MARSHALL, Texas – It was twice the fun in Ornelas Gymnasium for East Texas Baptist University earning an upset win, 84-82, in double overtime against the University of Texas-Tyler (11-5/6-4) as two players recorded double-doubles and five players finished with double figures. Texas-Tyler was just a half-game out of first place heading into tonight's game and needed a win to propel them into a first-place tie with Texas-Dallas but now are a game back at 6-4 in the ASC East. This is the second time in two weeks that ETBU has upset one of the top teams in the ASC in Ornelas Gym.
ETBU keeps their hopes alive for the ASC Tournament as they improve to 7-9 overall and 3-7 in the ASC East. The win breaks a three-game losing streak and makes the race in the ASC East even tighter.
Jaron Joseph and Junior Mitchell recorded double-doubles for the first time this year. Joseph led the team with 20 points and 12 rebounds while Mitchell earned his first-ever double-double with 12 points and 10 assists. Kerry McClahan added 16 points and nine rebounds as Erby Thompson netted 11 points and Justin Felicia 10 points. Clavoisiea Dupree finished with nine points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks. Texas-Tyler's Travis Dykman had 19 points for his team.
Holding Texas-Tyler to just one bucket in the final 2:18 of play in the second overtime, ETBU dug deep enough to pull out the win in that time. Texas-Tyler's Tyler Hysell laid in a shot at the 2:18 mark for a one-point lead, 80-79, but 13 seconds later Dupree went to the line and sank both free throws to retake the lead, 81-80. Answering in 14 seconds, Texas-Tyler's Dykman swooshed in a jumper and a one-point advantage, 82-81, with 1:51 remaining. That would be the last bucket made as Texas-Tyler would miss two shots in that time.
At the 1:30 mark, Dupree grabbed an offensive rebound off a Mitchell miss and banked it in giving ETBU the lead for good, 83-82. Texas-Tyler followed with a missed layup as McClahan brought in the defensive rebound. With 30 seconds left, Joseph missed a shot as Dykman found the defensive rebound but gave it back to ETBU 10 seconds later fouling Mitchell. Mitchell stepped to the line, with a one-point lead, and missed both free throws as 19 seconds remained and Darren Houliston grabbed the rebound.
After a Texas-Tyler timeout, Joe Stephens stepped up for a three-pointer and missed as Dupree pulled down the defensive rebound getting it out to Mitchell. Mitchell was immediately fouled with one second left and made one-of-two from the stripe sealing the win.
Texas-Tyler led for most of the first half taking an 11-point lead at the 13:39 mark. Over the next 12 minutes ETBU would slowly break down that lead outscoring Texas-Tyler, 32-13, taking an eight point lead, 37-29. ETBU did not get their first lead until the 4:07 mark with Joseph shot, 31-29. ETBU's defense only allowed four Texas-Tyler points in the final 5:50 of the half. Dupree put ETBU by eight, 37-29, with a jumper at the 1:54 mark. Felicia banked in a shot with one second left in the half as ETBU took an eight point lead, 39-31, to the locker room.
ETBU took their largest lead of 12, 45-33, with 17:52 to go in the game on a McClahan lay up. Texas-Tyler did to ETBU what ETBU did in the first half crawling back into the game. With 5:09 left, Texas-Tyler took the lead, 61-60, as they outscored ETBU, 28-15, in 12 minutes of play.
ETBU fought back and took a three-point lead as neither team hit a shot for almost two minutes. Dupree gave ETBU the lead back, 62-61, with 3:21 left and with 1:14 to play Mitchell put ETBU up by three, 64-61. The lead stayed at three, 66-63, with 25 seconds left as Texas-Tyler had one possession remaining and Joe Stephens made the most of it. With two seconds left, he was fouled shooting a three-pointer as he made all three free throws sending the game to overtime.
Scoring the first five points in overtime, it looked as though ETBU would run away with the game, 71-66, as just over three minutes were left. By the 2:24 mark, ETBU still clang to the five-point lead, 73-68, and with just under a minute to play Joseph put them up by seven, 75-68. Texas-Tyler went to work in the final minute tying the game to send it to the second overtime.
Houliston hit two free throws with 49 seconds left to bring the lead down to five and then was on the receiving end of a pass off of a Dykman steal hitting a three-pointer with 46 seconds remaining cutting the lead to two, 75-73. With 37 seconds left, ETBU called a timeout when they did not have one which led to a technical foul and two free throws. Stephens hit them both to tie the game at 75. ETBU's defense saved them in the last second as they did not give Houliston a good look missing his layup to put the game into the second overtime.
ETBU shot 43 percent overall but made only 23 percent of their three-pointers and 67 percent of their free shots. They held Texas-Tyler to 33 percent shooting from both the floor and beyond the arc but they made 75 percent of their free throws. Both teams had 49 rebounds and ETBU had 20 turnovers to Texas-Tyler's 16.
ETBU will host LeTourneau University at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 17th, in Ornelas Gym in an ASC East game.