MARSHALL, Texas - Pulling away in the fourth quarter, the #2 East Texas Baptist University women's basketball team honored seniors Haley Fieseler and Mallory Stephens holding off rival LeTourneau University, 63-51. Their historic winning streak has reached 20 games in a row as they are now 20-0 and 12-0 in the American Southwest Conference East Division. ETBU is the first NCAA Division III men's or women's program to 20 wins this season and the fourth NCAA Women's Basketball team to reach 20 wins behind Texas A&M, Louisville, and Stanford.

Mallory Stephens left Ornelas Gymnasium flourishing with a career high 21 points to lead the for ETBU. Fieseler would finish with nine points along with Grace Stephens and Taylor Singleton (two blocks, four steals, seven rebounds). Keauna Whitfield finished with 21 points for LETU.

Outshooting LETU in field goals (25-17), the Tigers finished with one less three-pointer (7-6), but had a higher free throw percentage (77.8%-66.7%). They out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets, 38-29, and recorded 14 assists, 24 bench points and had 21 points off turnovers.

From the opening tip, both teams would not get clear control of the game as ETBU would score 10 of the first 17 points with Grace Stephens and Singleton scoring four points. Mallory Stephens would also get on the board (4:43) to push ETBU up, 10-7. Yet, the Yellow Jackets would be ignited by 11 first quarter points by Whitfield, who would put her team up 15-12 at the end the first quarter.

Mallory Stephen's layup (9:52) and a Singleton free throw (9:30) would knot the score at 15. Kenidi White would knock down ETBU's first three-pointer (6:20) only for LETU to hit a pair of three-pointers to finish with five in the first half. Down 24-20, ETBU would turn to the Stephens' sisters as Mallory (1:54) and Grace (0:55) pushed ETBU back up by one, 25-24. LETU would retake the lead on a pair of free throws before Fieseler connected with a three just before the break for a two-point lead at the half, 28-26.

LETU would retake the lead, 33-30, to begin the third quarter. The Tigers would then kickstart a 10-point run (6:58-3:32) with three's from Mallory Stephens (6:58) and White (5:15). LETU would cut the lead to four, 40-36, before Mollie Dittmar would answer with a pair of lay-ups (1:59-1:07) giving ETBU an eight-point lead, 44-36. The Yellow Jackets would have a quick answer of five straight to keep the game tight, 44-41, at the end of the third quarter.

Making their last quarter memorable, Fieseler (8:52, 8:08) and Mallory Stephens (8:50) would score six straight to open the quarter pushing the lead to nine points, 50-41. Each of the next two LETU baskets would be answered by baskets from Grace Stephens (4:29) and Dittmar (2:42). Mallory Stephens would then finish off her night with eight more points, including a three at 1:31 left, to put the game out of reach. Free throws from Stephens would extend her night to 21 points and the Tigers would close out LETU for their 20th straight win, 63-51.
 
ETBU will travel to Longview, Texas, to face LeTourneau, again, on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 1:00 p.m.