DURANT, Okla. – The East Central University men's basketball team traveled south Thursday night for a Great American Conference matchup against Southeastern Oklahoma State University, hoping to split the series. However, the Tigers were unable to overcome a dominant SE performance, suffering a tough 92-65 loss at Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
ECU shot 42.4% from the field, while SE connected on 50% of their attempts. The Storm also dominated in rebounding and three-point shooting, pulling down 48 rebounds compared to ECU's 25, and hitting 11 threes, including nine in the first half, which proved to be the difference in the game.
Southeastern opened the game with a 5-0 run, but a three-pointer from
Godsgift Ezedinma put the Tigers on the board. The Storm built a 14-7 lead, before ECU responded with a 10-2 run, highlighted by eight points from Ezedinma, to take a 17-16 lead. However, SE quickly regained the advantage, pushing ahead 24-19.
The Storm kept their momentum rolling, embarking on a 12-0 run fueled by their hot shooting from beyond the arc, extending their lead to 36-21. SE knocked down three consecutive threes in just two minutes to stretch the gap further to 46-24. By halftime, the Tigers trailed 55-34.
Southeastern continued to build their lead out of the break, going on a 10-0 run and stretching the advantage to their largest margin of 76-44 at the 12:38 mark. ECU managed to string together some baskets with an 11-4 run over the next six minutes, cutting the lead to 80-55 with 6:53 remaining. However, SE quickly answered with a 6-0 burst and maintained their lead for the remainder of the game, ultimately securing the 92-65 victory.
Godsgift Ezedinma was a bright spot for the Tigers, tying his career-high with 25 points, including five three-pointers, while grabbing a team-high six rebounds.
Mark Rucha and
Nikk Williams also scored in double figures, with Rucha contributing 13 points and Williams adding 10.
The ECU men's basketball team will look to bounce back on Saturday as they face Southern Nazarene University at 3 p.m.
