ABILENE, Texas – Headed back to the American Southwest Conference Tournament Championship match, East Texas Baptist University won four tiebreaking matches for the 4-1 victory over the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. ETBU is now 13-4 after winning the ASC Tournament semi-final match and has won their last three meetings over UMHB.
 
"Today, our team fought hard despite losing a tough and close doubles point. In singles play, our team came alive on and off the court to unite for a big win!! This team wants to win and they showed that today," said ETBU head coach Drew Lambert.
 
ETBU started the match down 1-0 after dropping two of the three doubles matches. Austin Slade and BT White took the no. 2 match, 6-0, for the only match won in doubles over Marcus Torres and Fernando Andrade. Sam Black and Max Karseno's 10-match win streak at no.1 ended as they fell to Nicolas Cusano and Joaquim Fernandes in the tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-5). Jacob Daniell and Erick Van Zyl lost at no. 3, 6-3.
 
The singles matches had five tiebreaking matches, as each team vied to be the first team to four points. UMHB started off strong, winning the first sets at no. 3, no. 4, and no. 5, as it looked like the Crusaders were going to take the momentum from the doubles matches.
 
Austin tied the match at one, winning at no. 6 for the first point, 6-3, 6-3, over Carter Celaya. White battled back at no. 3 for the 2-1 lead. After the first set, he was down, 3-6, but fought back to take the match in sets two and three, 6-3, 6-4, over Eli Sam. Baptiste Berthier mirrored what White did at no. 4. Falling in the first set, 4-6, he won the next two sets, 6-3, 6-4, giving ETBU the two-point lead, 3-1, over Andrade. Karseno earned the match win at no. 5 after dropping the first set, 4-6. He then took sets two and three, 6-3, 6-2, over Cusano, clinching the match win.
 
Jaco Snymman was in a tiebreaking set at no. 2 when the match ended. He won set one, 6-2, but dropped set two, 3-6, and was tied 4-4 when the match ended. Black, playing at no. 1, won his first set, 6-3, fell in the second set, 3-6, and was up 4-3 in the tiebreaker.
 
ETBU will play either Hardin-Simmons University or LeTourneau for the ASC Championship on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in Abilene.