UPSET: ETBU Takes Down #18 LC in Overtime

BASKETBALL (W): PINEVILLE, La. – (2/14/13)- It was a heartwarming ‘Welcome Back to Louisiana’ game for head coach Dustin Howard as his East Texas Baptist University women’s basketball team knocked off the #18 Louisiana College Wildcats in overtime, 64-60. The win puts ETBU at 15-9 overall with a 10-8 record in the American Southwest Conference East Division and sets up the season ending game for the tournament on Saturday against Mississippi College. ETBU’s defense was a key to the upset win as they held Louisiana College to season low 25 percent shooting from the floor and 17 percent from the three-point line.

The win over #18 Louisiana College was ETBU’s first against ranked opponent since the 2005-06 season when they defeated #20/#22 Hardin-Simmons University, 83-80, in the ASC Tournament. The win in Pineville also ends Louisiana College’s 43-game home winning streak as their last loss in the West Fieldhouse came in January 2009.

"This is not about me but about our team," says head coach Dustin Howard. "They competed so hard and trusted our game plan when we came in and they laid it on the line. Any time you can compete with an elite team like Louisiana College and win on their court its a big thing. I am just so proud of the team."

Amanada Rucker was a force in the second half scoring 10 of her team leading 14 points. Brandace Latin finished with 13 points and Paigen Gilford added 11 points. Mary Slaughter led with 10 rebounds and added nine points and two blocks. Natosha Gottlieb led Louisiana College with 23 points.

ETBU pretty much lead the entire contest as there were only five lead changes and four ties. With the game tied at 51, ETBU outscored Louisiana College, 13-9, in the extra period for the upset win, 64-60. Louisiana College never had the lead in overtime as ETBU took a five-point lead in the first two minutes, 58-53 on a 7-2 run. Rucker gave ETBU the lead, 53-51, and then after Louisiana College tied the game at 53, April Leonard swooshed in a clutch three-pointer to sink the Wildcats hope, 56-53, at the 3:38 mark. About 20 seconds later, Rucker sank two free throws to extend the lead to five, 58-53.

Louisiana College brought the lead down to two on a three-pointer with 2:57 left but Leonard hit 1-of-2 at the line to put the lead back at three, 59-56, with just under a minute to play. Both teams could not find the rim for two minutes as the ETBU lead stayed at two. Gilford put the lead at two, 60-58 with 31 seconds left after Gottlieb hit yet another jumper to keep Louisiana College within one, 59-58. With 22 seconds left, Louisiana College’s Neka Jones missed a three-point attempt to take the lead as a Wildcat foul sent Rucker to the line with 15 seconds left. Rucker swooshed in both shots for the four-point lead, 62-58. Gottlieb added another clutch shot as Louisiana College cut the lead to two, again, 62-60, but Leonard put the icing on the cake by making two straight free throws with 3.1 seconds left. Louisiana College could not get a shot off in that time as ETBU walked away with the upset.

ETBU had an eight point lead at the half, 31-23, and took their largest lead of 10, 33-23, on their first bucket of the second half by Rucker. It wasn’t until the 4:05 mark in the second half that Louisiana College went back in front after a 2-0 lead when Jones hit a three-pointer for at 47-46 lead. They pushed their lead to three with 2:40 left but ETBU finished on a 5-2 run to tie the game at 51. With 33 seconds left in the game, Latin went 1-of-2 at the stripe to tie the game and then ETBU’s defense held Louisiana College in the last 30 seconds to send the game to overtime.

ETBU finished shooting 38 percent from the floor, 17 percent from the arc, and 84 percent from the line. Louisiana College shot a season low 25 percent from the floor and 17 percent from the arc while making 62 percent from the line. They took 52 three-point shots and only hit nine while taking 92 shots from the floor. They out rebounded ETBU, 50-49.

ETBU will be playing for a berth to the ASC Tournament on Saturday vs. Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss., as the winner will earn the fourth seed from the ASC East Division.

ETBU Falls Short in Louisiana

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BASKETBALL (M): PINEVILLE, La. (2/14/13) – Starting off strong in the first half and taking an eight point lead, 18-6, East Texas Baptist University (9-15/5-12) let a Louisiana College run swing momentum to the Wildcats as they fell in American Southwest Conference East Division play, 84-75. Louisiana College went on a 21-7 run over seven and half minutes in the first half to take a 29-23 lead that led to the victory.

Justin Felicia led ETBU with 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the floor. Jaron Joseph finished with 12 points while Junior Mitchell and Monty Grays added 11 points. Clavoisiea Dupree grabbed 10 rebounds with nine points and two blocked shots, too. Romanaski Williams led all scorers for Louisiana College with 16.

Down 40-37 at the half, ETBU started the second half on an 8-4 run to take a one-point lead, 45-44. Felicia gave ETBU the lead back, 43-42, at the 19:19 mark on a three-pointer and then Dupree hit a jumper with 17:39 left to put ETBU back up by one, 45-44. In the next six minutes, Louisiana College went on another 20+ run to take back the momentum just like the first half. With ETBU up by one, the Wildcats responded on a 23-7 run for a 15-point lead, 67-52, with 11:50 left to play. That run took the wind out of ETBU’s sails as the Tigers would only come within eight in the next 11 minutes.

In the first half, ETBU also jumped out to an early lead, 16-8, before a 21-7 run but Louisiana College back in front at the half.

ETBU was even with Louisiana College across the board but could not keep up with their momentum changes. ETBU shot 40 percent from the floor, 35 percent from the arc, and 61 percent from the line. Louisiana College finished shooting 40 percent overall, 39 percent from the three-point line, and 71 percent from the stripe. They also out rebounded EBTU, 48-42. Both teams also had 10 turnovers.

ETBU will finish their season on Saturday in Clinton, Miss., against Mississippi College at 3:00 p.m.