BELTON, Texas – Bringing in the New Year handling #18 University of California Santa Cruz, East Texas Baptist University produced a fourth quarter that the Banana Slugs couldn't overcome as the Tigers dominated, 75-51. ETBU allowed just six points in the fourth quarter scoring 23 as they moved to 10-2 on the year and are now 2-2 against ranked opponents.

"This was our most complete win from the top down on offense and defense. Everyone came in and was locked in to the scouting report and attention to details," said head coach Blake Arbogast. "Overall, it was a complete game in all aspects – offense, defense, transition, and the little things like baseline and out-of-bounds special situations – and the girls stepped up to the challenge. I am ultimately super proud of them."

ETBU has now played four ranked teams in 12 games and are now 2-2 in that time. They have wins over #10 Mary Hardin-Baylor and now #18 UC Santa Cruz with close losses to then #6 Christopher Newport and #24 Hardin-Simmons.

Mollie Dittmar led the team with 13 points and eight rebounds as she shot 5-of-9 from the floor. Jade Goynes then went 5-of-7 for 12 points and six rebounds while Bridget Upton shot 50 percent from the arc (2-of-4) gaining 10 points with a perfect 4-of-4 from the stripe.  UCSC's Ashley Kowack had 23 points.

ETBU held UCSC to 32.8 percent shooting and only nine percent in the fourth quarter going 1-for-11. The Banana Slugs only made 28 percent from the arc and 60 percent from the line. The Tigers finished at 54.3 percent shooting 66 percent in the fourth quarter and made eight three-pointers overall for 47 percent from the arc. They also were 17-of-18 from the line for 94 percent. In rebounding, ETBU dominated UCSC, 42-22, and forced 13 turnovers with eight steals.

It was a close first half as ETBU had an 18-11 lead after the first quarter. ETBU went up 9-2 in the first three minutes of the game and never looked back. UCSC never had a lead in the game as ETBU led wire-to-wire. At the 3:11 mark, Dittmar hit a jumper in the paint for an eight-point lead, 15-7. UCSC cut the lead to four, 15-11, with 1:53 left but Kaia Williams nailed a three-pointer at the 1:33 mark for the final score of the quarter, 18-11. Neither team could score in the final minute and a half of the quarter.

UCSC made a comeback in the second quarter after ETBU took a 15-point lead. Jamara Levy hit a free throw at 6:47 extending the score to 28-13. Hannah Matthews kept the lead at 15, 30-15, at 5:57 on a layup in the paint. Dittmar gave ETBU a 17-point lead, 32-15, at 4:53, but ETBU would only score two points in the final four and half minutes as UCSC went on a 13-2 run to come within six, 34-28, at the half. With under a minute to go, UCSC hit a three-pointer to pull within four, 32-8, but Matthews made two free throws with 30 seconds left for the six point lead.

Both teams battled in the third quarter as ETBU kept their lead but the Banana Slugs continued to chip away at the lead. It took over two minutes for ETBU to start the second half as Dittmar swooshed two free throws for a 36-28 lead. At 7:27, UCSC made another three-pointer as they were within five points, 36-31. By 5:59, the Banana Slugs connected on another three-pointer as they came within striking distance of the lead at four points, 40-36. ETBU scored the next four points on a Williams shot and two free throws from Webster (5:09) for the eight-point lead, 44-36. With 1:30 left in the quarter, Goynes made two free throws for a 10-point lead, 50-40. UCSC scored five of the next seven points to come within seven points, 52-45, heading into the fourth quarter.

It was in the fourth that ETBU flexed their defensive muscles allowing just six points on nine percent shooting with one made UCSC shot. At the 8:36 mark, UCSC made a free throw as the ETBU lead was at 11-points, 57-46. ETBU answered over the next seven minutes outscoring the Banana Slugs, 18-3, for a 26-point lead, 75-49. Goynes hit the jumper for the largest lead of the game at the 1:45 mark. That was the final shot made by ETBU as they won, 75-51.

This is the first of three straight road games for ETBU as they face Howard Payne University on Thursday in Brownwood at 5:30 p.m. and Sul Ross State on Saturday in Alpine.