MARSHALL, Texas – A strong third quarter for East Texas Baptist University helped the Tigers to run away with the 70-46 win over the University of St. Thomas Houston moving to 3-0 in Ornelas Gym. ETBU held UST to just nine points while scoring 21 in the third quarter, pushing their lead to 19 before winning by 24 points. The Tigers are now 8-1 and have a five-game winning streak.
 
Hannah Ayala led the team with 12 points and eight rebounds, shooting 50 percent from the floor. Madison Hurta also had 12 points with four rebounds, going 4-of-7 overall. Payton Hicks gave 11 points with seven assists as she made nine-of-11 free throws.
 
ETBU finished shooting 46 percent after a slow first quarter but made just 26 percent of their three-pointers and 61 percent from the free-throw line. They shot 75 percent in the second quarter and 57 percent in the third, spurring the offensive turnaround. UST made just 24 percent of their shots from the floor being held to just over 20 percent in the second half and only one three-pointer in the first half. They hit just 19 percent from the three-point range and were 16-of-34 from the stripe (47 percent). ETBU outrebounded UST 47-30 and forced 19 turnovers.
 
It was a slow start for both teams as ETBU held a one-point advantage at the end of the first quarter, 11-10. ETBU shot just 21 percent and were down 7-6 at 3:11. Kadia Ward had a fastbreak layup at 2:33 to give ETBU the lead back, 8-7, and then Tiffany Bickford swooshed a three-pointer with 1:44 left to make it 11-8. UST hit a bucket just before the quarter ended to pull within one, 11-10.
 
ETBU's defense didn't allow any UST three-pointers made in the second quarter while shooting 75 percent. Up by two points, 15-13, with 7:54 to go, ETBU went on a 10-2 run over four minutes for a 10-point lead, 25-15. Sara Cowan gave ETBU their first double-digit lead with a layup. UST didn't go away as they cut the lead down to five, 26-21, with 25 seconds to go as Hicks made two free throws just before the half for a seven-point advantage, 28-21.
 
The difference came in the third quarter as ETBU outscored UST, 21-9, holding the Celts to just 21 percent shooting. In the first five and half minutes, ETBU went on a 15-2 run for a 20-point lead, 43-23. UST opened the quarter with a bucket to come within five, 28-23, as that was their final shot made for six minutes. Hurta had seven of the 15 points as Ayala added four in the run and put the Tigers up by 20 on a layup at 4:40. UST did trim the lead down to 16, 45-29, but Hicks made it a 20-point lead on a jumper with 31 seconds left. UST made one free throw to end the quarter down 19, 49-30.
 
Three and half minutes into the fourth quarter, Macey Jones gave ETBU a 26-point lead, 59-33, on a jumper. At the 4:07 mark, Skyler Smith canned a three-pointer, putting the lead at 28, 63-35, for the game's largest lead. ETBU kept the lead in the 20s the rest of the way as Skyler Smith hit a free throw with seconds left in the game, making it 70-46.

ETBU will travel to Belton, Texas, next week to compete in the UMBH Classic against McMurry University and Wartburg College.