ARKADELPHIA, ARK. – For the fifth time in the 2017-18 season and the second time against Henderson State, the East Central University men's basketball team broke the century mark with a 102-88 victory in Great American Conference action.

The win keeps the Tigers in a tie for third-place in the GAC standings, with five regular-season games left to play and the top eight teams advancing to the GAC tournament.

The Tigers (13-8, 11-6 GAC) had six of the eight players that played in the game score 10-or-more points, with junior Gabe McKenzie leading the team for the second-straight game.  McKenzie tallied a career-high 24 points, with four rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal. 

Junior Marcus Lytle added 21 points, eight rebounds, an assists, block and steal.  Junior Da'Rion King netted 16 points, senior Tyler Armstrong 14 and sophomore Camron Talley and senior Jeremiah Fleming 10 points each.

The teams traded shots in the first 1:30 minutes, with the Reddies (12-11, 7-10 GAC) leading 4-3.  However, that is when ECU turned up the intensity and went on a 12-0 run over the next three minutes to gain a 15-4 lead.  The Tigers used several runs throughout the stanza and headed into the locker room with a 57-35 advantage.

ECU kept the advantage around 20 points for the first five minutes of the second half.  HSU then used a few small runs to cut the disadvantage to 13 points, but the Tigers would push the lead back near 20 each time.  ECU pushed through the second half and claimed a 102-88 win.

The Tigers will wrap-up a three-game road trip, Thursday, Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. when they travel to Bethany, Okla., to face league-leading Southern Nazarene.