DULUTH, Minn. – The East Central University men's basketball team wrapped up the American Family Insurance Classic hosted by the University of Minnesota Duluth, with a morning matchup against the University of Minnesota Crookston on Saturday. The Tigers battled, but ultimately fell short, falling 65-59 at Romano Gymnasium.
 
While an 0-2 start to the 2024-25 season was not the result ECU hoped for, the Tigers will look to regroup and bounce back in their next non-conference game against Mississippi College in Dallas, Texas.
 
From the opening tip, the game was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams exchanging leads. The Tigers went ahead 12-7 at the 13:06 mark, sparked by a three-pointer from Bryce Woolridge and a mid-range jumper by Nikk Williams. ECU would later take their largest lead of the first half at 24-17 with just five minutes remaining. However, the Eagles responded with a 13-3 run to close out the half, leaving the Tigers trailing 30-27 at the break.
 
Coming out of halftime, Minnesota Crookston built on their momentum, opening the second half with an 8-1 scoring run to extend their lead to 38-28. The Tigers fought back, with Mason Jones scoring seven consecutive points to narrow the deficit to 38-35. Although the Eagles briefly pushed their lead back up with a three-pointer, ECU's defense held strong, keeping UMC scoreless for three minutes while they clawed their way back to tie the game 41-41 on a three-pointer from Bishop Jones midway through the second half.
 
However, that would be as close as the Tigers would get. Despite their effort, ECU struggled to regain the lead, as UMC gradually pulled away, building a 10-point cushion before closing out the game with a 65-59 victory.
 
Nikk Williams and Mason Jones led the Tigers' offensive efforts. Williams scored a team-high 18 points and narrowly missed a double-double with nine rebounds, while Jones added 13 points. Jourdyn Grandberry contributed as well, finishing with nine points and four assists.