The loss in ETBU's season opener drops the Tigers to 0-1 heading into the American Southwest Conference opener Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. in Seguin against Texas Lutheran. That game, as well as another ASC matchup on Monday night against Schreiner in Kerrville, will be broadcast locally on KMHT 103.9 FM and over the Internet at www.tsrnsports.com.
LSUS improves to 5-0 on the season and is now 14-1 over the last two seasons at home.
"I think the difference in game conditioning at this point in the season played a big part tonight," said ETBU head coach Bert West. "This was their fifth game, and our first, and it showed down the stretch, particularly in overtime."
It also didn't help that ETBU's starting guards -- Cedric Isom, Rodney Calhoun and Allen Colbert -- were not on the floor at the end of the game. Isom, the ASC East Division Preseason Player of the Year, opened the season with 26 points and nine rebounds before fouling out late in the second overtime.
Calhoun, a junior transfer playing in his first game at ETBU, scored 13 points and had six rebounds and four assists before also fouling out late in the contest. Colbert scored 17 first-half points but was limited in the second half due to back spasms which sent him to the bench for the rest of the game midway through the second half.
Cedric's twin brother, Chris, turned in a career night while playing a game-high 48 minutes. Chris Isom finished with a career-high 35 points and 15 rebounds but was one of only two starters remaining on the floor in the final minutes of the second overtime.
The Tigers got a combined 102 points from the five starters Monday -- the Isoms, Colbert, Calhoun and Charles Chevalier. Chevalier, ETBU's 6-8 center, finished with 11 points, five rebounds and one big block at the end of regulation that helped send the game into overtime. Chevalier also banked in a 3-pointer from three-quarters court at the buzzer to make the final margin on the scoreboard only three points.
ETBU shot 44 percent from the field, ripping off exactly 100 shots on the night. The Tigers were also effective from the free-throw line, hitting 20 of 28 charity shots to finish at 71 percent.
The Tigers also out-rebounded the Pilots, 61-60.
Payne led LSUS with 44, including a 14 of 15 performance at the free-throw line and six 3-pointers. Derrick Sowell chipped in 26 points and Derrick Rogers 21 for the Pilots as well.
Following the conference-opening road trip this weekend, ETBU will open its home schedule on Dec. 2 against McMurry in Ornelas Gymnasium.