MAGNOLIA, ARK. – In the first Great American Conference game of the 2016-17 season, the East Central University women's basketball team fell to Southern Arkansas, 48-54.

The Tigers (1-2, 0-1 GAC) were led by junior Alexa Adair, who tallied 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.  Senior Jalyn Jackson added a team-best six rebounds and also contributed eight points and four assists.

The teams traded the first few shots of the game, but with just over six minutes left in the first quarter the Muleriders (1-1, 1-0 GAC) went on a 4-0 run to take the lead for the rest of the stanza.  ECU didn't let the deficit get larger than six and ended the quarter trailing 12-16.

SAU came out firing in the second quarter and extended the advantage to eight, on a 4-0 run, in the first five minutes of the stanza.  However, the Tigers countered with a 9-2 run in the second half the period to head to the locker room trailing by just one (21-22).

A tight battled ensued through the third quarter, with strong defense from both teams.  Each team tallied just five points each in the first half the period, but in the second half both started to hit more shots.  No team could pull away by more than a few points for long and it ended with the Tigers holding a two-point advantage (36-34).

ECU scored the first three points of the final period, but quickly saw the Muleriders tie the game and take a one-point lead (39-40) in the first two minutes.  Over the next three minutes, SAU went on a 7-2 run to take control of the score for good.  The Muleriders pushed the lead out to as many as seven before claiming the 48-54 victory.

The Tigers struggled through the game to make their shots, shooting 27.6 (16-of-58) percent, while allowing a 42.6 (20-of-47) mark by SAU.

ECU will next head to Monticello, Ark., for a Saturday, Nov. 19 game at 1 p.m. against Arkansas-Monticello.