ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The East Central University women's basketball team completed its final trip to Arkansas for the 2023 season, falling to Henderson State University 85-76 after a second-half comeback.
 
The loss drops ECU to 10-14 overall and 7-13 in conference play.
 
Henderson struck first in the opening quarter, but ECU fought back to eventually tie the game 9-9 before the first media break. The score would tie four more times before a layup by Kennedy Allison put the Tigers up 19-17 at the end of the period.
 
ECU tacked two more baskets to start the second period, but Henderson regained the lead 24-23 at the 7:23 mark. The Reddies followed with a 6-0 scoring run to take a 30-25 advantage until the Tigers clawed their way back with a six-point spurt of their own to lead 37-35 going into halftime.
 
The Tigers got off to a fast start in the third, going on an 8-2 score that eventually led them to their biggest lead of the game of 13 points. The Reddies answered back, and over the course of five minutes, Henderson would erase the deficit and take the final lead 59-56 heading into the final stanza.
 
 Kennedy Cumming's three-pointer tied the game 59-59, but that would be the closest ECU got to regaining the lead as the Reddies pulled away until the final buzzer with a final score of 85-76.
 
 A trio of Tigers led the offense – Kennedy Cummings, Mackenzie Crusoe, and Ashlyn Evans-Thompson.
 
Cummings scored a career-high 17 points going 6-for-8 from the floor, 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, and 3-for-3 from the three-point line.
 
Crusoe was close behind with 16 points shooting 50% from the field while adding eight boards and seven assists.
 
Evans-Thompson followed with 15 points going 3-for-15 from the floor and 8-for9 from the free throw line.
 
The East Central University women's basketball team will return home to the Kerr Activities Center for the final home game of the season Thursday, Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m. The Tigers will also honor their seniors that night.