ADA – The East Central University men's basketball team dropped a tight 70-71 decision to Arkansas-Monticello in Great American Conference action in the Kerr Activities Center.
Photo GalleryThe Tigers (15-7, 9-5 GAC) were paced by junior
Stirling Thomas, with 23 points. Redshirt sophomore
Braxton Reeves added 19 points, while senior
Henry Pwono and sophomore
Aly Hudgins led the team with six rebounds.
The game was close in the first few minutes before the Boll Weevils (6-13, 3-12 GAC) were able to pull away to a 7-12 advantage (15:32). UAM increased the advantage to 13 (12-25), with 9:38 remaining before ECU pulled closer, with a 10-2 run (22-27), over the next four minutes.
The Tigers kept the disadvantage between five and seven points until the final two minutes when they used another 5-0 run to get within two, 31-33, at the end of the first half.
In the first seven minutes of the second half the Tigers kept the pressure up and used a 13-9 run to tie the game at 44. The game was close, with either tie scores or the Boll Weevils holding a slight advantage.
With 35 seconds left to play Thomas hit a three that gave ECU a one-point advantage. However, UAM got two shots at the other end of the floor and made a layup with 2.5 seconds left on the clock to regain the lead (70-71). Thomas rushed down the court in the final seconds and had his last-second shot rim in and out.
The Tigers will now hit the road for two-straight GAC games. ECU will first face Southern Arkansas, Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. and then Ouachita Baptist, Saturday, Feb. 14 at 3 p.m.
