ABILENE, Texas - Earning a win in Abilene at the Mabee Complex for the first time since 1998-99, the East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team made a huge statement with a big 78-63 road victory against the Hardin-Simmons University Cowgirls. ETBU has reached the 10-win plateau at 10-1 overall and are still the only undefeated team left in the American Southwest Conference with a 4-0 record.

Coming off the bench, Mallory Stephens and Karley McHenry led the team with 15 and 12 points respectively while starters Kim Childress and Madison McCoy each contributed 10 points each. Sydney Saxton dished out a game high seven assists while Erin Meeks led the team with eight rebounds. HSU had two players in double figures as both Taylor Gaffney (five assists) and Heidi Schroeder (nine rebounds) had 19 and 16 points respectively.

ETBU finished out shooting HSU 40.4% to 38.6% in field goal percentage. But HSU's 44.4% from downtown and 83.3% from the free throw line gave them the edge. Still, ETBU found other ways to win including a 31-16 edge in points off turnovers and a 23-11 edge in second chance points. ETBU's bench once again contributed to the win scoring 45 points while HSU's could only score 11.

Right off the tip, the two teams would trade a three-pointer and a two-pointer each (10:00-6:31) to keep the score tied at five. But in fifty-six seconds (6:00-5:04), HSU would score seven straight points. to lead 12-5. Not to be outdone, ETBU answered an 11-2 run (4:32-1:20) to lead 16-15. This included a layup by Erin Meeks (4:32), threes by McHenry (4:12) and Stephens (2:56), and free throws by Baylie Lindsey (1:20). The Cowgirls would get five points back for a 19-16 lead only for McHenry to tie the game on a three with twenty-three seconds left. However, HSU scored at the buzzer to lead 21-19 at the half.

Each team would score four points apiece just one hundred and thirty seconds into the second quarter as HSU led 25-23. HSU would then use baskets by Schroeder (7:23, 7:02) and free throws by Addison Garcia (4:59) to push their lead to 31-23. Stephens would then key a 9-2 run (4:41-2:02) with two three pointers while Childress (4:04) and Saxton (2:22) added buckets to cut the lead to 33-32. HSU would tack on two free throws at 1:57 and the 35-32 lead would stay the same score until halftime.

Once again, ETBU's second half play would help them as they would outscore HSU 46-28 in the second half. The third quarter would once again prove to be a tight affair, which started when McCoy connected on a three-point play to tie the game nine seconds in. Amanda Wilson's layup at 9:03 to give ETBU a 37-35 lead was answered by four straight points by HSU in fifty-seven seconds. Saxton's free throws (7:08) tied the score at 39, which set up a 6-1 run by both HSU (6:56-5:32) and ETBU (4:51-3:52) and the game was tied at 46. Both teams stayed tied until thirty-seven seconds left when HSU took the lead at 53-51. However, it would be ETBU with the 54-53 lead after three quarters following a three by McHenry with four seconds left.

It came down to the fourth quarter that would put ETBU on top as ETBU outscored HSU 24-10 in the fourth quarter. The closest HSU got was 56-55 (6:54) before ETBU went on a 10-1 run (6:35-4:46) to give them a 66-56 lead. Stephens would score five points while Childress added a three-pointer (5:27) in the stretch. The Cowgirls would try to keep the deficit in single-digits only for ETBU to push it back to double-digits. With forty seconds left, HSU scored their final points to cut the lead to 72-63. ETBU would then make six free throws, including five from McCoy (:30, :19, :04) to make the final margin of victory fifteen points at 78-63.

ETBU will finish up their Abilene stay with a game against McMurry at 2:00 PM on Saturday.