ADA – The East Central University women's basketball team fell in the 2015-16 Great American Conference opener, 59-63, to Southern Arkansas at the Kerr Activities Center.
Photo GalleryThe Tigers (0-2, 0-1 GAC) were paced by sophomore
Alexa Adair, who tallied a career-high 20 points and six rebounds, while adding three assists. Junior
Whitney Stotler added 11 points and four boards, while junior
Jalyn Jackson had a team-high 13 rebounds.
ECU opened the game in a shooting slump, falling behind 0-4 in the first two minutes. The Muleriders (3-0, 1-0 GAC) kept the pressure on and increased the lead to 10 (5-15), half way through the quarter. The Tigers kept the difference between seven and nine points until the final minute of the stanza when they went on a 5-0 run and trailed 18-21.
ECU continued the run into the second quarter and cut the deficit to one (20-21) in the first two minutes. Both teams then traded shots over the next two minutes. No team scored in the final five minutes of the stanza, which sent SAU into the locker room with a 26-27 lead at half.
The Tigers came out fighting in the third quarter and took a brief 28-27 lead after the first shot. The teams traded shots over the first six minutes of the stanza, but the Muleriders went on an 8-4 run in the final four minutes to push the advantage out to 37-41.
The momentum was continued into the fourth quarter for SAU, who went on a 7-2 run in the first 2:30 to increase the lead back to nine. The Tigers kept fighting and managed to cut the deficit to four a few times in the stanza, but the Muleriders would counter and push back ahead to a nine-point lead. ECU hit the final field goal of the half to cut the lead to three, but a late free throw ended the game with a 59-63 score.
Free throws seemed to be the key to the game, with SAU going 10-of-19 from the line and the Tigers only getting two chances and making one. However, ECU held a clear advantage in three-point shooting, going 12-of-29 and holding the Muleriders to a 1-of-5 mark.
The Tigers will remain at home for the second-straight GAC game, Saturday, Nov. 21 at 1 p.m. when Arkansas-Monticello comes to Ada.
