The East Central University men's basketball team will play its first game at the Kerr Activities Center for the 2014-15 season when the Tigers welcome Rogers State for a non-conference game at 7:30 p.m.

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 18th 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. Fans can listen to the radio broadcast online or through the FREE KXFC App available in ITunes, Google Stores where apps are sold and www.kxfcradio.com.

Scouting Rogers State
The Hillcats are 2-2 overall after earning wins in their last two games at home and falling in the opening two road games of the season.  RSU has a +12.3 scoring and a +13.8 rebounding margin for the year and is close in most of the other columns on the box score.  The Hillcats also hold a .449 to .420 lead in overall shooting percentage and a .274 to .213 mark in three-point shooting.

RSU has three players that are averaging over 10 points per game, with Frederico Santos leading the team with 12.5 points and 9.0 boards per game.  Santos is shooting .800 (16-of-20) from the field.  DesJuan Newton adds 10.8 points and J.C. Hartzler is netting 10.0 points per game.

Against the Hillcats
The Tigers and RSU meet last season, with ECU earning an 82-79 win in Claremore, Okla.  Senior Henry Pwono and sophomore A.J. Moutry led the returners for the Tigers.  Pwono tallied 28 points and seven boards, while Moutry added 10 points, two rebounds and four assists.

J.C. Hartzler and Deran Banton are the top returners for the Hillcats.  Hartzler garnered 18 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Banton added 12 points and five boards.

The Series
Tuesday's meeting is just the second in school history, with ECU earning an 82-79 win last season in the first meeting on the road.
 
Thomas Player of the Week
ECU junior Stirling Thomas has picked up his first honor of the 2014-15 season, as he was named the Great American Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for Nov. 24.  Thomas tallied 22 points and five assists against Arkansas-Monticello. Two days later, he scored 36 points and added seven steals vs Henderson State. His .875 (7-of-8) mark from behind the arc tied a school record for three-point field-goal percentage in a game and he was one steal away from tying the school record for steals in a game.

Starting Out Strong
For the first time since the 2010-11 season, the Tigers have started the season with a strong record, going 3-1 in the opening four games.  ECU went 5-1 to start the 2010-11 campaign and 7-1 in 2000-01.  The best start in recent history was an 8-0 mark to start the 1996-97 campaign.

Revealing Reeves
Redshirt sophomore Braxton Reeves might not have played in the 2013-14 season, but he has stepped right back into his game in 2014-15.  Against Arkansas-Monticello, Reeves tallied a career-best 22 points, while shooting 9-of-14 from the field and 4-of-9 from beyond the arc.

Pwono Player of the Week
After finishing the 2013-14 season as the GAC Player of the Week, senior Henry Pwono has become the first GAC Player of the Week for the 2014-15 season.  At the GAC/Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Challenge, Pwono averaged 20.5 points and 11 rebounds. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native scored 33 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in the victory against Wayne State College. He converted on 14-of-18 from the floor, including an 11-of-14 performance against the Wildcats.

Solid Stirling
Junior Stirling Thomas proved that he was a good addition to the Tigers squad as he came out and averaged 21.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in the first two outings of the 2014-15 season.  Thomas shot .441 (15-of-34) from the field, .455 (5-of-11) from beyond the arc and .889 (8-of-9) from the charity stripe, while adding four assists and four steals.

Turning Out for the Exhibition
The Tigers had a strong showing at their exhibition game at Oral Roberts, falling by just seven points (68-75).  ECU led for most of the game and took a 38-33 lead into the locker room at the half.  The Tigers were led by junior Stirling Thomas, with 25 points and five rebounds, while senior Henry Pwono tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds.  The duo were two of four players with double-digit point totals, with redshirt sophomore Braxton Reeves adding 15 and senior Brandon Lucas 10.

Returning Power
While most, including the ECU coaching staff, expected to lose senior Henry Pwono at the end of the 2013-14 season that is not the case.  Pwono had a redshirt available from his season at Seton Hill and it was approved by the NCAA, so Pwono will be back on the court for the Tigers after averaging 11.9 points and 6.6 boards per game a year ago.  Pwono ended the season with three-straight games where he recorded over 20 points.

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.  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 already this 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.

Up Next
The Tigers will hit the road for two games over the holiday weekend at the Doubletree Houlihans Thanksgiving Classic hosted by Drury, Nov. 28-29.  ECU face Missouri Western State (Nov. 28) and Cameron (Nov. 29) at 1 p.m.

Up Next at the Kerr Activities Center
The Tigers will then return home for the first GAC game in the Kerr Activities Center for 2014-15 when ECU welcomes Southwestern Oklahoma State, Thursday, Dec. 4 for a 7:30 p.m. tip.