ADA, Okla. – The East Central University men's basketball team lit up the scoreboard with a red-hot three-point shooting performance on Thursday night, hitting 14 three-pointers in a thrilling 77-57 win over Arkansas Tech at the Kerr Activities Center.
 
The Tigers' long-range attack was evident from the start, as four of their first five field goals came from beyond the arc thanks to Mason Jones, Bryce Woolridge, and Mark Rucha. Although the shooting was hot early, the game remained tightly contested in the first half, with neither team leading by more than three points and the score tied on four occasions.
 
With just under 10 minutes remaining in the first half, ATU held a narrow 18-16 lead. However, Nikk Williams' layup to knot the score ignited an 8-0 run over the next 90 seconds to start separating themselves at 24-18. The Wonder Boys fought back and trimmed the lead to four points a couple of times, but with 3:30 left before halftime, the Tigers heated up again. A blistering 13-2 run to close the half, including three more three-pointers from Woolridge, Rucha, and Hudson Linsenmeyer, helped propel the Tigers to a comfortable 41-26 lead at the break.
 
In the second half, ATU found better rhythm, managing to make a strong trim ECU's lead to just seven points, 60-53, with just over five minutes to play. However, the Tigers answered big with a dominating 14-0 run, beginning with back-to-back layups from Godsgift Ezedinma, quickly restoring their double-digit advantage. Ezedinma sealed the win with a three-pointer, a fitting exclamation mark on their dominant performance.
 
ECU's 14 three-pointers marked the team's second-highest total of the season, just one shy of their season-high of 15 made threes recorded earlier in the year. This long-range success proved to be a decisive factor in the win, especially considering ATU struggled from beyond the arc, making just 3-of-16 attempts.
 
Bryce Woolridge and Godsgift Ezedinma led the charge offensively, each scoring 18 points. Woolridge was stellar from deep, going 4-for-5, while Ezedinma shot 3-for-6 from three-point range. Nikk Williams also played a key role, falling just shy of a triple-double with 12 points, nine rebounds, and a career-high nine assists.
 
The Tigers will be back in action at the Kerr Activities Center on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 3 p.m. when they take on Harding University in their next GAC matchup.