ADA – East Central University men's basketball senior Braxton Reeves made Great American Conference men's basketball history, as he was the first player to be named a unanimous GAC Player of the Year.  Reeves was a unanimous pick for All-GAC First Team, while fellow senior Ishmael Donzo was named to the second team.

The annual awards ceremony for All-GAC honors kicked off the 2016-17 GAC Men's Basketball Championship Tournament, March 2-5 in Bartlesville, Okla., at Bruin Fieldhouse.  The Tigers, who finished first in the GAC standings and were the No. 1 overall seed, also received their second-straight GAC Regular-Season trophy as the ceremony.

ECU will start the tournament, Thursday, March 2 at 8 p.m. vs. No. 8 Henderson State. A win will give them a day off before facing the winner of No. 4 Southern Nazarene and No. 5 Ouachita, Saturday, March 4 at 5:45 p.m.

Reeves set the GAC career scoring record earlier this season and is currently ranked No. 6 on the Tigers scoring charts, with 1,606 points.  The Fort Worth, Texas, native also leads the lead in free throw percentage 9.911), steals (2.0), Minutes (37.0) and three-point fields made (3.8).

Donzo is second on the team in scoring this season and is ranked No. 5 in the GAC in field goal percentage (.565), No. 6 in rebounds (7.5) and blocks (0.9) and No. 7 in offensive rebounds (2.4).

Game Notes

Thursday: Live Radio I Live Stats I Live Video

Tiger Quick Hits
    • ECU claimed the 2016-17 GAC Regular-Season title
        • Second-straight season to earn the regular-season title
    • Senior Braxton Reeves was the first GAC men's basketball player to earn unanimous Player of the Year honors
    • Senior Braxton Reeves named to the Top-50 Bevo Francis Watch List
        • Became the 18th member of the 1,000 Point Club 11/19/2016 at UAM
        • Ranked No. 6 on Career Points List (1,606) at ECU & No. 1 in the GAC
        • Also ranked in career lists: No. 1 in 3PT FG (324), No. 1 3PT FGA (756), No. 5 3PT% (.419),  No. 2 Minutes (3,191)
    • Reeves named GAC Player of the Week for Jan. 30
        • Averaged 33.5 P, 2.5 R per game
    • Reeves set the school record for points in a game with 45 against Cameron
        • Became the first Tiger to record over 40+ points in two-straight games (12/15-19/16)
        • Named GAC Player of the Week and DII National Player of the Week for Dec. 20
            • First ECU player to earn National Player of the Week honors
    • Senior Ishmael Donzo ranked in career lists: No. 10 RPG (7.9) and No. 4 Blocks (63)
        • Named GAC Player of the Week for Jan. 9 averaging a double-double
    • Tigers have two players with double-digit point totals
        • Braxton Reeves: 22.3 P, 3.3 R, .472 (187-396) FG%, .453 (107-236) 3PT%, 83 A, 11 B, 56 S
        • Ishmael Donzo: 11.9 P, 7.5 R, .565 (118-209) FG%, 24 B, 9 S
    • Tigers won 12-straight games and eight-straight in the GAC (11/25/16 to 1/19/17)
        • Longest winning streak and first in double-digits since 1988-89 season (15 wins)
    • Tigers ranked No. 3 in the NCAA Central Regional Poll (as of March 1)
    • ECU's win over No. 18 UAM was the first over a ranked opponent since 2002

Tigers in the GAC Championship Tournament
    • This is the fourth-straight season that ECU has advanced to the postseason
        • Highest ranking in the tourney: No. 2 (2015-16 & 2014-15), No. 4 (2013-14)
    • ECU vs. the competition in 2016-17
        • Henderson State: 2-0            • Arkansas-Monticello: 1-1
        • Southern Nazarene: 1-1        • Arkansas Tech: 2-0
        • Ouachita: 1-1                        • Southern Arkansas: 1-1
                                                        • Harding: 2-0
    • Tigers first meeting vs. Henderson State in the postseason
    • ECU against teams in  GAC Championship Tournament
        • Harding: 1-1                          • Arkansas Tech: 1-1
        • Southern Nazarene: 1-0        • Ouachita: 0-1