MARSHALL, Texas – Shooting 51 percent and making eight three-pointers, East Texas Baptist University cruised to a 30-point win over the University of California Santa Cruz, 76-46. ETBU is now 12-3 on the year, heading into conference play and receiving votes in the WBCA NCAA Division III poll.
 
Four players scored in double figures as Madison Hurta went 6-of-7 from the floor for 17 points, making three three-pointers. Tiffany Bickford added 11 points and six rebounds, while Skyler Smith collected 11 points. Payton Hicks had 10 points with eight assists.
 
ETBU shot 51 percent, making 66 percent from the floor in the second quarter. They also went 8-of-21 from the arc (38 percent) and hit 47 percent of their free throws. UCSC shot 24 percent, made only 28 percent of their three-pointers, and was 50 percent at the line. ETBU outrebounded UCSC 39-29 and forced 19 turnovers for 27 points.
 
It was a close first quarter as ETBU had a two-point lead, 19-17. UCSC went up by four, 15-11, with 3:21 to go, but ETBU ended the quarter with an 8-2 run for the lead. Hicks hit two free throws with 10 seconds left to retake the lead, 19-17, as she had four points in the run. ETBU's offense clicked in the second quarter, scoring 23 points and shooting 66 percent while holding UCSC to nine points. UCSC was within two, 22-20, just over a minute into the quarter, but in the next six minutes, ETBU held the Banana Slugs to two points on an 18-2 run for an 18-point lead, 40-22. Two three-pointers were in the run, and Hurta scored five of the 18 points. Skyler Smith nailed a three-pointer at 2:49 for the 18-point lead, 40-22. UCSC had a free throw with 42 seconds left to cut the lead to 16, 42-26, at the half.
 
ETBU's defense allowed just four points in the third quarter as UCSC shot 10 percent with one shot from the floor. Hurta gave ETBU their first 20-point lead with two free throws, 46-26, at 8:13, and then Bickford made a three-pointer with 1:37 left for a 30-point lead, 59-29. Macy Jones had the final shot of the quarter for a 31-point advantage, 61-30, with 29 seconds left. UCSC added 16 points in the fourth quarter, but the lead never fell below 27. Abry Odom had a layup with 36 seconds left in the game for a 33-point lead, 76-43, before UCSC scored the final three points.
 
ETBU will host the University of Texas Dallas on Saturday, January 11, at 1:00 p.m.