ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The East Central University women's basketball team took on the purple Tigers for a Great American Conference match, eventually falling to Ouachita Baptist University by a final score of 79-54 Thursday night.
 
The loss evens the season series between ECU and Ouachita following an 11-point win at the Kerr Activities Center on Jan. 28.
 
"Our defense did not hold against their offense," Interim Head Coach Heather Hurt said. "They did everything to win the game. They shot the ball really well, and Miller (13) got downhill on us whenever she wanted. We did not play like we have the last three games."
 
The first quarter was a back-and-forth battle featuring three lead changes and five tied scores. Knotted 18-18, Ouachita would go on a 4-0 run to take the lead at the end of the period.
 
Ouachita hovered around a double-digit lead for almost the entire second quarter, but ECU rallied to cut the purple Tigers lead down to four points at 28-24. However, from that point, Ouachita held ECU scoreless for nearly five minutes left of play while the purple Tigers built a 14-point lead heading into the break, 38-24.
 
Ouachita maintained its scoring pace and eventually pulled away by as much as 27 points in the final minute. The purple Tigers' 53 percent shooting performance, defensive pressure, and out-rebounding 46-23 prevented an orange Tiger comeback.
 
Kennedy Allison led the offense with 11 points going 5-for-7 from the field.
 
Ashlyn Evans-Thompson added eight points, followed by Izzy Cummins with seven and Kennedy Cummings with six.
 
The East Central University women's basketball team will wrap up its final Arkansas road trip of the season with a GAC matchup against Henderson State University Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1:00 p.m.