru, 64-33, producing the program's largest win, ever, over a ranked opponent. The win is also the second upset win over a nationally ranked ASC opponent this year as the Tigers move to 8-11 overall and 5-6 in the ASC.
 
Jayla Hall recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds in 22 minutes of play. Payton Hicks led the team with 19 points adding four assists. Michaela James was one rebound short of a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. Hannah Matthews finished with 12 points going 5-of-9 from the floor. Tristan Smith gained 12 rebounds while Kadia Ward added 11 rebounds. UMHB's Alexi Carmosino led her team with 11 points.
 
ETBU shot 37 percent from the floor, 40 percent (8-of-20) from three-point land, and was 21-of-30 from the line (70 percent). UMHB made only 28 percent of their shots, was 3-of-23 from the arc (13 percent), and shot 60 percent from the stripe. ETBU had a 30+ rebounding advantage over UMHB, 64-33, and forced 15 turnovers.
 
The defensive effort for ETBU was their best all season allowing just nine points in the first quarter and five in the third quarter. UMHB went 0-for-12 in those two quarters from the three-point line and made just one shot from the floor in the third quarter (1-of-14) for seven percent. ETBU grabbed 41 defensive rebounds of the 64 total they had scoring 32 points in the paint and recording 39 bench points.
 
Setting the tone early in the first quarter, ETBU held UMHB to 25 percent shooting. The Cru came out taking a 4-0 lead in the first three minutes but in the next four minutes ETBU went on an 11-2 run for a five-point lead, 11-6. James scored on a layup after a Ward defensive rebound for the advantage at 3:30. Tied at six, Ashlynn Galvin gave the Tigers the lead, 8-6, at 4:48 on a fast break layup off another Ward defensive rebound. UMHB was within four, 11-7, with 3:09 left but ETBU finished on a 5-2 run for a seven-point lead, 16-9. James gave ETBU a nine-point lead, 16-7, on two free throws with 41 seconds left before UMHB scored in the paint 20 seconds later.
 
Both teams went after each other in the second quarter as ETBU outscored UMHB, 24-20, for an 11-point halftime lead, 40-29. UMHB started the quarter on a 9-1 run to take a one-point lead, 18-17, at the 7:54 mark. ETBU responded on a 9-3 run over a minute and a half for five-point lead, 26-21. Smith hit two free throws for the lead, 19-18, and then James canned a three-pointer at 7:11 for the four-point advantage. UMHB responded with a three, but Matthews had back-to-back buckets to push the lead to five, 26-21. With 4:01 left, UMHB was within four points, 31-27, but a 9-2 run to end the half put ETBU up, 40-29. Hall finished off the final 30 seconds with back-to-back layups for the double-digit lead and Hicks had a three-pointer in the run.
 
It was the third quarter that determined the game as ETBU allowed just one made bucket by UMHB and three free throws for five points. ETBU scored 16 points in that time for a 22-point lead, 56-34. UMHB came within nine points, 40-31, at 8:24 on their only made jumper but the lead went to 15 points, 46-31, on a 6-0 run by ETBU in less than a minute. Hall, Ward, and Matthews all scored to push lead up to 15. At the 2:04 mark, Sara Cown hit a three-pointer for the first 20-point lead, 53-32, and then Matthews finished the quarter with an and-1 play for the 22-point lead, 56-34.
 
UMHB tried to play catch-up in the fourth quarter but was still outscored, 23-13. The Cru cut the lead to 18, 63-45, at 5:59, after ETBU had a 25-point lead, 61-36, on a Hicks three-pointer at 8:57. The 9-1 run by the Cru was as close as they would come in the final five minutes of play. In the last 5:30 of the game, ETBU outscored UMHB, 16-2, for the 32-point win, 79-47. After UMHB cut the lead to 18, ETBU didn't allow a Cru bucket for two minutes outscoring them, with a 6-0 run for the 24-point lead, 69-45. UMHB hit their final shot from the floor at 3:58 as ETBU finished the final four minutes on a 10-0 run.
 
ETBU will host Concordia Texas on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in Ornelas Gym.