ALVA, Okla. – The East Central University women's basketball teamed opened up Great American Conference play on the road, falling to Northwestern Oklahoma State University 85-60 in Alva, OK.
 
"We got outplayed and I got outcoached," Head Coach Matt Cole said. "NWOSU played great offense and defense tonight. By the time we started competing hard enough to win, the deficit was too large to overcome. We have to be prepared to compete better and fast."
 
NWOSU got the scoring going to take an early 9-5 lead in the opening quarter. Kate Ogle 's jumper put the ECU within two, but NOWSU followed with a 6-0 run to end the first quarter 17-9.
 
The Rangers kept the momentum going in the second quarter to open their first double-digit lead of the game. ECU shot 55.6% in the second quarter, but it was not enough to cut into the deficit, and the Tigers trailed 43-22 going into halftime.
 
Izzy Cummins scored the first five points for the Tigers to start the third quarter. ECU outshot NWOSU 25-23, but the Rangers still held onto a 68-48 lead heading into the final quarter.
 
A 17-12 tally in the fourth quarter put ECU in a hole they couldn't dig out of, and NWOSU would go on to win the game 85-60 over the Tigers.
 
Mackenzie Crusoe led the Tigers, scoring 16 points. Crusoe was 6-for-11 from the floor, and added three rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
 
Izzy Cummins had a season-high nine points going 3-for-5 from the field and 2-for-4 from the three-point range while Kate Ogle scored seven points making 3-of-4 shots.
 
Emma Epperly added six points and four rebounds, while Ashlyn Evans-Thompson and Emily Wilson scored five each.
 
The East Central University women's basketball team will return to the Kerr Activities to take on Southern Nazarene University for their home opener Saturday, Dec. 3 at 1:00 p.m.