The East Central University men's basketball team will return to Great American Conference action when they start the 2015 portion of the season on the road at Southern Nazarene, Saturday, Jan. 3 at 4 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 Southern Nazarene
The Crimson Storm are 6-4 overall and 3-2 in the GAC and will face Southwestern College (Kan.), Jan. 1 before hosting the Tigers.  SNU has a +2.3 scoring margin and a -1.8 rebound margin for the season and is close in the other statistical categories.

The Crimson Storm have three players who are averaging over 10 points per game and two more around eight.  LB Willis leads the team with 14.9 points and 5.9 boards per game, while shooting .433 from the field and adding 44 assists and 27 steals.  Francisco Hukill adds 10.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while Garrett Butler comes in at 10.1 points per game.

Against the Crimson Storm
In 2013-14 the teams split the two-game series, with each winning at home.  SNU earned a 6.5 scoring advantage, but the Tigers earned a 7.0 rebounding margin.

Senior Brandon Lucas led ECU in the series with 20.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while shooting .519 from the field and .500 from beyond the arc.  A.J. Moutry adds 8.5 points and 3.0 boards per game.

Garrett Butler and Francisco Hukill are the top returners for the Crimson Storm.  Butler garnered 8.5 points per game, while Hukill added 8.0 points and 4.0 boards per game.

The Series
After splitting the series a year ago, the Crimson Storm hold a 9-7 advantage in the all-time series.  SNU took the lead in the series with two wins in the 2012-13 season.

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.

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 Seaton 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 at the Kerr Activities Center
The Tigers will be on the road for just one game before returning home for two GAC games, Jan. 8-10.  ECU will first battle Southern Arkansas, Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m. and then Ouachita Baptist, Jan. 10 at 3 p.m.