MARSHALL, Texas – A smothering defense combined with dominating rebounding by East Texas Baptist University gave the Tigers a 64-46 victory in Ornelas Gym over Concordia University Texas. ETBU has now won three games in a row and are 9-11 overall and 6-6 in the ASC.
 
Michaela James recorded a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds adding two steals while shooting 50 percent from the arc. Payton Hicks led ETBU with 15 points off the bench while Hannah Matthews added 11 points and two blocks. CTX's Jordan Bravo recorded 17 points.
 
ETBU shot 36 percent overall making six three-pointers for 30 percent and was 22-of-31 from the foul line (71 percent). CTX was held to 24 percent shooting from the floor, 22 percent from the arc, and made 84 percent from the line. ETBU dominated the boards, 53-28, and had 39 bench points.
 
The first quarter was the closest for both teams as CTX held a one-point advantage, 10-9. ETBU only made two shots from the floor (14 percent) but CTX finished shooting 24 percent. James opened up the game with a three-pointer just under a minute in. By the 5:34 mark, it was tied at five when Tristen Smith banked in a layup. Over three minutes later, Sara Cowan made one-of-two free throws to tie the game at seven. Jayla Hall made two-of-four free throws in a 35 seconds time span for a 9-7 lead with 55 seconds left. CTX hit a three-pointer with 43 seconds left for the one-point lead after one quarter.
 
It was a strong offensive second quarter as ETBU outscored CTX, 23-15. ETBU nailed four three-pointers in the quarter shooting 57 percent overall. CTX took a three-point lead to start the quarter, 12-9, but in the next two minutes ETBU went on an 8-0 run for a five-point lead, 17-12. Matthews hit an and-one for the five-point lead at 6:41. James hit another three-pointer at 5:33 to push the lead to eight, 22-14. CTX fought back to cut the lead to two, 22-20, with 2:58 left but Hicks nailed three-pointers at 1:41 and with 45 seconds left to keep a five-point lead. She then had her eighth straight point with 14 seconds left for a seven-point halftime lead, 32-25.
 
ETBU opened the first three minutes of the third quarter on a 5-1 run for an 11-point lead. Ashlynn Galvin hit two free throws for the double-digit lead, 37-26. At the 4:46 mark, Hicks canned two free throws for a 13-point lead, 44-31, as ETBU never let lead slip below 10 the rest of the quarter. Smith put ETBU up by 14 points, 51-37, on two free throws at 1:12. ETBU went into the fourth quarter with a 12-point lead, 51-39.
 
CTX only scored seven points in the fourth quarter making just three shots and held to 18 percent shooting. The cut the lead to nine, early, 51-42, but Matthews put the lead back to 13, 57-44, with 5:45 left to play. For two and half minutes, neither team made a shot. With 3:11 left to go, Matthews connected on two free throws for a 15-point lead and then had a layup at 2:37 pushing it 17 points, 61-44. Tiffany Bickford swooshed two free throws at 1:10 for a 20-point lead, 64-44, as CTX made their final shot with 54 seconds left making it 64-46.
 
ETBU will travel to Longview, Texas, to face LeTourneau University on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.