ALVA, Okla. – The East Central University women's basketball team wrapped up their second road game of the week on Thursday, suffering a 59-38 defeat to Northwestern Oklahoma State University at Percefull Fieldhouse.

With the loss, ECU drops to 2-3 in Great American Conference (GAC) play, while NWOSU improves to 3-2. The Tigers will now take a short break for Christmas and return to the Kerr Activities Center on Saturday, Jan. 4, to face Southern Nazarene University at 1 p.m.

The game began with NWOSU opening the scoring, and Claira Dannefer's layup quickly tied the game. However, the Rangers went on a 12-2 run to take a commanding 14-4 lead. Tatum Havens nailed a three-pointer late in the first quarter to trim the deficit, but the Rangers responded with their own three-pointer, maintaining a 10-point advantage at the end of the first quarter, 19-9.

NWOSU extended their lead in the second quarter, going up by as much as 14 points at 29-15 with two minutes left in the half. Havens hit another three-pointer to end the scoring run, and after a layup by Dannefer, the Tigers cut the deficit to single digits, trailing 29-20 at halftime.

The Tigers picked it up in the third quarter, posting their highest point total of the game to close the gap to just four points, trailing 39-35 as the period came to a close. A jumper and a free throw by the Rangers pushed their lead to 42-35 heading into the final quarter.

ECU had a chance to make a comeback in the fourth quarter, and Chloe Malone's free throw brought the Tigers within six points. However, the Rangers responded strongly, outscoring the Tigers 17-3 in the final frame as ECU struggled to find the basket, ultimately falling 59-38.

As a team, ECU shot a season-low 28.3% from the field, while NWOSU posted a season-best 38.8% shooting performance against a conference opponent. The Tigers did have an edge on the boards, outrebounding the Rangers 40-36, and outscored them in the paint 22-18.

Katie Edelen led ECU with 15 points, marking the team's only double-digit scorer, and added a team-high seven rebounds. Tatum Havens contributed eight points, including two of the Tigers' three three-pointers, while Makenzy Herman and Havens each grabbed six rebounds.