MARSHALL, Texas – Coming from behind again this season posting a 26-6 run midway through the second half, the East Texas Baptist University men's basketball team erased 15-point first-half deficit over the University of Texas Dallas to stay undefeated in the American Southwest Conference East Division, 83-74. This is the first win in seven games against the Comets dating back to 2016 and puts ETBU at 10-2 and in first place in the ASC East at 3-0.
Five players scored in double-digits scoring as Christopher Haynes led the way with 13 points. Both Robby Dooley and Colton Collins recorded 12 points while Jarrell Taylor made all five of his field goals plus a free throw for a total of 11 points. Nathan Fontenot would come off the bench for 10 points. Jordan Gray finished with a team-high five rebounds while Landin Brown delivered five assists. Jalen Weber was the game's top scorer with 27 points.
While UTD finished outshooting the Tigers (54.4%-52.4%), ETBU made 70% of their field goals in the second half. ETBU finished making 41.7% from the three-point line and 50.8% from the free-throw line. ETBU's bench outscored UTD's 51-10, points in paint (44-28) and points off turnovers (26-9).
Each team would exchange points for the first five minutes as ETBU trailed, 8-7, before the first media timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the Comets went off for 11 straight points (14:48-11:10) to go ahead 19-7. UTD would then continue to build their lead reaching as much as 30-15 with 5:45 to play. Brown then ignited an ETBU rally with five points (5:04, 4:14) while Fontenot (3:30), Taylor (2:58), and Dooley (2:35) brought the Tigers to within seven, 34-27, which would be the score at halftime.
UTD would again build their lead to double-digits at 38-28 with 18:58 to play in the second half. ETBU would then catch fire beginning with a 13-2 run to lead 41-40 with Haynes scoring seven points (17:07, 16:42, 15:48) and Gray hitting a three for the lead. Again, UTD would retake control with eight unanswered points (14:38-13:27) to lead by seven (48-41). Again, ETBU would answer with another run (13-6; 13:14-9:55) to tie the game at 54 as part of the 26-6 run over six and half minutes. Collins (9:19, 7:42) and Fontenot (8:10) would then separate themselves from the Comets with nine straight points added with two technical foul shots (7:11) to increase their lead to 11, 65-54. UTD would struggle to get the game back to within single digits until the final seconds pulling to with nine, 83-74.
ETBU will host the Eagles of the University of Ozarks on Saturday at 3:00 PM in Ornelas Gym.