SHAWNEE, OKLA. – After three close losses, the East Central University women's basketball team came out on top, with a 63-47 road win at Oklahoma Baptist in Great American Conference action.

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The Tigers (3-9, 2-6 GAC) were led by junior Devon Branch, who tallied 18 points and a team-best seven rebounds.  Senior Jalyn Jackson added 12 points, six boards and five assists.

While the Bison (4-10, 1-7 GAC) were the first to get on the scoreboard after the first minute, ECU quickly took over and went on a 9-2 run over the next four minutes.  The Tigers kept up the pressure and finished the quarter leading 23-7.

ECU kept up the pace in the first three minutes of the second half, holding OBU to just five points.  The Bison then made a small push, using a 6-2 run over the next two minutes, to cut the disadvantage to 32-18.  The teams then traded points and runs the rest of the half, with the Tigers taking a 43-16 lead into the intermission.

The second half started out close, with ECU going on a quick 6-0 run in the opening minutes to push the advantage to 22.  The Tigers kept the lead around 20 points until the final four minutes when the Bison used an 11-2 run to cut the deficit to 11 (54-43).

The opening minutes of the fourth quarter saw low scoring, with ECU going on a 4-0 run and not allowing OBU to score in the first four minutes.  The teams played even in the final minutes of the game, with the Tigers claiming the 63-47 victory.

ECU took the win on the backs of strong overall shooting, hitting 45.1 percent (23-of-51) of their shots from the floor.  The Tigers added nine triples and held OBU to just 26.8 percent (15-of-56) percent from the field.

ECU will continue its road swing, stopping next in Durant, Okla., Monday, Jan. 16 for a 5:30 p.m. game with arch rival Southeastern Oklahoma State.