CLARKSVILLE, Ark. – Mary Slaughter picked up her fifth double-double of the year lead East Texas Baptist University to their 10th win in a 63-58 victory over the University of the Ozarks. Slaughter sparked a 12-2 run in the second half scoring nine of the points to push ETBU to the lead for good. ETBU now is 5-4 in the American Southwest Conference East division and in fourth place.
Slaughter finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds shooting 7-of-11 from the floor while also blocking two balls. April Leonard finished with 11 points and Brandace Latin added 10 points and eight rebounds. Amanda Rucker had eight points and two blocks. Chelsea Glassock had 17 points for the University of the Ozarks.
Down five points, 41-36, with 19:07 left in the game, ETBU went on a 12-2 run over seven and a half minutes taking a five point lead. Slaughter scored the first four points of the run with a jumper in the paint and then a layup a minute later to cut the lead to one, 41-40. Ozarks put the lead at three, 43-40, almost two minutes later after both teams missed a combined five shots. Latin went 1-of-2 at the free throw line with 15:21 left and then Slaughter hit back-to-back shots within 30 seconds of each other to give ETBU the lead for good, 45-43. At the 12:34 mark, she scored her ninth point in the 12-2 run making a free throw for a three-point lead, 46-43. Jaimie Kladecek ended the run with a layup for the five-point lead, 48-43.
Ozarks tied the game at 50 with 5:39 left in the game but ETBU went on a 5-0 run on a bucket by Adeaze Elonu and then a Rucker jumper and free throw. With 1:25 left, Ozarks was within three, 58-55, but Elonu nailed both of her free throws for a five-point advantage. Ozarks followed with a three-pointer to bring the lead back down to two points but Kadlecek swooshed in both free throws for a four-point lead, 62-58, with 33 seconds left. Latin finished off the scoring for ETBU with seven seconds left as she made 1-of-2 from the stripe for the five-point win.
Both teams battled in the first half as there were five ties. With 3:46 left in the half, the game was tied at 32 but Ozarks finished on a 5-4 run for the one-point lead at the half, 37-36. Rucker canned a jumper in the paint with 15 seconds left to pull ETBU within one.
ETBU shot 37 percent on the game from the floor and hit 27 percent of their three-point shots but went 16-of-27 at the stripe for 59 percent. Ozarks finished shooting 35 percent from the floor, 36 percent from the arc, and 56 percent from the foul line. ETBU also won the rebounding game, 46-38.
ETBU will be at home on Tuesday, January 15th, at 5:30 p.m. vs. Texas-Tyler in their first of six straight home games.