ADA, Okla. – The East Central University women's basketball team opened both their season and home schedule with a 52–40 victory over Rogers State University on Tuesday in a non-conference matchup inside the Kerr Activities Center. Despite the low-scoring battle, the Tigers secured a win to begin the year 1–0.
 
ECU now looks ahead to their first road test at Cameron University on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 6 p.m. in Lawton.

"Great night to get our first win under our belt," Head Coach Heather Hurt said. "Ella came off the bench adding a lot of offense for our team when we needed it. We played very tough defense throughout which helped when we were not making shots."
 
The first half proved to be a slow start offensively, with ECU holding a narrow 10–8 advantage after the opening quarter and carrying a slim 20–19 lead into the break. After halftime, however, the Tigers settled into a rhythm, knocking down more shots and maintaining defensive pressure. A key moment came in the final seconds of the third quarter when Ella Lavigne connected on a three-pointer to push ECU ahead 35–31.
 
In the fourth quarter, the Tigers finally took full control. A 9–1 scoring run over a five-minute stretch extended their lead to 46–32 for their largest advantage of the night, which was capped by a pair of free throws from Katie Edelen. Rogers State managed a few late points, but the Tigers maintained command to secure the 52–40 win.
 
ECU outrebounded the Hillcats 41–35 and outshot them 32.8% to 27.3%.
 
In her debut as a Tiger, Lavigne led the offense with 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three-point range, while adding four rebounds. Peyton Mosley followed with eight points and a team-high four steals, and Natalie Payne contributed seven points on a perfect 3-of-3 from the field. Edelen anchored the glass with a team-best 11 rebounds.