BELTON, Texas – Leading from the beginning, East Texas Baptist University upset no. 2 Wartburg College at the UMHB Christmas Classic, 64-47, moving to 9-2 on the year. It is the biggest win in the program since defeating no. 6 St. Thomas (Minn.) in the 2018 NCAA Division III Sweet 16. ETBU has 10 wins over top 25 programs in the past four years, with four wins over top 10 teams. This is the first win over a no. 2 ranked team, with the program's highest win against no. 6 St. Thomas (Minn.) in the 2018 NCAA Division III Sweet 16.
It was the second time ETBU took on Wartburg as they last met in the 2018 NCAA Division III National Tournament Elite 8. Wartburg, who was also ranked no. 2 then, held off a valiant ETBU comeback, 65-61, as they went to the Final Four.
Three players scored in double figures as
Payton Hicks had 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists going 9-of-10 from the line.
Kadia Ward also had 12 points with four rebounds.
Madison Hurta added 10 points with seven rebounds, and
Tiffany Bickford scored nine and posted nine rebounds.
Hannah Ayala also poured in seven points with seven rebounds.
ETBU shot 35 percent from the floor, 31 percent from the arc, and 86 percent from the line. They hit 40 percent of their shots in the first half, making five three-pointers. WC finished shooting 27 percent, making just 23 percent of their three-pointers, and went 88 percent from the stripe. ETBU outrebounded WC 46-32, scoring 14 points off turnovers.
Bickford scored the first basket of the game for the 2-0 lead, and Ayala swooshed ETBU's first three-pointer to make it 5-2 at 6:27. WC was within one, 7-6, at 3:35, but ETBU finished the quarter on an 8-2 run for a seven-point lead, 15-8. Bickford had five of the eight points as Hurta hit a three-pointer.
WC cut the lead to six, 16-10, just over a minute into the second quarter, but Sara Cowan nailed a three-pointer at 8:34 to put the lead at nine, 19-10. Ward had a three-pointer at 5:52, moving the lead to 10 points, 24-14, but four minutes later, WC was within three, 28-25, on an 11-1 run. Hicks went 2-for-2 at the line with 54 seconds remaining, giving ETBU a five-point lead at the half, 30-25.
ETBU only scored 10 points in the third quarter but held the lead. Hicks made two more free throws at 7:07 for an eight-point lead, 35-27, but once again, WC fought back and tied the game at 37 at 3:32 on a 10-2 run. Hicks followed with a three-pointer 20 seconds later at 3:11, making the final shot from the floor for both teams. WC made one free throw with 40 seconds left to come within two, 40-38.
The fourth quarter became ETBU's best, shooting 41 percent and scoring 24 points. At 7:38, WC had a three-pointer to pull within three, 44-41. In the next four minutes, ETBU went on an 8-0 run for an 11-point lead, 52-41. Ayala started the run with a jumper as Hurt, Hicks, and Ward made free throws.
Tristan Smith put ETBU up by 11 with a bucket in the paint. WC scored 20 seconds later, but in the final two and half minutes of the game, ETBU went 10-for-10 at the line for a 16-point win, 64-47.
ETBU will be off for 10 days on Christmas Break and will play again on December 28 in San Antonio at Trinity University vs. no. 3 Illinois Wesleyan.
Last Four Years – Top 25 Wins
ETBU 64, #2 Wartburg 47 (Dec. 18, 2024) – top 10
ETBU 79, #14 UMHB 47 (Jan. 25, 2024)
ETBU 66, #9 HSU 65 (Dec. 2, 2023) – top 10
ETBU 66, #10 UMHB 59 (Dec. 10, 2022) – top 10
ETBU 75, #18 UC Santa Cruz 51 (Dec. 30, 2022)
ETBU 67, #22 UMHB 61 (Jan. 26, 2023)
ETBU 56, #16 HSU 51 (Jan. 20, 2022)
ETBU 71, #14 UMHB 57 (Feb. 19, 2022)
ETBU 65, #19 Rhodes 53 (Mar. 4, 2022) – NCAA Tournament
ETBU 58, #10 HSU 54 (Dec. 4, 2021) – top 10
