BELTON, Texas – A slow shooting second half for East Texas Baptist University led to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (no. 4 seed) coming back in the American Southwest Conference Tournament first round as the season ended for the Tigers, 71-65. ETBU ends the year at 15-11 and were the no. 5 seed in the tournament.
 
ETBU shot just 28 percent in the second half making just two three-pointers as UMHB made 44 percent holding off the Tigers. Finishing shooting 38 percent, ETBU made just 23 percent from the arc going 6-of-26 and was 11-of-17 from the line. UMHB finished shooting 38 percent and swooshed eight three-pointers shooting 40 percent in the second half (4-of-10) hitting 10-of-13 from the free throw line. ETBU out rebounded UMHB, 40-38, and scored 28 points in the paint.
 
Jaden Conner came off the bench to lead ETBU with 15 points. Jayden Williams then added 13 points making three three-pointers. Darry Moore grabbed 13 rebounds and finished with six points. UMHB's Josiah Johnson led all scorers with 25 points.
 
It took two minutes for a team score as UMHB took a 2-0 lead. By the 16:26 mark, UMHB had a 7-3 lead but ETBU went on a 6-0 run for a 9-7 run with a Williams jumper. UMHB took a one-point lead, 13-12, at 11:49 and ETBU answered on a 7-0 run over two minutes for a six-point lead, 19-13. Conner made two free throws. By the 7:08 mark, Christian Dews converted an and-1 for an eight-point lead, 26-18. Williams then canned a three-pointer at 5:33 for a nine-point lead, 29-20, and still had a nine-point lead at 4:10, 34-25, on a Conner layup. UMBH cut the lead to three, 38-35, on a 10-4 run in two and half minutes. Ryan Elzy made a jumper with 56 seconds to go for a five-point half time lead, 40-35.
 
Elzy put ETBU's lead to seven points, 42-35, at 19:12, and kept a five-point lead, 48-43, on a Kurt Labeaud jumper at 16:10. Over three minutes, UMHB had a 7-1 run to take at one-point lead, 50-49. Joshua R Davis gave ETBU back the lead with a fast break layup at 11:24, 53-50. In four minutes, UMHB had an 11-1 run for a seven-point lead, 61-54, at 7:33. ETBU answered back with a 7-0 run in two and half minutes at Elzy took a steal for a fast break layup to tie the game at 61. After UMHB took a three-point lead, Davis swooshed a three-pointer at 3:14 to tie the game, again, at 64. ETBU didn't score over the next two minutes as UMHB took a six-point lead, 70-64 with 1:14 left to play. Labeaud hit one free throw with 51 seconds left to cut the lead to five, 70-65, but the Tigers missed their next two shots as UMBH made one free throw to end the game, 71-65.
 
Four seniors finish their career at ETBU in Moore, Williams, Connor, and Boll Nyang. Both Moore and Williams leave as 1,000 point scorers and all four players guided ETBU to the 2023 ASC Tournament Championship.