ADA – Redshirt sophomore Braxton Reeves had a strong night for the East Central University men's basketball team, recording 17 points and six assists, including a last second three to secure the 78-76 win over Harding in Great American Conference action at the Kerr Activities Center.

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The win pushed the Tigers (18-8, 12-6 GAC) into sole possession of second-place in the GAC standings heading into the final week of regular-season play.

ECU also saw strong performances from senior Brandon Lucas, with 20 points and eight rebounds.  Junior Stirling Thomas added 16 points and five assists, while freshman Donovan Halsel added 14 points and four assists.

Both teams started the game cold, with no scoring until 17:45 remained on the clock and ECU hit a jumper.  The Bison's (12-12, 10-8 GAC) first shot was a three that finally went in with 16:45 to play.  After the opening stalemate, the game remained close, with no team leading by more than three points until ECU used an 8-0 run over a three minute span to take a 28-22 lead, with 5:07 left on the clock.

Harding countered with a 10-2 run over the next 2:30 to take a 30-32 lead and the teams traded points in the final minutes to head to the locker room with the Tigers trailing 33-35.

ECU quickly tied the game at 28 in the first minute of the second half and then pushed ahead with a 17-7 run over the first six minutes of the stanza (50-42).  The Bison added an 8-2 run to cut the deficit to two (52-50) over the next two minutes.

The teams traded runs over the next eight minutes, with ECU holding a lead by as many as nine.  With 4:34 left to play, the Bison started their come-back attempt, using a 5-0 run over the next minute to cut the deficit to two (71-69).

ECU responded with a 4-0 run of their own, but quickly saw the lead disappear when Harding used a 7-0 run to take a 75-76 lead with 14 seconds left on the clock.

The Tigers quickly came down the court and Thomas took an off center shot from just outside the lane that missed, but was sent out of bounds by a Harding player with five seconds left.  After a timeout, ECU got the ball into to Thomas who dished it out to Reeves in the far corner to hit the game-winner.

The game was a three-point shooting contest for both teams, with the Tigers earning a 13-of-29 advantage over Harding, who was 11-of-32 for the day.

The Tigers will now get ready for the final two games of the 2014-15 regular season, with the first game being the final road game of the season at arch rival Southeastern Oklahoma State, Thursday, Feb. 26 at 5:30 p.m.