BETHANY, Okla. – The East Central University women's basketball team traveled to Bethany, OK for a road GAC matchup against Southern Nazarene University, falling 77-52 to the Crimson Storm Saturday afternoon.
 
"A lot of credit goes to SNU. They took us out of rhythm offensively with their pressure," Interim Head Coach Heather Hurt said. "In the second half, we were able to run better offensively, but then we were not able to get stops. They are a tough team and lay extremely hard. We did not match their toughness, but we did give great effort."
 
The Tigers got off to a slow start in the opening period as the Crimson Storm got on the board first with a layup. Kate Ogle answered with a three-pointer, but a relentless defensive pressure and a heating-up SNU resulted in a 13-0 scoring run by the Storm. At the end of the quarter, ECU would trail 20-9. The second period was much like the first, with the Tigers falling behind and the Storm continuing to extend their lead. The Tigers found themselves trailing 40-18 going into halftime.
 
SNU maintained its pace after the break, outscoring the Tigers 21-16 in the third period and never looking back. Despite ECU shooting its best in the fourth, the lead was too great to overcome, and SNU would remain undefeated at home with a 77-52 victory.
 
Sister duo Izzy Cummins and Gabby Cummins led the Tigers with 12 points and 10 points, respectively. They both went 3-for-6 from the field.
 
Tatum Havens finished with a career-high nine points, Ashlyn Evans-Thompson scored seven, and Kate Ogle and Mackenzie Crusoe each had six.
 
The East Central University women's basketball team will be back at the Kerr Activities Center Monday, Jan. 23 as they take on Southeastern Oklahoma State University in the annual blackout game at 5:30 p.m.