MARSHALL, Texas  — Hardin-Simmons' men's basketball team won its fourth straight game with a 65-54 win over East Texas Baptist in American Southwest Conference action at Ornelas Gym in Marshall on Thursday night.

The game started off slow as Derrick Jefferson scored the first basket of the game at the 14:05 mark for HSU. The teams went back and forth and ETBU led 16-12 when Charles Sams hit 3-pointers on three straight trips for the Cowboys to make it 21-17. HSU never trailed the rest of the game.

The Cowboys pushed the lead to 32-23 on a Duane Hopper 3-pointer and Hopper had a tip-in at the halftime buzzer to make it 34-26.

HSU had a comfortable lead most of the second half as ETBU never cut the deficit lower than six points, which came at 58-52 with 3:20 to play.

John Barnes then hit a 3-pointer and Jefferson hit a slam dunk with four people around him to make it 63-52 and seal the win.

Jefferson led the Cowboys with 22 points, Barnes added 15 and Sams 10.

HSU outrebounded the Tigers 40-31 and scored 21 points off 18 ETBU turnovers. HSU held ETBU to 38.8 percent shooting in the game.  

Juan Romero led ETBU with 15 points off the bench. Erby Thompson added 12 points and Jamil Samuel had 10.

The Cowboys are now 5-6 overall and 5-3 in ASC play. East Texas Baptist fell to 4-7 overall and 2-6 in league play. HSU plays at LeTourneau on Saturday at 3 p.m.

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