LEBANON, Ill. – The East Central University men's basketball team stayed on the winning track for the 2019-20 season, defeating McKendree University 81-73, in non-conference action.

Scoring

• 1^st Half: 43-41
  • Tie Scores – 3 / Lead Changes – 2
  • The Tigers (3-0) opened the game on an 8-3 run, in the first 2:30 minutes
  • The Bearcats (1-1) continued to fight and used a few runs to take a 25-14 advantage, 8:30 minutes into the game
    • Final run was 14-2 over a three-minute span (+11)
  • ECU kept the disadvantage between 5-11 points over the next four minutes (33-23)
  • The Tigers then went on a 14-4 run to tie the game at 37, with 2:50 left on the clock
  • The teams traded shots the reminder of the half until a jumper by Caleb Williams put ECU ahead by two at the half
• 2^nd Half: 38-32
  • McKendree pushed ahead at the start of the half, taking a five-point lead
  • After the first five minutes the Tigers made their move (55-50)
    • Started a 12-5 run for a four-point lead, with 10:50 left
  • The Bearcats fought back to tie the game at 62 and 64 in the next two minutes
  • ECU then made another push to increase the lead to eight points (64-72), with five minutes left
  • The Tigers kept the pressure on throughout the remainder of the game
    • Increased the lead to double-digits to 10 (79-69), with 1:23 remaining

Tiger Quick Shots

• Jr. Josh Apple earned his second double-double of the season and for his career
  • 14 points, 16 rebound, 7-of-9 (77.8) FG%
    • Career highs in both points and rebounds
• Apple was one of four players in double-digits in the scoring column
  • Sr. Camron Talley: 15 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
  • Jr. Caleb Williams: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
    • Career high in points and rebounds
  • Sr. Zac Neely: 12 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal
• As a team, the Tigers (3-0) shot 54.4% (31-of-57) from the field
  • Held the Bearcats to 38.3% (23-of-60)
• ECU also out-rebounded McKendree 43-28
• First time since 2010-11 that the Tigers started the season 3-0
  • W, 73-62 vs. Oklahoma Panhandle State
  • W, 67-56 vs. Texas A&M-International
  • W, 59-46 at Rhema Bible

Up Next

• The Tigers will now get ready to start the Great American Conference portion of the season
  • Thursday, Nov. 21 at Southwestern Oklahoma State – 7:30 p.m.
• ECU will then play its first game in the Kerr Activities Center
  • Saturday, Nov. 23 vs. Southern Nazarene – 3 p.m.