Tiger Basketball Vs. Texas Lutheran

BASKETBALL (W): SEGUIN, Texas (11/29/12) – April Leonard took over the game in the final 1:45 as she netted four of the final six points guiding East Texas Baptist University to a come-from-behind American Southwest Conference victory over Texas Lutheran, 61-58. Texas Lutheran did not make a basket in that time after having a three-point lead. The win was the first for head coach Dustin Howard in the American Southwest Conference as ETBU is now 3-1 overall and 1-0.

Leonard tied up the game for the seventh time nailing a three-pointer at the 1:30 mark at 58. Adaeze Elonu put ETBU ahead for good, 60-58, with 45 seconds left as Leonard then made 1-of-2 free throws with 12 seconds remaining sealing the win.

Leonard led the team with 16 points hitting three three-pointers and playing in 39 of the 40 minutes. Mary Slaughter followed with 15 points and eight rebounds. Amanda Rucker led the team with nine rebounds. Katy Scott and Italy Taylor both posted 15 points for TLU.

TLU had as large as an eight-point lead in the first half, 24-16, at the 9:17 mark looking as if they were going to control the game. ETBU slowly chipped away at the lead in the final nine minutes of the first half with a 20-10 run over seven minutes for a four-point lead, 36-32. Neither team could hit a shot in the final 3:20 as ETBU held onto the lead heading into the locker room.

In the 20-10 run, Elonu posted seven of her nine points scored in the game in that run. She started and ended the run for ETBU hitting a three-pointer first and then banking in a lay up to end it. Morgan Eddleman enter for the first time in the game during the run and swooshed in back-to-back three-pointers in less than a minute. She hit her first one at the 4:39 mark to cut the lead to one, 30-29, and then tied the game at 32 at the 3:37 mark after a TLU basket. Jaimie Kadlecek also went 2-of-2 from the stripe in the run.

The roles were reversed in the second half as ETBU took an eight-point lead at the 11:11 mark on a Kadlecek free throw. TLU responded with an 11-2 run in the next three minutes for a 51-50 lead. At the 7:11 mark, Slaughter converted a three-point play to put ETBU back in front by two, 53-51. TLU answered with a 5-0 run over three minutes for the 56-53 lead before ETBU finished the game on an 8-2 run for the win.

ETBU finished shooting 38% from the floor, 28% from beyond the arc, and 42% from the stripe. They forced 22 turnovers and out rebounded TLU, 46-36. TLU shot 39% overall, did not make any three pointers (0-of-8) but shot 73% from the stripe.

ETBU takes on Schreiner University in Kerrville on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.



TLU Steals OT Win Away from ETBU

BASKETBALL (M): SEGUIN, Texas (11/29/12) – Overtime excitement and home court advantage helped Texas Lutheran University in the end as they held East Texas Baptist University to no buckets from the floor stealing the win, 66-61. Tony Griffinth hit the game tying shot in regulation with two seconds left for Texas Lutheran and then their defense shut out ETBU in overtime not allowing them to make any shots from the floor. ETBU’s only points came on free throws in overtime. ETBU falls to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in the ASC.

With 16 points, eight coming from free throws, Junior Mitchell led ETBU in scoring. J.D. Richardson added 11 points while Kerry McClahan posted nine points and 10 rebounds. TLU’s Justin Lindsey led all scorers with 20 points.

Giving up a nine-point lead that they had at the half, ETBU shot only 30% from the floor and did not make any three-pointers after making three in the first half. With 43 seconds left in the game, Mitchell went 1-of-2 from the stripe giving ETBU a four-point lead, 55-51. Ten seconds later TLU’s Brandon Potts, who had 18 points in the game, banked in a layup from under the basket to put the Bulldogs within two.

Jaron Joseph was then fouled with 17 seconds left and went to the line for two free throws, missing both, setting up the game tying shot for TLU. Troy Griffith, who was 0-of-4 on the night from the floor, lofted in a jumper from eight-feet out in the pain that swooshed in to tie the game with two seconds left. With no timeouts left, ETBU in bounded the ball but didn’t have a chance to get a decent shot off before the buzzer sounded.

Almost a minute and a half into overtime neither team had scored until Joseph went 1-of-2 from the line for a one-point lead, 56-55. TLU scored quickly for a one-point lead but Mitchell was fouled 50 seconds later making 1-of-2 free throws to tie the game at 57. Another minute went by with no scoring until Mitchell swooshed in both free throws for the 59-57 lead at the 2:32 mark.

Just five seconds later, Evan Reed nailed his first three-pointer of the night putting TLU ahead for good, 60-59. With 1:01 left to play and TLU still clinging to a one-point lead, J.D. Richardson was fouled and went to the line. He missed his first shot and then sank the second but it was called off for a lane violation as ETBU still trailed by one. TLU struck 30 seconds later on Reed’s second three-pointer of the game extending the lead to four with 29 seconds left.

Mitchell once again sank two clutch free throws with 18 seconds left to pull ETBU within two, 63-61, and then ETBU had a chance to tie the game with 13 seconds left after TLU missed their free throw. The chance to tie the game fell short as the Tigers turned the ball over and TLU hit a free throw and a layup in 11 seconds for the five-point win.

The first half was the finest for ETBU as they shot 54% from the floor and 42% from the arc. They took a five-point lead, 9-4, in the first four minutes and then had a six point lead, 16-10, at the 11:33 mark on a Chris Collins three-pointer. TLU responded with a 9-0 run over two minutes for a three-point lead, 19-16, but ETBU ended the last nine minutes on a 18-6 run for a nine-point lead, 34-25, at the half.

ETBU missed 12 free throws going 18-of-30 overall and finished shooting just 60% from the stripe. From the floor they made 36% of their shots. They out rebounded TLU, 49-33, and forced 20 turnovers but also turned the ball over 29 times. TLU finished shooting 41% from the floor, 42% from beyond the arc, and 47% from the foul line.

ETBU heads to Kerrville to face Schreiner University on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.