MAGNOLIA, ARK. – The East Central University men's basketball team used a three-point showcase to claim an 86-73 win over Southern Arkansas in Great American Conference action.  The win pushed the Tigers into a tie for second-place in the GAC standings with Harding at 10-5.

ECU (16-7, 10-5 GAC) saw 20+ point performances from redshirt sophomore Braxton Reeves and junior Stirling Thomas.  Reeves had a career night for the Tigers, with career highs for points (26), rebounds (8), field goals (9) and three-point field goals (6).  Thomas added 20 points, with five triples.

ECU came out ready to fight and started the game with a 9-0 run in the first 4:30.  The Muleriders (14-8, 10-6) countered with a 5-0 run of their own over the next two minutes, but were unable to take a lead.  The Tigers kept the advantage between seven to nine points in the next three minutes before ECU pushed out to a double-digit lead for the first time with 10:32 to play.

Over the next two minutes SAU fought back and used a 7-2 run to cut the deficit to 24-19.  But that didn't stop the Tigers, who used an 8-3 run until 2:30 remained in the half to push the lead back out to 10 (32-22).  ECU kept the advantage around 10 points the rest of the half and went to the locker room with a 39-30 advantage.

The Tigers kept control of the game through the second half, holding around a 10-point advantage for most of the stanza.  The Muleriders were able to cut the advantage to eight points (74-66), with 6:07 remaining in the game.  However, ECU fought back with a 7-0 run to push the lead back to double-digits and held it there for an 83-76 win.

The Tigers went 16-of-33 from beyond the arc for the game (48.5%) and held SAU to a 6-of-24 mark (25%).  With the season-best 16 three's ECU is now just 25 triples from setting a new season record, with the old record being 232 during the 1996-97 season.  Reeves and Thomas are also chasing the record for most three's in a single season set by Denton Everett in 1997-98 (82).  Reeves is at 76 for the year and Thomas 72.

The Tigers will now head to Arkadelphia, Ark., for one of the biggest games of the season.  ECU will face lead-leading Ouachita Baptist in an attempt to get closer to first-place in the conference standings, Saturday, Feb. 14 at 3 p.m.