MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The East Central University men's basketball team mounted a gritty comeback and delivered a strong second-half shooting performance to outlast Southern Arkansas University 70-68 on Saturday afternoon at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center.
 
The win marks ECU's return to the victory column, improving their record to 2-6 in conference play, while the Muleriders drop to 2-6.
 
"Today was a good win," Head Coach Daniel Wheeler said. "Proud of how our guys competed and played for each other. We need to take the good from this and do it more consistently."
 
Despite trailing by as much as 13 points during the game, the Tigers held a 69-65 lead with 39 seconds remaining. However, SAU connected on a late three-pointer to cut the deficit to just one point. A turnover by ECU with the shot clock off set up a tense final possession for the Muleriders, but the Tigers responded with strong defense, preventing SAU from scoring a potential game-winning shot. The victory was sealed with a clutch free throw from Godsgift Ezedinma in the final second.
 
After a back-and-forth start, SAU pulled away midway through the first half, going on an 11-0 run highlighted by three consecutive three-pointers to take a 23-13 lead. ECU responded with a quick 5-0 run, but the Muleriders extended their advantage back to 13 points at 35-22. Mason Jones' three-pointer in the final moments of the half cut the deficit to 35-25 as the teams headed into the locker room.
 
ECU came out strong in the second half, with Nikk Williams opening the scoring with a layup to make it 35-27. SAU answered with a three-pointer to push the lead back to double digits, but an 8-0 run sparked by a layup from Bishop Jones brought the Tigers within three at 38-35. The Muleriders held a slight edge until Jones' three-pointer tied the game at 43. From there, the game became a back-and-forth shootout, with the score tied twice and lead changes occurring 12 times. Mark Rucha's three-pointer at the 4:26 mark gave ECU the lead for good, and they fought to preserve that advantage for the rest of the game in a hard-earned comeback victory.
 
ECU shot an impressive 66.7% (18-27) in the second half, helping them surge back into the game. The Tigers finished the contest shooting 46.7% (28-60) from the field, while SAU shot 42.3% (22-52). ECU also dominated the boards, 32-28, including 12 second-chance points, and outscored the Muleriders 38-20 in the paint.
 
Nikk Williams led the way with 20 points on an efficient 9-of-10 shooting and added a team-high seven rebounds. Mark Rucha contributed 17 points, shooting 6-of-12 from the floor, and had four steals. Bishop Jones also reached double figures with 12 points and five rebounds, while Mason Jones was effective from beyond the arc, hitting 3-of-4 three-pointers.
 
The Tigers will return to Ada for a GAC matchup against Arkansas Tech University on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 7:30 p.m.