SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Ending 2024 with a victory, East Texas Baptist University won their final game at the Trinity University Classic, 79-64, over host Trinity University. ETBU split their games at the classic as they fell to no. 3 Illinois Wesleyan, 66-57, on Saturday night. ETBU is now 10-3 on the year.
ETBU 79, Trinity (TX) 64
ETBU forced 17 turnovers as four players scored in double figures earning their 10
th win of the year.
Madison Hurta had 18 points making four three-pointers as
Payton Hicks added 15 points shooting .500 from the floor.
Hannah Ayala had 13 points and nine rebounds and
Kadia Ward finished with 11 points, seven assists, and eight rebounds.
Macey Jones gave eight points and six rebounds.
ETBU made 42 percent from the floor, 35 percent from the arc, and 56 percent from the line. TU made 32 percent of their shots, 35 percent from the three-point line, and 81 percent from the free throw line. ETBU also outrebounded TU, 44-37, and scored 18 points off of 17 turnovers.
The first two quarters gave ETBU a strong lead, 39-24. ETBU took a 19-14 lead after the first quarter and held TU to just 10 points in the second quarter for the 15-point halftime lead. At the 7:01 mark in the second quarter, ETBU had a three-point lead, 23-20. Over the next six minutes, ETBU out scored TU, 14-2, for a 15-point lead, 37-22, holding onto that lead for halftime.
TU outscored ETBU, 22-20, in the third quarter but ETBU kept a two-point advantage in the fourth quarter, 20-18, for the win. ETBU had their largest lead of 18, 50-32, in the third quarter but TU did cut the lead to eight, 54-46. ETBU moved their lead back to double-digits in fourth quarter and didn't look back for the win.
No. 3 IWU 66, ETBU 57
Playing their second straight top three team in the nation, ETBU held their own against Illinois Wesleyan. IWU had a single digit lead over ETBU for most of the game as the Tigers were within four points, 53-49, with 3:19 left in the game. IWU finished on a 13-8 run going six-of-six from the foul line.
Hicks led with 18 points, five assists, and eight rebounds. Hurta finished with 11 points and fiver rebounds while
Hannah Matthews had 10 points. ETBU shot 35 percent, hit just 28 percent from the arc and was 10-of-15 from the line (66 percent). IWU made 30 percent from the floor, 22 percent from the arc, and 71 percent from the line. ETBU outrebounded IWU, 42-36, but had 24 turnovers that IWU scored 23 points on.
ETBU will host Millsaps College on Saturday, January 4, at 2:00 p.m.
