ADA – With a 71-46 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State, the East Central University women's basketball team clinched a spot in the 2016 Great American Conference Championship. The Tigers (10-14, 10-10 GAC) will be make their fifth-straight appearance in the tournament.
Photo GalleryECU was led by junior
Jalyn Jackson, who garnered her seventh double-double of the season with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Sophomore
Mariah Meyer added a career-high 15 points, while junior
Courtney Cowan garnered 11 and sophomore
Tori Huff 10.
The Tigers opened the game with an 8-2 run, in the first 2:30, but saw the Rangers (2-24, 0-20 GAC) cut the lead to two (8-6) in the next 1:30. ECU pushed back and kept the lead between four and six points until the final two minutes of the stanza. NWOSU used a 4-0 run to get the lead to one (13-12), before Cowan hit a three before the buzzer to give ECU a 16-12 advantage.
The Rangers came charging into the second quarter and used an 8-0 run to take a 16-20 lead, with six minutes left to play. NWOSU kept the lead around four points until the final four minutes. That is when the Tigers were able to use a 4-0 run to tie the game at 25 over the next minute. However, the Rangers out-scored ECU 7-3 the rest of the half to take a 28-32 lead into the intermission.
The Tigers came out ready to fight in the third quarter and tied the game at 32 and take a 37-32 lead in the first three minutes. ECU kept pushing the momentum and increased the lead to 10 (46-36), with four minutes left. The Tigers added an 8-1 run in the remaining time in the third quarter for a 54-37 lead.
ECU pushed the lead out to 20 in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter and never let the Rangers get closer than 18 on the way to the 71-46 victory.
The Tigers earned the win with a seven to two lead in three-point shots and were able to out-rebound NWOSU 52-41.
ECU will wrap up the 2015-16 regular season next weekend with a tough road trip at Harding and Arkansas Tech. The Tigers will battle the Bisons, Thursday, Feb.25 (5:30 p.m.) and then the Golden Suns, Saturday, Feb. 27 (3 p.m.).
