ECU's Kelcie Nunley (35) takes a shot against West Texas A&M last Saturday. (Photo by Gina Smith).ECU basketball squads to entertain Texas A&M-Commerce on Saturday
January 14, 2011ADA – The East Central University women’s and men’s basketball squads open the home portion of Lone Star Conference North Division play on Saturday as they take on Texas A&M-Commerce on Wayne Cobb Court inside the Kerr Activities Center in Ada.
The women’s game is set to tip off at 2 p.m. with the men to follow at approximately 4 p.m.
The Lady Tigers, of head coach Kent Franz, saw their three-game winning streak snapped and fell to 7-7 overall and 0-1 in the LSC North during a 94-88 shootout loss at arch-rival Southeastern Oklahoma State on Wednesday night in Durant.
Despite the setback, ECU had five players reach double figures, led by sophomore guard Jourdan Clark’s 18 points. Another sophomore guard Regan Browne added 16, followed by senior Casi Rawls with 15, senior Krista Bullis with 13 and redshirt freshman Ashley Robison with 10. Robison also snatched 11 rebounds to finish with a double-double.
The Lady Tigers shot 49.2 percent for the game and hit 43.5 percent (10-of-23) from 3-point range. Bullis knocked down four treys on the night, Clark drilled three and Browne ended up with two.
Rawls, who moved into seventh on ECU’s all-time scoring list (1,037 points) in the loss at Southeastern, leads the Lady Tigers with a 13.3 scoring average. Clark is next at 10.9.
Texas A&M-Commerce’s women dropped to 2-11 on the season after suffering a 73-63 home loss to Texas Woman’s University.
Mattilyn McIntyre topped the Lions in a losing cause with 21 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and Bianca Stevenson added 16 points with nine rebounds and a pair of steals. Danielle Dixon chipped in 12 points, but missed all 10 of her attempts from outside the arch.
Coach Joe Redmond’s Tigers improved to 8-8 on the season and went to 1-0 in the LSC North after knocking off host Southeastern Oklahoma State 74-73 on Wednesday.
ECU blew a 17-point halftime lead, but survived behind the play of senior guard Denarius Darby, who tossed in 18 points and nailed a pair of critical free throws with 22 seconds to go. Junior guard Jamal Edwards and senior Dontae Figgs added 16 points apiece in the win.
Edwards was a perfect 3-of-3 from 3-point range and connected on 7-of-8 free throws while Darby was 3-of-5 from long range to go with a pair of assists and two steals.
Darby tops the Tiger scoring chart with a 12.8 average. Edwards (9.8) and Caprest Rhone (9.5) follow.
The Texas A&M-Commerce men, 10-4 on the season, will be playing their first LSC North contest on Saturday.
The Lions have been idle since a 72-53 LSC home crossover victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday as Desmond King converted 9-of-13 shots from the floor and 5-of-5 free throws in finishing with 23 points to go with eight rebounds. Tyris Dowell followed with 12 points and six boards for the winners and LaBree Sledge tacked on 10 points and four rebounds.
After Saturday’s action, the Lady Tigers and Tigers are at home again on Wednesday, battling Cameron University in LSC North games at 6 p.m. (women) and 8 p.m. (men). It will be ‘Jerry Anderson Night’ in honor of the late former men’s head basketball coach. A reception for his family will be held and a ceremony is scheduled for halftime of the men’s game.
NOTE: Saturday’s games will be broadcast on the Tigers’ official home at KXFC, FM 105.5 FM, The X-Factor. Wednesday’s games were aired on KADA 99.3 FM, due to transmission problems with the KXFC tower. The games can also be viewed and heard on this website.
