MARSHALL, Texas – Clinching the 2024-25 American Southwest Conference Regular Season Championship, no. 24/25 East Texas Baptist University ran away with a victory over the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 78-46. Head coach Blake Arbogast earned his 100^th career win as ETBU moved to 20-4 and 7-0 in the ASC.
 
Madison Hurta posted a career game with six three-pointers made and 24 points to lead ETBU. Payton Hicks followed with 20 points and six assists, going 11-of-13 from the foul line. Hannah Ayala finished with 13 points and four rebounds. Tristan Smith led ETBU with five rebounds.
 
ETBU shot 42 percent from the floor with a game-best 58 percent in the first quarter. They also shot 42 percent from the arc and 70 percent from the line. UMHB made only 22 percent of their shots, was 2-of-21 from three-point range, went 0-for-13 in the second half, and was 20-of-28 at the line (71 percent). ETBU outrebounded UMHB 44-27, forcing 17 turnovers for 23 points.
 
UMHB was up, 9-4, with 5:24 left in the first quarter when ETBU finished on an 18-2 run over the next five minutes and an 11-point lead, 22-11. Smith hit a three-pointer to start the run at 5:24, and Ayala had a jumper at 4:39 to take the lead, 10-9. ETBU's defense held UMHB to no points for over three minutes as the Crusaders came within three, 14-11, at 2:11. In the final two minutes, ETBU outscored UMHB 8-0. Hurta had a three-pointer at 1:52 and then made the final bucket of the quarter with one minute to go for the 11-point advantage.
 
Both teams scored 17 points in the second quarter as ETBU maintained their lead. Hurta returned an offensive rebound at 8:22 for two points and a 13-point lead, 27-14. She canned a three-pointer at 8:01 for a 14-point lead, 30-16, but by 5:22, UMHB was within nine, 30-21. Hicks gave ETBU their 14-point lead back on a layup with 1:44 left but a UMHB three-pointer with 1:01 to go gave the Tigers just an 11-point lead at the half, 39-28.
 
ETBU held UMHB to just nine free throws made in the third quarter and no shots from the floor. The Cru was 0-of-12 and 0-of-4 from the arc. ETBU only made three shots from the floor but went 10-of-12 from the line. No points were scored until the 6:12 mark on free throws from UMHB. It was not until 4:36 that the first bucket was made on a jumper from Ayala, giving ETBU an 18-point lead, 48-30. To that point, there were 10 combined free throws in five minutes. UMHB had the lead down to 13, 48-35, at 2:32, but Hicks hit a three-pointer at the buzzer for a 19-point lead, 56-37.
 
Scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter, ETBU took a 21-point lead at 8:38 on a Hurta three-pointer. She gave ETBU a 26-point lead at 6:59, 66-40, on a three-pointer and a 31-point lead with a layup at 4:22, 73-42. ETBU's largest lead of 33 points, 75-42, was at 3:10 on an Ayala layup. Skyler Smith ended the game at 57 seconds with two free throws for a 32-point win, 78-46.
 
ETBU will host LeTourneau University on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in the final regular season game.