SEARCY, ARK. – The East Central University women's basketball team fell in a low-scoring battle at Harding, 51-42, in Great American Conference action.

The Tigers (6-10, 3-9 GAC) were led by senior Aaliyah Blakley, who tallied nine points, two rebounds, a block, assist and steal.  Fellow senior Devon Branch added eight points and three rebounds.

The opening quarter started slow, with no scoring through the first 1:30 minutes.  The Bisons (8-12, 4-8 GAC) were the first to get on the scoreboard and held ECU without a point through the first five minutes, leading 4-0.  The Tigers used a 5-0 run in the next two minutes to take a 5-4 lead.  The teams then traded points the rest of the stanza, with ECU leading 10-9.

The Tigers went on a 5-0 run in the first five minutes of the second quarter, but Harding used two small runs and a strong defensive stand to earn a 22-20 advantage at the half.

The Bisons started the second half strong, going on a 6-2 run in the first six minutes to extend their lead to 10 (32-22).  The lead stayed around 10 points through the quarter, with ECU hitting the final shot of the stanza for a 36-28 mark.

The Tigers continued their push through the first six minutes of the final stanza to take a 38-37 lead after a 12-1 run.  However, the Bisons countered with a 5-0 run of their own over the next two minutes to regain a 42-40 advantage.

ECU kept the game within two possessions until the final 30 seconds and ended up falling 51-42.

The Tigers will wrap up a four-game road swing, Saturday, Jan. 27 at 1 p.m. when the face Arkansas Tech.