BROWNWOOD, Texas – Outscoring East Texas Baptist University, 40-22, in the final 10 minutes of the first half, Howard Payne University ran away with the game, taking it 119-89. ETBU is now 6-16 and 2-3 in the American Southwest Conference.
 
Jason Justice led ETBU with 31 points, and Michael Roberts picked up another double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Joshua R Davis added 10 points and three assists.
 
ETBU made 45 percent of its shots but was 10-of-28 from the three-point line (35 percent) and 19-of-28 from the line (67 percent). HPU took 48 free throws, making 36 (77 percent), and shot 58 percent from the floor and 33 percent from the arc. They shot 70 percent in the second half and 77 percent from the line. ETBU outrebounded HPU 33-31 but had 21 turnovers.
 
Roberts gave ETBU a 3-2 lead just over 30 seconds into the game on an and-one. After HPU tied it at three, Davis hit a three-pointer to go up, 6-3, at 17:23. HPU responded on a 10-0 run over two minutes to take a seven-point advantage, 13-6. By 11:59, ETBU had the lead down to four, 18-14, on a Justice three-pointer. Justice cut the lead to three, 19-16, on a steal and fastbreak layup at 10:53. HPU then turned up their offense to score 40 points in the final 10 minutes. After Justice put ETBU within three, HPU had a 14-2 run over two and a half minutes to extend the lead to 15, 33-18. Justice hit a three-pointer at 7:06 to pull ETBU within nine, 35-26, but HPU finished the half on a 24-12 run for a 21-point lead at the half, 59-38.
 
HPU's offense became hotter in the second half, shooting 70 percent. Joshua Joe brought the lead down to 17, 72-55, at 15:27 on a three-pointer, but less than a minute later, the lead was back to 24, 79-55. ETBU then trailed the rest of half by 20+ points, being as close as 19 on four occasions. HPU made two free throws with 30 seconds left for the 30-point advantage, 119-89.
 
ETBU takes on Hardin-Simmons University on Saturday in Abilene, Texas, at 3:30 p.m.