MARSHALL, Texas – Rebounding and a strong first half of shooting gave East Texas Baptist University their seventh straight win leading wire-to-wire taking the American Southwest Conference game, 72-61, over the University of the Ozarks. The win puts ETBU at 13-11 and moves them into a tie for fourth place at 9-6.
 
ETBU shot 44 percent in the first half holding Ozarks to just 27 percent shooting and eight made buckets. Overall, ETBU out rebounded Ozarks, 51-29, scoring 34 points in the paint and 18 second-chance points.
 
Four players scored in double figures with two recording double-doubles. Jayla Hall had 14 points and 11 rebounds while Michaela James posted 10 points and 11 rebounds. Payton Hicks led the team with 16 points with five assists as Kadia Ward gave 12 points, four rebounds, and six assists. Amanda Turpin led Ozarks with 21 points.
 
ETBU shot 39 percent overall hitting 36 percent from the arc and 68 percent from the line. Ozarks finished at 35 percent on the floor, 25 percent from the three, and 75 percent in free throws.
 
Setting the tone in the first quarter, ETBU held Ozarks to just nine points and four made shots. Ozarks shot just 26 percent with one three-pointer made. Ashlynn Galvin started the scoring and Tristan Smith followed with a three-pointer for a quick 5-0 lead. UO tied the game at five (7:58) but Hall shot and a James three-pointer put the lead back at five, 10-5. By 3:12, UO was within two, 11-9, as that was the final shot made by the Eagles as ETBU went on a 9-0 run to finish the quarter for an 11-point lead, 20-9. ETBU hit four of their seven three-pointers in the first quarter.
 
Scoring the first four points of the second quarter from Ward and Hannah Matthews, ETBU took a 15-point lead, 24-9. With 6:27 to go, Hall hit one free throw to give ETBU their largest lead of the night 31-13, and still held that advantage at 5:48 on another layup. Ward kept the lead at 15 points, 36-21, with 1:46 left but UO cut the lead to 13, 38-25, at the half.
 
Ozarks opened the third quarter cutting the lead to 10, 38-28, at 9:31 on an and-1 play. James hit a three-pointer at 7:06 to put the lead back at 15 points, 43-28. In the next five minutes, UO had an 8-3 run bot pull within 10, 46-36, at 2:16. Hall hit a jumper with 48 seconds left for a 14-point lead, 52-38, but UO had a bucket with 28 seconds to go for a third quarter score of 52-40.
 
Within the first 30 seconds of the fourth quarter, UO had ETBU's lead down to nine, 52-43, but by 6:58 the Tigers built the lead back up to 13 points, 58-45, on a Galvin layup. Ward hit another layup at 2:50 to keep the lead at 13, 67-54. A minute and a half later, UO was within six, 67-61, on a 7-0 run. That is as close as they would come as ETBU went 5-of-6 from the foul line in the final 40 seconds for the 11-point win, 72-61.
 
ETBU will host Texas Dallas in their final regular season game of the year on Saturday, Feb. 17, in Senior Day at 1:00 p.m.