MARSHALL, Texas – Battling hard to the end playing four players down and also battling injuries, the East Texas Baptist University women's basketball fell short against the University of Texas Tyler Patriots 61-56. ETBU is now tied for first in the ASC East at 9-2 and is 15-3 overall.
 
Kim Childress led ETBU with 20 points on seven-of-14 shooting while Karley McHenry added 11 points as both players played all 40 minutes. Childress also led the team in rebounding with seven rebounds and five assists. UTT was led by Brittany Johnson, who tallied 15 points on five three pointers.
 
Overall, ETBU outshot UTT 35.4%-34.6% from the field and 75%-60% from the free throw line. But it was UTT's threes that proved to be decisive as they made 38.5% from downtown while ETBU could only make 19%. ETBU also collected 18 points in the paint, which was more than the 16 scored by UTT.
 
The first quarter proved to be problematic for ETBU as they were unable to get in the game. ETBU tallied their first points from an Erin Meeks layup (8:23). Down 6-2 (7:46), ETBU would tally four points from Amanda Wilson (7:19) and Brittney Jones (5:28) to tie it at six. But the rest of the quarter would see UTT go on a 16-3 run to lead 22-9 after one. Wilson would score the three points (4:12, 1:24) in the stretch.
 
ETBU got five points to start the second half with five points in a row (10:00-7:33) from Childress (8:36) and Wilson (7:33) trailing 22-14. UTT would pick up their last double-digit lead (4:14) at 27-16. But again, it was Childress who tallied four of ETBU's next six points to trail 27-22 (2:21). UTT would then push the lead to 34-25 in the next eighty-one seconds before a layup by Childress tallied a layup with two seconds left in the quarter trailing 34-27 after two.
 
The Tigers came out of the third quarter gates hitting their shots as they tallied an 8-0 run (10:00-7:03) which featured jumpers by Meeks (9:15) and Jones (8:40) plus four points by Childress. After a three-point play by UTT to take the 37-35 (6:17) lead, McHenry would answer with three free throws to recapture the 38-37 lead (5:29). ETBU then went off on a 10-1 run (4:05-0:59) to lead by double-digits 48-38. This included three's by McHenry (3:31, 0:59) and free throws by Baylie Lindsey (1:31). UTT would cut the deficit to 48-42 by the time the third quarter ended.
 
ETBU start the fourth quarter with free throws by McHenry (7:37). But UTT would score 11 straight points (7:18-2:32) to lead 53-50, which they would hang on to the end. Childress would cut the lead to 53-52 with free throws (2:04) before UTT would tack on five straight points to lead 58-52 (1:09). ETBU could not keep up as UTT went on to win 61-56.
 
ETBU looks to pick up a win when they take on the University of Ozarks this Saturday at 2:00 PM.