Tiger Basketball vs. Louisiana College

BASKETBALL (M): MARSHALL, Texas (1/26/13) – Leading from start to finish, East Texas Baptist University shot 54 percent from the floor as picking up an American Southwest Conference East win in Ornelas Gym over Louisiana College (5-10/5-8), 85-78. ETBU made 46 percent of their three-point shots and a season best 83 percent from the foul line (25-of-30).

Erby Thompson led the team with 22 points just one-point shy of his career-high making 13-of-14 from the foul line. Kerry McClahan added 16 points with seven rebounds as he put in 7-of-11 of his shots. Junior Mitchell finished with 15 points and four assists while C.J. Jones had 10 points. Justin Felicia was Bert West’s "Player of the Game” with nine rebounds and a two blocks.

"I think what really helped us in this game is coming out and really jumping on them,” quotes Erby Thompson. "We had good intensity on the team and Kerry (McClahan) started finishing and going straight up against the post players.”

ETBU started the game on a 9-0 run in the first three minutes of the game with buckets from Thompson, Felicia, and Mitchell. Thompson hit two free throws at the 15:42 mark to keep the lead at eight, 11-3, but by the 12:01 mark Louisiana College had pulled within two, 14-12, on a 9-3 run. ETBU pushed the lead back to eight, 22-14, with an 8-2 run as Louisiana College would only come within four the rest of the half. LC cut the lead to four, 40-36, at the half on two free throws from Anthony Gaines, Jr.

"This put us back us back on track as everybody contributed to the win,” says player Kerry McClahan. "I finished strong to the basket and the little guys helped out the big guys while the big guys also helped out the little guys. We used both the inside and outside play of our game.”

Starting off the second half like the first on a 9-4 run, ETBU had a nine-point lead, 49-40. McClahan started the run converting a three-point play and Mitchell put the lead at nine, 45-36, on a layup. McClahan made it 49-40 with another layup underneath the basket as ETBU kept their distance.

LC like to keep it close with a 14-7 run to pull within two, 54-52, but could not find the tying basket as ETBU’s defense forced a turnover with 14:40 left. With 9:50 to play, LC’s Kevin Cottonham nailed a three-pointer as the Wildcats were as close as they would be the entire game within one, 60-59. Thompson hit his next four free throws to extend the lead to five but LC made their next two buckets to be within one, again, 64-63. In the next six minutes, ETBU wiggled out a 16-4 run for a 13-point lead, 80-67, as they slowly sealed the win. McClahan had seven of the 16 points in the run. LC did finish the game on an 11-5 run to come within seven, 85-78.

LC shot 37 percent from the floor and 28 percent from the arc making 78 percent of their free throws. ETBU out rebounded LC, 44-28 and forced 15 turnovers. ETBU lost the ball 30 times and had only four steals.

ETBU will host the University of the Ozarks on Thursday, January 31st, at 7:30 p.m.

Eddleman Nets Career-High Falling to #19 LC

BASKETBALL (W): MARSHALL, Texas (1/26/13) – A bid to knock off an up-tempo #19 Louisiana College Wildcat team, who hit 12 three-pointers in Ornelas Gymnasium, didn’t happen as East Texas Baptist University dropped their third straight game, 90-59. ETBU had an early 4-3 lead when Louisiana College went on a 13-4 run going up, 16-8, and never looking back.

"They get it after it for all 40 minutes and are ranked 19th in the nation for a reason. We preached that we had to compete with them and that’s what we did in the second half,” says head coach Dustin Howard. "We have beat them on the boards when they have won it the last 10 or 12 games and that is a testament of how hard and well we played together. I can’t wait to go play them again to see if we can do better.”

Morgan Eddleman had a career-high of 18 points scoring 15 points in the second half. She hit 6-of-9 shots in the second half and two three-pointers to lead ETBU. Mary Slaughter added 15 points and eight rebounds with four blocks. Jaimie Kadlecek finished with five assists, seven rebounds, and four steals on the day. LC’s Natosha Gottlieb led all scorers with 28 points.

ETBU’s early 4-3 lead only lasted the first two minutes of the game. LC went on a 13-4 run to take an eight point lead and had a 14-point lead, 27-13, with 9:35 left in the half. Brandace Latin brought the lead down to 12, 29-17, at the 6:30 mark but LC finished the final six minutes on a 22-7 run for 28-point lead at the half, 51-23.

LC took their largest lead of 41 in the second half, 76-35, but ETBU battled back. They also had a 41-point lead, 80-39, with nine minutes to play as it looked like LC was going to hit the century mark. ETBU composed themselves and outscored LC, 20-10, in the last nine minutes to come within 31 points, 90-59.

ETBU finished shooting 35 percent from the floor, 15 percent from the arc, and 66 percent from the stripe. LC shot 38 percent from the floor, 27 percent from the three-point line (12-of-44), and 57 percent from the free throw line. ETBU won the rebounding battle, 50-48, but turned the ball over 30 times as LC had 25 steals.

ETBU will host the University of the Ozarks on Thursday, January 31st, at 5:30 p.m. in an ASC East game.