ADA – The East Central University women's basketball team picked up a key Great American Conference victory over Arkansas-Monticello, 67-60, at the Kerr Activities Center.  The win moved the Tigers into a three-way tie with UAM and Ouachita for eighth in the GAC standings.

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The Tigers (5-11, 4-8 GAC) were paced by senior Jalyn Jackson, with 10 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.  Junior Alexa Adair added a season-best 19 points and six rebounds, while freshman Madison Nickens and junior Devon Branch each tallied 16 points.

The teams traded runs through the first quarter, with the Cotton Blossoms (7-9, 4-8 GAC) earning the final one to hold a 9-12 lead heading into the break.

UAM continued the run with the first shot of the second quarter for a 9-14 lead.  ECU then hit a shot and then went cold until the final minute of the stanza.  The Cotton Blossoms went on a 17-0 run over the span and ended up heading into the intermission with a 13-25 advantage.

The Tigers came out as a new team in the third quarter and went on an 18-2 run in the first 4:30 minutes of the stanza to gain a 31-27 lead.  UAM countered with an 8-1 run of their own to regain the lead (32-35), over the next two minutes.  But in the final 2:30 of the quarter, ECU used an 18-6 run for the 49-41 lead.

The Cotton Blossoms fought hard at the start of the final quarter, cutting the deficit to one (51-50) in the first 3:30.  ECU followed with a 6-0 run over the next minute to increase the lead to seven (57-50). 

UAM made one final push, with a 7-3 run, but the Tigers countered with a 7-0 run and eventually claimed the 67-60 victory.

The second half push by ECU was spurred by a clear advantage from beyond the arc, hitting 10 shots to six by UAM in the game.  The Tigers also made the most of their trips to the charity stripe (19-of-25 to 10-of-13).

ECU will remain at home for their next outing, hosting Southern Arkansas, Saturday, Jan. 28 at 1 p.m. in the Kerr Activities Center.