SEARCY, ARK. – The East Central University men's basketball team fell 67-80 to Harding in Great American Conference action, but still has a chance to earn a share of the 2016 GAC title.

The Tigers (20-7, 16-5 GAC) were paced by senior Stirling Thomas, who tallied 25 points and three assists.  Junior Ishmael Donzo added 12 points and six rebounds, while junior Braxton Reeves garnered 10 points, five boards and four assists.

The teams traded the first four shots of the game, but it was the Bisons (17-9, 16-5 GAC) that were able to push out to the first big lead, using an 11-2 run over a three-minute span.  Harding pushed the lead out to nine (11-20) after the first seven minutes, but ECU didn't give up and cut into the disadvantage with a 5-0 run.

The Tigers kept pushing the momentum and ended up tying the game at 25, with 9:14 left in the first half.  The Bisons followed with a 5-2 run over the next three minutes and kept their lead around three to five points until the final four minutes. 

aThat is when Harding added a 7-0 run to make the lead 10 (31-41), with a minute left in the half.  ECU scored the final five points of the stanza, but went into the locker room trailing 36-41.

Both teams traded runs in the opening four minutes of the half, but it was a 5-0 run by Harding that increased the lead back to double-digits (45-46), with 13:20 left on the clock.  The Bisons pushed the lead back out to 12 (47-59) over the next minute, but the Tigers followed with a 7-0 run to get back to a five-point deficit (54-59), with 11 minutes left to play.

ECU kept the disadvantage between five and eight points until the final five minutes when a 6-0 run by Harding gave them a double-digit advantage again.  The Bisons would increase the lead to as many as 16 in the final minutes before earning the 67-80 victory.

Harding had a hot night shooing, making 50.8 percent of their overall shots, while the Tigers hit just 39.1.

ECU will now fight for a share of the 2016 GAC title with Harding and Ouachita Baptist, as they are all now tied for first at 16-5.  The Tigers will battle Arkansas Tech in the final regular-season game of the 2015-16 season, Saturday, Feb. 27 at 3 p.m. in Russellville, Ark.