Box Score ADA – For the first time since joining the Great American Conference three seasons ago, the East Central University men's basketball team started the league season off with a win, after defeating Ouachita Baptist, 81-54, at the Kerr Activities Center.

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The Tigers (2-2, 1-0 GAC) saw three players with double-digit scoring totals.  Junior Brandon Lucas led the team with 26 points, five rebounds and assist, while going 9-of-12 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range.  Senior Colby Carr added 17 points, while senior Henry Pwono tallied 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

The teams started the game with a close battle for control in the opening four minutes.  The score was tied at eight when ECU went on a 7-0 run to take a 15-8 advantage.  ECU kept the lead in single digits until 2:30 remained in the first half.  That is when they used another 7-0 run to push the advantage to 14 (40-26) and went into the locker room with a 44-30 lead.

ECU pushed the lead out to 19 in the first two minutes of the second stanza before OBU (2-3, 0-1 GAC) was able to cut the lead down to eight early in the second half.  That was as close as they would get, as ECU quickly rebuilt the advantage to double digits and lead by as many as 29 on the way to the 81-54 win.

OBU earned a 32-42 rebounding advantage, but ECU took better advantage of their 12 offensive rebounds, scoring 15 second-chance points.  ECU also had a strong defensive advantage, forcing 25 turnovers and recording 14 steals to 9 turnovers forced by OBU, with six steals.  ECU tallied 33 points off those turnovers and only allowed OBU to garner 11 off theirs.

The Tigers will remain at home for a Saturday, Nov. 23 GAC game against Henderson State at 4 p.m.  The game is the final home game before Dec. 20 when ECU hosts Southwestern Adventist for an 11 a.m. start.