BETHANY, Okla. – The East Central University men's basketball team defeated Southern Nazarene, 72-64, at the Sawyer Center, giving first-year head coach Chris Crutchfield his first career victory.

Scoring

• 1^st Half: 38-24
  • The teams traded shots for the first five minute, with an 8-8 tie
  • The Tigers (1-1, 1-1 GAC) then took control, going on a 13-1 run over the next four minutes to take a 21-9 advantage
  • ECU kept the advantage around 10 for the next three minutes, with the Tigers up 25-17
  • ECU then pushed the lead out to 16 with a 10-2 run, until 1:30 minutes remained
  • The teams traded shots to end the half
• 2^nd Half:
  • The Crimson Storm (1-1, 1-1 GAC) started the half on a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to 10 in the first two minutes
  • SNU continued to push the tempo and cut the lead to five (45-40) in the first seven minutes
  • The Tigers responded with a 7-0 run to push the lead back to 12, with 9:45 minutes remaining
  • ECU kept the lead around 10, until the final five minutes
  • The Crimson Storm then went on a 6-0 run to cut the difference to four (58-54), with three minutes left
  • The Tigers kept control of the game, using several free throws in the final minutes to push the lead back out to as many as 10

Tiger Quick Shots

• First-year head coach Chris Crutchfield picked up his first career victory in just his second game
• Fr. Brennen Burns and Jr. Jalen Crutchfield tallied double-digit point totals for ECU
  • Burns: 22 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 2 steals, 46.2% (6-of-13) FG, 66.7% (2-of-3) 3PTF FG, 88.9% (8-of-9) FT
  • Jalen Crutchfield: 13 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 41.7% (5-of-12) FG, 33.3% (2-of-3) 3PT FG
• So .Tylor Arnold led the team on the glass
  • 9 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 50.0% (3-of-6) FG
• All but three of the 11 players that saw action scored and had a rebound
• The Tigers shot 51.1% (24-of-47) from the field and 50.0% (5-of-10) from three-point range

Crutchfield Quotes

• "I am proud of the players for going on the road and getting a win in a tough place and against one of the best programs in the GAC."
• "I am happy for my first win and hope for many more."

Up Next

• ECU will remain on the road for the next two games
  • Monday, Jan. 11 at Southeastern Oklahoma State – 7:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, Jan. 14 at Oklahoma Baptist – 7:30 p.m.
• The Tigers were scheduled to face Northwestern Oklahoma State, Saturday, Jan. 16 at the Kerr Activities Center, but it has been cancelled due to COVID 19 cases
• ECU's next home game will now be Thursday, Jan. 21 against Southern Nazarene – 7:30 p.m.