The East Central University men's basketball team will look to continue their recent success Saturday, Nov. 23 when they host Henderson State at 4 p.m. in the Kerr Activities Center.

Game Notes

The Broadcast
ECU's radio home for Tigers basketball in 2012-13 is Ada's KXFC, 105.5, FM 'The X-Factor'. Kenny Morrison returns to broadcast the games for his 17th season. Morrison, a 1987 ECU graduate, spent two seasons doing color prior to taking over the play-by-play duties during the 1997-98 season.

The Coverage
Fans who can't be at the game can find links to live stats, live video (if available) and the KXFC radio broadcast on ECUTigers.com.  Go to the men's basketball schedule page.

Scouting Henderson State
The Reddies are 3-2 overall and 0-1 in the Great American Conference after falling 62-65 to Southeastern Oklahoma State (Nov. 21).  HSU has a +1.2 scoring and -3.4 rebounding margin for the season.  The Reddies do have a .476 to .456 overall shooting percentage advantage and a .423 to .318 mark from three-point range.

HSU has three players that are averaging double-digit point totals.  Melvin Haynes leads the team with 17 points per game, with a .368 shooting percentage from the floor and a .267 mark from beyond the arc.  Deoirvay Johnson is next with 15.4 points per game, a .574 (27-of-47) shooting percentage and a .632 (12-of-19) mark from three-point range.  Taylor Smith is the final member of the group in double digits, with 10.6 points and 4.8 boards per game.

Against the Reddies
Last season HSU earned wins in both the meeting with the Tigers, by and average of 9.5 points.  However, ECU did earn a +5.0 rebounding margin.

Senior Colby Carr is the top returner from the series for the Tigers, with 12.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.  Carr also tallied five assists.

Melvin Haynes and Taylor Smith are the key returners for HSU.  Haynes tallied 14 points and five rebounds per game, while Smith added 12 points and three boards per outing.

The Series
Saturday's game will be the 15th meeting in the all-time series, which the Reddies hold an 8-6 advantage after claiming wins in the last three games.

Team Effort
The Tigers new look and focus has resulted in a more even box score, with at most one player not scoring or earning a rebound in each outing so far this season.  At least half of the 10 players in each game have also dished out an assist.

Making a Difference Off the Court
On the court is not the only place that you can find a member of ECU men's basketball team this season.  Since head coach Ja Havens has taken over the program the Tigers have renewed their commitment to community service.  ECU has been a part of several community service projects since the start of the school year, with an emphasis on youth events.  The Tigers have been to several elementary and middle schools in the area to read with the students and to get to know their younger fans.

Consistent Colby
A coaching change did not stop senior Colby Carr from continuing his consistent performances on the court.  Carr has recorded at least one point and one rebound in all 30 games since he joined the Tigers in 2012-13.  The New Orleans, La., native is also not afraid to share the ball, dishing out an assists in the last 19 games for ECU.

Henry Stepping Out
In the opening game of the 2013-14 season, senior Henry Pwono had one of the best games of his career.  Pwono tallied a career-best 16 points and added 11 rebounds for the first double-double of his career.  The Pittsburgh, Pa., native also added a career high six made field goals, two blocks and four free throws.

Starting Out on the Right Path
For the first time since joining the GAC, the Tigers picked up a win in their first conference game of the season when they defeated Ouachita Baptist 81-54.

Tigers Picked to Finish 10th
The Tigers were picked to finish 10th in the Great American Conference in the 2013-14 GAC Preseason Poll as voted on by the league's head coaches.

ECU received 28 points in the poll and were above Southern Arkansas, with 22 points.

Up Next
The Tigers will start a four game road swing, Saturday, Nov. 30 when they travel to face Tarleton State at 7 p.m.  ECU will also face Harding (Dec. 5), Arkansas Tech (Dec. 7) and Rogers State (Dec. 14) in the span.