Tiger Basketball In Ornelas Gymnasium

BASKETBALL (W): MARSHALL, Texas (12/7/12) With only one blemish on its record in 2012-13, East Texas Baptist University will put its 2-0 American Southwest Conference record to test at home tonight in a key crossover game vs. Hardin-Simmons.

The game is slated for 5:30 p.m.

ETBU earned two wins this past weekend in the ASC, defeating Texas Lutheran and Schreiner to improve to 4-1 on the year.

"This is a big conference game for us. We are home and we need to win this one for our ASC East standings and gain some ground on our east opponents,” said head coach Dustin Howard. "Hardin-Simmons is big, smart, and well coached and we need to work and execute our game plan to protect our home floor.”

Hardin-Simmons is averaging 64.2 points per game and brings a 3-3 record to Ornelas Gymnasium. In their ASC opening weekend the Cowboys went 1-1 with a win over the University of the Ozarks, 72-59, but fell to Texas-Dallas, 79-66.

Hardin-Simmons is out-rebounding opponents by only two rebounds (35.0 per game) and forcing 16.3 turnovers. Former Pine Tree high school standout Alexis Popelar is the only player scoring in double figures at 20.5 points per game. She also leads the team in rebounding with 4.5 rebounds a game posting 11 assists and five steals.

The series is in favor of Hardin-Simmons as they boast a 15-3 overall record vs. the Tigers. ETBU last took a game from HSU in 2006, 83-80, in the ASC Tournament. Hardin-Simmons has won the last six meetings including last year’s game in Abilene, 70-54.

This matchup is the biggest of the year to date for ETBU, one of three teams undefeated in the ASC East. ETBU and Louisiana College are 2-0 while Texas-Dallas has a 3-0 record.

Coming off of two road wins over ASC West teams Texas Lutheran and Schreiner, ETBU has won three games by eight points or less.

April Leonard is the only ETBU player scoring in double figures at 12 points per game and leads the team with 15 steals. Mary Slaughter earned the team’s first double-double of the year with 13 points and 13 rebounds vs. Schreiner and leads the team in rebounding at 8.6.

After tonight’s ASC game vs. Hardin-Simmons, ETBU hosts Rust College in a non-conference game at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Rust is a NCAA Division III program from Holly Springs, Miss., and is coming to Marshall for the first time this year. They hold a 6-3 record heading into their game vs. Wiley College on Friday night. This will be the first meeting between the two teams.

Tonight’s game will be available on the internet through the ETBUSportsnet on www.etbusports.com with play-by-play by Mike Midkiff. Saturday’s game will only have live stats available.



ETBU Men Look To End Losing Streak

BASKETBALL (M): MARSHALL, Texas (12/6/12)- Hosting their next two games at home in Ornelas Gymnasium, the East Texas Baptist University men’s basketball team will be looking to snap a four-game skid. ETBU hosts Hardin-Simmons University in American Southwest Conference play at 7:30 p.m. tonight and Rust College at 3 p.m. on Saturday in a non-conference game.

ETBU is currently 2-4 and 0-2 in American Southwest Conference play.

Hardin-Simmons brings a 3-1 record to Marshall and is on a two-game winning streak after opening up ASC play 2-0.

Hardin-Simmons gained conference wins over the University of Ozarks (83-77) and Texas-Dallas (64-62).

"They are the strongest conference opponent we have seen to this point. They have good size and tough kids and we will be ready to play them and get after it,” says head coach Bert West. "We didn’t have a great result from our road trip but it was great practice for our team and seeing different things for the first time. We feel good about our preparation.”

Starting the season in Oregon, Hardin-Simmons split their games winning their first, 73-66, over Pacific before a one-point loss to Willamette, 72-71, in overtime. The Cowboys are averaging 72 points per game and have four players scoring on double figures.

Titus Mims leads the way at 14.3 points per game and is followed by Darius Singletary’s 14 points per game.

ETBU brings a 2-4 record into the match up averaging 73 points per game. Since 1999, the Tigers have taken only four games from HSU in 15 tries with the last win in 2009, 87-68.

ETBU will try and break that trend tonight with a young team that starts four sophomores. Senior Jaron Joseph leads the team in scoring at 14.7 points per game and is followed by Junior Mitchell’s 12.5 points and Kerry McClahan’s 10.5 points. McClahan’s average of 6.2 rebounds per game leads the team as he also has the team’s only double-double of the year vs. UDallas.

Tonight’s game will be available through the internet on the ETBUSportsnet on www.etbusports.com. Saturday’s game will only have live stats available.