The East Central University men's basketball team will wrap up a weekend Great American Conference road trip in Russellville, Ark., Saturday, Jan. 17 when the face Arkansas Tech at 3 p.m. at the Tucker 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 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 Arkansas Tech
The Wonder Boys are 8-8 overall and 4-4 in the GAC after dropping their last two games.  The even record is reflected in the season box score, as they have a -0.7 scoring and a +0.0 rebounding margin.  They are also close to their opponents with a .417 to .425 overall shooting and .339 to .321 three-point shooting comparison.

ATU has one player in double digits in the scoring column, but there are six more with at least seven points per outing.  Mike Balogun is the scoring leader with 13.5 points per game.  Nick Wayman is an all-around player with 9.9 points and 5.6 boards per game, while shooting .433 overall and .392 from beyond the arc.

Against the Wonder Boys
Last year the teams split the two-game series, with each team stealing a win on the road.  The Tigers claimed a 16-point win in Russellville, while falling by just three at home.  That allowed for a +6.5 scoring and +9.0 rebounding margin for ECU in the series.

Seniors Brandon Lucas, Henry Pwono and sophomore AJ Moutry were three of five players to average 10 or more points per game against ATU.  Lucas led the team with 17.5 points and 4.5 boards per game, while shooting .524 (11-of-21) from the floor.  Pwono added 15.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per outing and Moutry 14.5 points and 3.0 boards per contest.

Tyler Friedel and Darrick Little are the top returners for the Golden Suns.  Friedel netting 10.0 points and 3.0 boards per game, while Little added 8.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

The Series
Saturday's game will be 22nd meeting in the all-times series, which ATU currently leads 8-13.  The Tigers have been the victors in just two games (of 11) when playing in Russellville, including last year's game.  The previous win was Dec. 3, 1996 (60-58).

Henry Making the Most of Freebies
Senior Henry Pwono had a strong showing for the Tigers against Ouachita Baptist, with 31 points and 19 of those coming at the charity stripe.  The Pittsburg, Pa., native set a school record for the most free throws made in a single game (19) and tied the record for free-throw attempts in a single game (21).  Those numbers helped bump him to No. 4 in the NCAA for free throws attempted (138) and No. 7 in free throws made (103).

Hudgins Big Day
Sophomore Aly Hudgins got a chance to show what he is capable of adding to the Tigers team in the game at Southern Nazarene (Jan. 3).  Hudgins tallied a career-best 14 points, going 5-of-5 from the field and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe.  He also added three rebounds, an assist and a steal.

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.

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 Kerr Activities Center
ECU will then return home for the final two games of the first half of GAC action, including the Blackout the Power of the Storm game against Southeastern Oklahoma State, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m.