ADA – The East Central University basketball team earned a 58-46 victory over Henderson State in Great American Conference action in the Kerr Activities Center.

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The Tigers (14-6, 10-4 GAC) were paced by senior Stirling Thomas, who tallied 17 points, five rebounds and three assists.  Junior Ishmael Donzo led ECU on the glass, recording 11 rebounds and adding nine points.

The start of the game saw low scoring and five tie scores before either team pulled ahead by more than four points.  After the teams were tied at 16, the Tigers took control, using a 10-4 run over a seven-minute span to earn a 26-20 advantage.  The Reddies (5-14, 4-10) scored three more points to ECU's one, in the remaining time, for a 27-23 Tiger lead at the half.

While the teams traded the first few baskets of the second half, ECU dominated the next six minutes.  The Tigers went on a 17-0 run and allowed HSU to score just four points in the first eight minutes of the second half to lead 48-27.

ECU never let up the pressure and had increased the lead to 23 (53-30) half way through the stanza.  The Reddies made a final push in the last five minutes of the game, holding ECU scoreless.  However, HSU tallied just seven points for the 58-46 final.

The Tigers earned the victory by earning advantages in three-point shooting and free throws.  ECU made six triples to two by the Reddies and went 14-of-21 at the charity stripe to an 8-of-14 mark by HSU.

The Tigers will next battle Ouachita Baptist, Saturday, Feb. 6 at the Kerr Activities Center at 3 p.m.