SEARCY, Ark. – The East Central University women's basketball team concluded their first GAC Arkansas road series with a tough matchup against Harding University, resulting in a 87-55 defeat on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Tigers were able to keep the game at a manageable distance throughout the first quarter as the Bisons established an eight-point lead at 21-13. But without much success in the second quarter, ECU found themselves trailing 48-21 heading into halftime, facing an uphill battle.
 
Coming out of the break, the Tigers continued to try to find some rhythm on offense against a tough Bison defense. ECU found some success in the fourth quarter as the Tigers not only outscored the Bisons but held Harding to their lowest-scoring quarters. Despite the effort, the Tigers could not bridge the gap, and the Bisons' lead proved insurmountable.
 
In a challenging offensive outing, ECU went 4-for-14 from beyond the arc and shot 37% (20-54 FG) from the field.
 
Mackenzie Crusoe led the Tigers with 11 points, six rebounds, and three steals. Kennedy Cummings and Kayley Alt each contributed 10 points with Cummings shooting 3-for-5 from the field while Alt also recorded six rebounds.
 
As the ECU women's basketball team returns to campus next week, they will regroup and prepare for their next challenge against Arkansas-Monticello on Jan. 11 at 5:30 pm.