MARSHALL, Texas – Will and determination became the difference in the game late in the fourth quarter as East Texas Baptist University held off Hardin-Simmons University, 78-77, in their first American Southwest Conference women's basketball game. HSU took the lead 58-57 with 6:32 left when ETBU answered on a 7-1 run in a minute and half and never lost the lead again. ETBU is now 6-2 overall and 1-0 in the ASC.
"It's great to win a game like that where it is so close and comes down to the wire," says head coach Edsel Hamilton. "We have been stressing mental toughness a lot and I think our kids really showed resilience to stay with it."
April Leonard once again led the team in scoring with 24 points while Lauren Lee netted a career-high 18 points. Taylee Alexander posted 11 rebounds and two blocks. HSU's Kourtney Holyfield finished with 32 points.
Heading into the fourth quarter it was a close battle as ETBU held a two-point advantage, 49-47. ETBU went on a 6-2 run for a six-point lead, 55-49, as Leonard scored four of the six points in those two minutes. That's when HSU answered with a 7-2 run taking the momentum and a one-point lead, 58-57, in just over two minutes. With 6:32 left, HSU had the one-point lead for about 12 seconds when Ambrosia Woodard nailed a three-pointer to retake the lead, 60-58. ETBU never lost the lead again. ETBU would move it to a 64-58 lead on two Lee free throws and then had a seven point lead, 68-61, with 2:51 left to play on an Alexander lay up. In the final minute and a half, HSU's Holyfield hit three straight three-pointers to pull the Cowgirls within one, 75-74, with 18 seconds left. Leonard was fouled with 13 seconds left and made both free throws for a three-point lead, 77-74. HSU cut the lead to two swooshing one-of-two free throws but the Leonard hit one-of-two free throws with five seconds left for the three-point lead. HSU missed a three-pointer with two seconds left but tipped in the two-point basket as the buzzer sounded.
ETBU led the entire third quarter and had as large as a nine-point lead, 40-31. With 3:23 left, HSU came within two 42-40 on two free throws but ETBU extended their lead to five, 46-41, with four straight points from Woodard. HSU fought back tying the game at 47 but two Leonard free throws with five seconds left put ETBU up two heading into the fourth quarter.
"We fought really hard in this game and traded basket for basket a lot but we came out with the win in the end," says Woodard.
In the first half, ETBU took a 12-4 lead in the first three and a half minutes of the game. Leonard had five of the 12 points while Malaisia Chisholm, Cekret Davis, and Lee all scored. HSU came alive at that point and went on a 9-2 run to pull within one, 14-13, with 4:08 left to play. Leonard canned a three-pointer to make it 17-13 but by the 1:04 mark HSU tied the game at 17. With 33 seconds left, Kaitlyn Packett came in and ended the quarter with a three-pointer for a three-point lead, 20-17.
HSU put together a strong second quarter and took the lead, 29-28, with 2:03 to go. Delia Hopkins made two free throws at the 1:39 mark which started a 7-0 run to end the half as ETBU took a 35-29. In that time, Hopkins had six of the seven points scored.
Overall in the game, ETBU shot 44 percent and made 29 percent from the arc and 79 percent from the free throw line. HSU shot 36 percent from the floor, 39 percent from three-point land, and 72 percent from the strip. Both teams had 39 rebounds and ETBU turned the ball over 14 times but had five blocks.
ETBU will host Louisiana College on Thursday, December 10th, at 5:30 p.m.