ADA – The East Central University women's basketball team overcame an 18-point deficit in the third quarter to gain the lead late in the fourth before falling 82-78 to Henderson State in Great American Conference action at the Kerr Activities Center.

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The Tigers (4-5, 3-2 GAC) were led by junior Lakin Preisner with 17 points, seven rebounds an assist and a steal.  Sophomore Maci Hanson added 11 points, three boards, three block and two assists, while senior Aaliyah Blakley netted 10 points and eight rebounds.

The game started close, but after the first minute the Reddies (7-4, 3-2 GAC) took an 8-4 lead and kept the advantage around four points until the final two minutes of the quarter.  In the final 2:15, ECU went on a 7-1 run to take a 21-20 lead at the end of the quarter.

Both teams were scoreless in the first 1:30 of the second quarter, but HSU kept the lead around four points, until a 5-1 run by the Tigers gave them a 28-27 lead, with 5:50 left in the half.  However, that is when the Reddies took off and used a 22-7 run to hold a 49-35 lead heading into the locker room.

HSU pushed the lead to as many as 18 in the first two minutes of the second half.  However, the Tigers used a 15-6 run over the next four minutes to cut the deficit to nine.  The teams kept the score around a nine-point difference through the stanza, with HSU holding a 66-57 lead at the end of the third quarter.

ECU then started a big push in the fourth quarter, using a 15-3 run in the first five minutes to regain the lead 72-69.  The teams then traded points until the final 30 seconds when the Reddies used several free throws to go on a 5-0 run to claim the 82-78 win.

The Tigers will look to rebound, Saturday, Jan. 6 at 1 p.m. when the host Ouachita Baptist at the Kerr Activities Center.