MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Traveling to Tennessee after Christmas, the East Texas Baptist University men's basketball team split their two games at the Rhodes College Holiday Classic. ETBU fell on Saturday, 72-71, to Rhodes College but bounced back with an overtime, 78-73, win over Millsaps College. ETBU is now 4-10 on the year.
ETBU 78, Millsaps 73 (OT)
Tied at 70 in overtime with 2:28 to go, ETBU finished on an 8-3 run for the five-point win, 78-73.
Jason Justice, who led the team with 25 points, scored seven of the eight points. ETBU has now won three of their last four games.
Justice went 10-of-23 from the floor with three three-pointers for his 25 points.
Michael Roberts, who hit the tying three-pointer to send the game to overtime, added 18 points with 16 rebounds with five assists.
Joshua R Davis finished with 17 points as
Sedric Curry had nine points and seven rebounds.
ETBU shot 42 percent, made 34 percent of their three-pointers, and was 10-of-17 from the line (58 percent). Millsaps made 36 percent of their shots, only had three three-pointers (18 percent), and was 20-of-27 from the line (74 percent). ETBU out rebounded MC, 47-44.
Shooting 40 percent in the first half, ETBU had a 31-26 lead at the half. MC only shot 28 percent and didn't make a three-pointer. ETBU had a seven-point lead, twice, in the half with the second seven-point lead at 2:29 on a Roberts' layup, 29-22.
MC came back strong in the second half coming back from seven points down to take a three-point lead. The Majors made it a three-point lead, 64-61, with 20 seconds left but Roberts tied the game at 64 on a three-pointer with three seconds to go. ETBU then took the game in overtime.
Rhodes 72, ETBU 71
With a one-point lead, 60-59, and 5:23 to go in the game, ETBU couldn't hang on for the win vs. Rhodes College. Rhodes hit key free throws in the final minute to hold off ETBU, 72-71.
Sedric Curry led the team with 24 points going 9-of-15 from the floor.
Michael Roberts had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Nikolas Morin added 13 points and
Jason Justice had 10 points. ETBU shot 41 percent, made just two three-pointers (18 percent), and was 21-of-27 (77 percent) from the foul line. RC made 53 percent from the floor, 50 percent from the arc, and 65 percent from the line. RC also outrebounded ETBU, 30-29.
ETBU will host LaVerne on Friday, January 3, at 7:30 p.m.
