MARSHALL - Both ETBU basketball teams started the day Thursday in first place in the ASC East. Both UT Tyler teams were just a couple games behind the Tigers in the East Division race.
And when they met on Thursday night in Marshall, the games lived up to the hype.
The women were up first and for 3 quarters, the Tigers were in control. But in the 4th, ETBU went ice cold from the field. And that allowed UT Tyler to outscore them 19-8 in the final quarter and come back to win 61-56. That was the Tigers first conference loss of the year and it moved the Patriots to just 2 games back of first place.
After that game, the men took the court and that game was even more dramatic. It was close all night, with neither team leading by more than a couple down the stretch. UT Tyler was up 2 in the final seconds, but after a missed free throw, ETBU pushed the ball up the court and with 3 seconds to play, Westin Riddick hit a game-winning 3 pointer from well behind the 3 point arc. That gave the Tigers an 80-79 win and it keeps them tied for first in the East Division.
Thanks to the ASC's snake scheduling, these two teams won't have to wait long for a rematch. ETBU and UT Tyler will meet again on Saturday, Feb. 3...but those games will be in Tyler.