WALLA WALLA, Wash. – A slow third quarter for East Texas Baptist University gave Whitman College the advantage as they took a 72-51 win over the Tigers. ETBU is now 3-1 on the year.
 
Payton Hicks led the team with 12 points as Kadia Ward added nine points. Tristan Smith was the leading rebounder with five. ETBU shot 35 percent but only made three three-pointers (21 percent) and was 10-of-12 from the line (83 percent). Whitman finished shooting 48 percent, making 31 percent of their three-pointers and 71 percent from the free-throw line. Whitman outrebounded ETBU 36-22, forcing 21 turnovers and scoring 22 points.
 
Both teams battled in the first quarter as ETUB trailed by three, 16-13. WC started with an 8-0 lead before ETBU tied it at 10 on two Madison Hurta free throws at 1:56. WC scored the following six points to go up 16-10, but Ward canned a three-pointer with nine seconds left, pulling within three, 16-13.
 
WC shot 63 percent in the second quarter, scoring 23 points, holding ETBU to 13 to take a 13-point halftime lead, 39-26. Jayla Hall put ETBU within one, 20-19, at 8:04 and then made two free throws at 5:13 to trail by two, 26-24. Over the next four minutes, WC went on an 11-0 run for a 13-point lead, 37-24. ETBU trailed by 13 at the half.
 
The third quarter became the difference as WC held ETBU to just nine points and 20 percent shooting, making just three shots from the floor. Hannah Matthews cut the lead to 11, 39-28, at 9:12, but an 11-3 run by WC put the lead at 19, 50-31 (4:14). WC hit a three-pointer at the end of the third to push their lead to 22 points, 57-35.
 
ETBU outscored WC, 16-15, in the fourth quarter but couldn't make up the difference from the third. WC kept their lead at 20+ points the entire quarter, taking the win, 72-51.
 
ETBU will play next on Nov. 23-24 in the UTD Classic in Richardson, Texas.