MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Dominating Illinois Tech, East Texas Baptist University won their second game in a row with a 96-48 victory. ETBU is now 2-0 for the first time since the 2020-21 season.
ETBU shot 49.4 percent in the game making eight three-pointers for 32 percent and was 12-of-21 from the line (57 percent). IIT shot just 31 percent overall, 33 percent from the arc, and 75 percent at the stripe. ETBU out rebounded IIT, 60-27, had 21 assists, and forced 19 turnovers with seven blocks.
Three players scored in double figures for ETBU in
Madison Hurta,
Hannah Ayala, and
Macey Jones. Hurta led the team with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting making four three-pointers. Ayala added 12 poitns and seven rebounds going 6-of-8 from the line. Macey produced 10 points with eight rebounds.
Payton Hicks had four assists.
Down 7-6 at the 6:19 mark in the first quarter, ETBU went on a 7-0 run over a minute for a six-point lead, 13-7. Ayala had four points while Hicks converted a three-point play. IIT cut the lead to four, 16-12, at 3:20 but in two minutes ETBU had an 11-point lead, 23-12. Ayala added two points with a three-pointer from Sara Cowan and a bucket by
Jayla Hall. Hurt then hit a three-pointer with 30 seconds left for a 14-point lead, 28-14.
ETBU allowed only four points in the second quarter and four points in the third as they scored 48 in that time. Hurta gave ETBU a 22-point lead in the second quarter, 38-22, at 7:13 and then Jones hit a layup with 1:26 left for a 31-point lead, 50-19. ETBU had a 29-point halftime lead, 50-21. ETBU kept IIT scoreless for the first seven and half minutes of the third quarter taking a 50+ point lead opening on a 22-0 run. Ayala gave ETBU a 41-point lead on two free throws, 41-21, at 6:21 and a
Marley Keith layup at 2:44 made it 72-21 for the 51-point lead. ETBU kept their 51-point lead at the end of the quarter, 76-25.
IIT scored 23 points in the fourth quarter as ETBU kept a 40+ point lead. Jones put the lead back at 50, 96-46, with 46 seconds left but IIT had a layup 20 seconds later as the game ended, 96-48.
ETBU travels to Washington next weekend for two games vs. Willamette and Whitman on Friday and Saturday.
