BROWNWOOD, Texas – Five players hit three-pointers as East Texas Baptist University made 12 shots from beyond the arc in a 94-77 victory over Howard Payne University. ETBU shot 44 percent from the three-point line making eight shots in the second half and led the entire game. They are now 12-10 and 8-6 in the American Southwest Conference.
 
Kurt Laeaud collected a career-high 22 points with seven assists and four rebounds shooting 8-of-9 from the floor with three three-pointers made. Ryan Elzy then added 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting as Darry Moore gave 17 points and seven rebounds and Jayden Williams hit four three-pointers for 12 points. Armonie Ramey had 13 points for HPU.
 
ETBU shot 53 percent overall with their 44 percent shooting from the arc. They then were 12-of-14 from the line (85 percent). HPU made 46 percent from the floor, 26 percent from the three-point line, and 73 percent from the stripe. ETBU won the rebounding game, 31-30,
 
Williams started off the game with a three-pointer just 40 seconds into the game as ETBU never lost the lead in the game. The first five minutes saw a one-point game as ETBU was up, 13-12, at 15:34. At the 12:36 mark, it was still a two-point game, 18-16, but Moore made it a six-point lead, 24-18, at 10:06. That started a 9-2 run as ETBU took an 11-point lead, 31-20, on an Elzy three-pointer at 7:02. HPU was back within six points, 32-26, by 5:36, but ETBU responded again. A 10-2 run put the score at 42-28 and a 14-point lead with 2:17 left on two Christian Dews free throws. HPU brought the lead down to six, 44-38, on a 10-2 run with five seconds left but Moore swooshed a jumper as time expired for an eight-point halftime lead, 46-38.
 
ETBU shot 47 percent from the three-point line in the second half scoring 48 points to run away with the game. HPU cut the lead to eight, 48-40, just a minute in but the next two minutes brought a 10-2 run for ETBU and a 16-point lead, 58-42. Labeaud had a layup to put it at 16-points and had five points in the run. At 14:59, Joshua R Davis made a three-pointer for the first 20+ lead at 22 points, 66-44, at 14:59. In the next seven minutes, HPU slowly brought the lead down to 10, 74-64, at 8:12, but in a little over a minute the ETBU lead was back to 16, 80-64, on another Williams three-pointer. Moore hit two free throws with 4:46 to go for a 19-point lead, 87-68, and Cooper Gracey hit a three-pointer at 2:00 for a 21-point lead, 94-73. That was the final shot made by ETBU as they took the 17-point win, 94-77.
 
ETBU heads to Alpine, Texas, for the final time to face Sul Ross State on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.