RICHARDSON, TX – The East Central University men's basketball team continued its non-conference schedule Wednesday afternoon with a matchup against the University of Texas at Dallas. After battling to find their rhythm early, the Tigers used a strong second-half surge to outlast the Comets, securing a 67–57 victory heading into Thanksgiving Break.
 
With the win, ECU improves to 4–1 on the season, securing their fourth consecutive victory, while UTD falls to 0–5. The Tigers will now turn their attention to their first Great American Conference contests, facing Ouachita Baptist on Dec. 4 and Henderson State on Dec. 6 in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
 
The opening half was defined by slow starts on both sides, as early missed shots and turnovers kept the game scoreless for the first three minutes and overall scoring low. A layup from Brandon Mann put ECU on the board, and a three-pointer from Jordan England gave the Tigers a 5–2 advantage. The teams traded baskets to a 10–10 tie before UTD began to pull away, stretching its lead to 24–14 with 4:18 left. England responded with five straight points, including his second three-pointer, trimming the deficit to 24–19. The Comets maintained control, but a driving layup from Mann in the final minute sent ECU into halftime trailing 30–25.
 
Both teams continued to struggle offensively out of the break, with UTD going scoreless for two and a half minutes and ECU committing back-to-back turnovers. A three-point play from Kyler Mann and a layup from his brother Brandon brought the Tigers within 33–30. Though UTD extended its advantage to 38–32, a 5–0 ECU run cut the margin to 38–37 midway through the half.
 
ECU found its spark in the final 10 minutes behind Kameron Newsome, who entered and scored 11 crucial points, helping the Tigers take a 52–44 lead and seize momentum. The Tigers built their largest lead of the afternoon at 63–48 after a driving layup from Braden Baum before closing out the win at 67–57.
 
Turnovers plagued both teams, but ECU's defensive pressure proved pivotal. The Tigers forced 17 UTD turnovers while committing 12 of their own, and collected nine steals. Three were from Hudson Linsenmeyer while two came from England.
 
Newsome led the Tigers with an efficient 16 points in 21 minutes, shooting 6-of-10 from the field and 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. England followed with 12 points on 3-of-5 three-point shooting, Rustin Coffey added 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting, and Brandon Mann contributed 10 points and six rebounds. Kyler Mann hauled in a team-high nine rebounds in 20 minutes, while Jaden Miller dished out six assists.