MARSHALL, Texas – It took an extra period of play for East Texas Baptist University as they came from behind to upend Concordia University Texas, 75-74. ETBU was down nine with three minutes to go in the game before coming back to force overtime. ETBU is now 11-9 and 7-5 in the American Southwest Conference.
Darry Moore came away with his seventh double-double of the year shooting 10-of-11 from the floor for 26 points and 14 rebounds.
Jayden Williams finished with 16 points and
Joshua R Davis had 11 points.
Jaden Conner gave eight points and eight rebounds while
Kurt Labeaud added five assists and five rebounds. Donovan Stafford had 24 points for CTX.
Making 45 percent of their shots, ETBU shot 27 percent from the arc and 71 percent from the line. CTX was held to just 21 percent from the three-point line (3-of-14) but made 47 percent of their shots and was 9-of-16 from the stripe (56 percent). ETBU dominated rebounding, 45-29, and had 32 points in the paint.
ETBU held a two-point lead at the half, 31-29, as it the score went back-and-forth. CTX had an early four-point lead, 9-5, before Moore hit a jumper for a one-point lead, 14-13, at the 11:59 mark. The score was tied twice over the next five minutes but ETBU took a four-point lead, 26-22, at 5:22 on a Conner three-pointer. Davis made a free throw at 4:54 extending the lead to five, 27-22.
Ryan Elzy kept ETBU's lead at five, 29-24, with 1:43 left but a 5-2 run to end the half by CTX cut ETBU's lead to two at intermission.
CTX opened the second half on a 9-2 run for a five-point lead, 38-33, at 18:12. A Williams three-pointer at 13:09 tied the game at 44 and then almost a minute later Davis canned a three for a three-point lead on a 14-6 run, 47-44. CTX answered with a run and a five-point lead, 56-51, at 8:06 outscoring ETBU, 12-4 in that time. At the 5:04 mark, CTX had a seven-point lead, 65-58, and with 3:02 to go moved it to a nine-point advantage, 69-60. ETBU's defense held CTX to no points in the final three minutes on a 9-0 run to force overtime. Williams came in clutch in the final 1:20 with five points. He cut the lead to two, 69-67, at 1:20 and then tied the game on a jumper with nine seconds left at 69. CTX then missed a three-pointer with one second left as the game was sent to overtime.
Moore started overtime making two free throws for the lead, 71-69. CTX tied the game at 3:41 but Williams made two free throws at 2:01 for a two-point lead, 73-71. CTX responded with a three-pointer at 1:31 but Williams made two free throws with 35 seconds left for a one-point lead, 75-74. Davis stole the ball with 17 seconds left but CTX took it back with 13 seconds to go missing a three-pointer with four seconds left in the game as ETBU hung onto the win, 75-74.
ETBU will travel to Longview, Texas, on Thursday for a game vs. LeTourneau at 7:30 p.m.