MARSHALL, Texas - On cruise control from start to finish, the East Texas Baptist University men's basketball team reached the century mark for the second time this season with a 108-87 victory over Belhaven University. This win sees ETBU still tied for first in the American Southwest Conference East Divisoin  at 8-1 and has an overall record of 14-3.

Westin Riddick (18 points) led an ETBU team that had five players in double-figures, including Dion Mack (14 points), Nathan Fontenot (13 points), Landin Brown (11 points), and Jordan Gosey (10 points). Gosey was one rebound shy of reaching a double-double while Fontenot also dished out six assists to lead the team. BU's top scorer was Rick Hodum, who finished with 16 points while Terik Richardson (14 points), Isiah Brown (11 points), and Brent Webber (10 points) also reached double-figures.

ETBU kept the hot hand making 57.1% from the field, 42.9% from three-pointers, and 75% from the free throw line. ETBU also collected 40 points and 46 points off the bench. BU would make 34.8% from the field, 22.6% from three-pointers, and 70.8% from the free-throw line. They would only muster 28 points in the paint and 10 second chance points during the game.

The first five minutes saw ETBU and BU locked in a scoring duel as neither one could maintain control early. Mack hit the first three of the game (19:01) while Riddick started the game with a flare as he tallied seven points including a four-point play (17:53). ETBU led 15-10 at 15:00 before they would race to a seven point lead at 25-18 (10:47). A three-point play by BU twenty-one seconds later would see BU get as close as they would get all night long. ETBU then got two three's from Mack (10:05) and Fontenot (9:48) while Gavin Sabo (9:27) and Davis Robinson (9:08) added layups to push their lead to 35-23. ETBU would tack on to their lead at fifteen points on two occasions (42-27, 50-35). After four straight points by BU to trail 50-39 (5:00), ETBU would soon reach their largest lead of the half at twenty points (64-44; 1:16) on a layup by Alan Wilkinson. BU would score on free throws (0:40) to trail 64-46 at halftime.

In the first seven minutes of the second half, ETBU would reach their largest lead of the contest at twenty-five points when Mack scored on a layup (13:06) completing an 18-11 run to lead 82-57. In the next five minutes, BU would cut the deficit to fourteen points (87-73) with 8:05 to go. But free throws by Darrice Whitley (7:47), Riddick (6:09), Fontenot (5:26) and a jumper by Sabo (6:29) pushed ETBU's lead back to twenty at 95-75. Another free throw by Fontenot (3:20) gave ETBU their first 100-point game of the season to lead 101-82. BU would stay behind by under twenty points until Brown would finish off the Blazers with two free throws with thirty-seven seconds to play.

ETBU will play an exhibition game in Tulsa, Okla., against NCAA Division I Oral Roberts University this Tuesday at 7:30 PM.