The East Central University men's basketball team will be hitting the road for the final road weekend of the 2014-15 season and it is a battle between three teams in the top three in the Great American Conference standings.  The Tigers will first face Southern Arkansas, Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. and then league-leading Ouachita Baptist, Saturday, Feb. 14 at 3 p.m.

Game Notes

The Broadcast
ECU's radio home for Tigers basketball in 2014-15 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 Arkansas
The Muleriders are 14-7 overall and 10-5 in the GAC after losing their last game.  However, SAU is 10-2 when playing at home this season.  SAU has a +6.6 and +3.9 rebounding margin for the season and a .446 to .404 shooting percentage advantage.

The Muleriders have three players that are averaging over 10 points per game and account for 52 percent of the scoring, 48 percent of the shots taken and 63 percent of the three's taken.  Jaron Davis leads the team with 16.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.  Alre'k Brown adds 13.2 points and 8.3 points per game.  Chauncy Williams is the final member of the group with 12.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.

Against the Muleriders
Earlier this season, the Tigers fell to SAU in a tight game at the Kerr Activities Center (58-59).

Senior Henry Pwono led ECU with 20 points and nine rebounds, while senior Brandon Lucas added 17 points and four boards.

Jaron Davis was a force for the Muleriders, with 30 points and nine rebounds.

The Series
The Tigers and the Muleriders will be playing for the 19th time in the all-time series, with ECU holding an 11-7 advantage.  That includes a 4-3 record when playing in the GAC, but the Tigers are 1-2 when playing on the road.

Scouting Ouachita Baptist
The other Tigers are currently leading the GAC with a 15-4 overall record and an 11-3 mark in the GAC after winning their last four games.  OBU will have a chance to improve on that record Thursday when they face Southwestern.  Ouachita Baptist has a strong team, with a +9.1 scoring margin and a .466 to .414 lead in overall shooting percentage.

OBU has four players that are averaging double-digits in the point's column, with Tirrell Brown leading the team with 17.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.  Colt Fason adds 14.4 points per game, Justin McCleary 11.9 and Micah Delph contributes 10.3 points.

Against the Tigers
Earlier this season the black and orange Tigers earned an 88-82 win at home, with free throws being the key.  ECU went 30-of-38 from the line, while holding OBU to a 9-of-14 mark.

Senior Henry Pwono led ECU with 31 points, 19 coming from the free-throw line, eight rebounds and three assists.  Senior Brandon Lucas also had a strong game with 24 points.

Tirrell Brown and Colt Fason lead a group of four OBU players with 10+ points in the game.  Brown netted 18 points and seven boards, while Fason added 13 points and seven rebounds.

The Series
ECU currently holds an 11-6 lead in the all-time series after winning the last four games.  ECU has gone 5-2 when playing as GAC opponents, but they are 3-4 when playing in Arkadelphia.

Braxton Player of the Week
Redshirt sophomore Braxton Reeves has picked up his first GAC honor, as he was named the GAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week for Jan. 26.  Reeves helped the Tigers move into a first-place tie as he averaged 20.5 points in wins against Southeastern Oklahoma State and Northwestern Oklahoma State. Against the Savage Storm, he scored 19 points and hit five three-point field goals. Against the Rangers, he scored 22 points with five more three-point field goals. He added three steals.

Hill Highlights Off the Bench
Junior Deron Hill came off the bench against Arkansas Tech and gave the Tigers the need spark they needed to earn the road victory.  The Kansas City, Kan., native tallied a career high 15 points, six rebounds, and dished out a career-best seven assists against the Wonder Boys.

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.

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 returns home for the final two-game week in Ada, Feb. 19-21.  The Tigers will host Arkansas Tech (Feb. 19) and Harding (Feb. 21).