RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The East Central University women's basketball team faced a tough matchup against Arkansas Tech in their Arkansas road trip opener, falling 71-44 on Thursday night inside Tucker Coliseum.
 
Arkansas Tech (6-3, 3-2 GAC) took the early lead with a quick layup and free throw, but Makenzy Herman's points from the charity stripe and a three-pointer from Kayley Alt pushed the Tigers (4-5, 0-5 GAC) ahead with a 5-3 lead. However, a 13-2 scoring run by the Golden Suns swiftly shifted the momentum, establishing a 16-7 lead with 4:30 left in the quarter. Although the remaining minutes grew quiet for both teams with a combined 15 missed field goals, Alexus Belcher's contribution helped the Tigers narrow the gap to 16-11.
 
The Golden Suns opened the second quarter with a layup before Mackenzie Crusoe answered back with one of her own to maintain the deficit at five points. But with intermittent scoring from ECU and hot shooting from Arkansas Tech, the Golden Suns were able to take control with a commanding 36-15 lead at halftime.
 
Despite ECU's improved offensive performance over the next two quarters, nearly doubling their combined points from the first half, it was not enough to overturn the tide, ultimately falling to a 71-44 defeat.
 
The Tigers struggled with the Golden Suns' press, committing 18 turnovers, their second-highest this season, which led to 20 points for Arkansas Tech.
 
ECU managed eight three-pointers in the contest but recorded a season-low 25.4% shooting from the field (15-59 FG) compared to Arkansas Tech's 41.3% (26-63 FG). The Golden Suns also won the rebounding battle with a 48-36 advantage and pulled down 13 offensive boards.
 
The Tigers were led by Kayley Alt who turned in 11 points, shooting 4-for-7 from the field, including three from beyond the arc.
 
The ECU women's basketball team gears up for their next match on the road against Harding University on Jan. 6^th at 1 pm.