Warriors Stun ETBU with Second-Half Comeback

Marshall, Texas – Anthony Boone‘s first win as head coach of the Hendrix Warriors was always going to be remembered fondly as any first victory would, but an unforgettable come-from-behind road win will surely rank near the top of his list as Hendrix erased a massive second-half deficit to defeat East Texas Baptist (ETBU) on Tuesday evening in an instant classic.

Hendrix entered Tuesday’s contest versus ETBU with an 0-3 mark on the year and, trailing by 18 over halfway through the second half, looked set to suffer their fourth-consecutive loss of the season. But the Warriors had other plans, as Zach Nolan’s transition triple with 0:02 remaining capped a remarkable comeback as Boone’s men escaped Ornelas Gymnasium with a 65-64 win.

Hendrix trailed by as many as 17 in the opening 20 minutes but was able to cut ETBU’s lead to 13 going into halftime with the help of an old-fashioned three point play from Tyler Deithloff. Deithloff led all scorers with 24 points and gathered 11 rebounds to record his first double-double of the season.

Carson Bower’s triple with just three minutes gone in the second half cut the Tigers’ lead to single-digits, but ETBU roared back to reassert their dominance and take a 58-40 lead at the 8:55 mark.

Sky Tschurr’s long ball at 7:57 helped steer a bit of momentum back towards the away bench, and Colten Berry added three quick points right before the final media timeout to get Hendrix back to within single-digits of the Tigers. Beau Kronenberger then followed that up with a triple of his own to cut the lead to 6, but ETBU would immediately follow with a three of their own to make it 64-55 with 3:03 remaining. As it turns out, it would be the final points of the night for the home side.

After a fast-break layup from Kronenberger with 1:37 left made it 64-57, the two teams would trade possessions before Tschurr got Hendrix back on the board with a jumper with just under 30 seconds to play. The Warriors regained possession off an ETBU turnover on the ensuing possession, and Deithloff nailed a three on the run after picking up a loose ball to cut ETBU’s lead to 2, their smallest lead since the opening minute of the first half.

Hendrix sent the Tigers to the line for a one-and-one with 8 seconds remaining as they sought one final opportunity, and the home side obliged, missing the first attempt of the one-and-one. The Warriors quickly pushed it down the floor after Kronenberger came down with the rebound, and Zach Nolan’s catch-and-shoot three at the death gave Hendrix its first and only lead of the night and would eventually go down as the winning basket.

ETBU hit a miraculous shot at the horn in what looked to give the Tigers a 67-65 win, but the shot was waved off upon further review as Hendrix clinched its first win of the season in dramatic fashion.

Nolan’s shot was particularly poetic given that the sophomore had checked in for the first time with 0:43 remaining in the contest. Prior to Tuesday night, he had only logged one minute of action all season, which came against Ozarks in the Warriors’ season-opener.

Now with a win under their belt, Hendrix wil remain on the road and head to Dallas this weekend for a back-to-back with the University of Dallas on Saturday and Austin College on Sunday. The Warriors will return to Grove Gymnasium on December 1 for the return fixture versus Austin College.