ADA, Okla. – The East Central University women's basketball team delivered a statement win on the road Saturday, defeating GAC powerhouse Southern Nazarene University 44-38 to snap their nine game win streak and secure a crucial victory.
 
In a stunning upset, the Tigers handed SNU only their third conference loss of the season, and just their second at home. With the win, ECU improves to 7-11 in the GAC as the race for the conference tournament intensifies.
 
ECU's defense was the key to the victory, stifling SNU's offense and holding them to a season-low 38 points. The Crimson Storm struggled to find their rhythm, and though they managed to tie the game a few times, they never gained the lead.
 
The Tigers started strong, maintaining control throughout the contest as Makenzy Herman opened the scoring with a basket for a 2-0 lead. SNU answered with a layup, but Kayley Alt's three-pointer quickly put ECU back on top. The Crimson Storm were held to just two points over a four-minute stretch, with ECU leading 12-8 after the first quarter thanks to back-to-back layups from Peyton Mosley and Chloe Malone.
 
In the second quarter, SNU managed double-digit points, but ECU still edged them out 12-11 to maintain a 24-19 advantage at halftime. The Tigers controlled much of the third quarter, pushing their lead to seven points at 33-26. Though SNU responded with five straight points to trim the deficit, ECU entered the final frame with a narrow 34-32 lead.
 
The fourth quarter belonged to ECU, as the Tigers' defense locked down the Crimson Storm, limiting them to just six points in the final 10 minutes. ECU, despite not scoring heavily, held firm with 10 points in the period to seal the win.
 
SNU struggled offensively, shooting just 26.3% from the field, while ECU was more efficient at 37.2%. The Tigers' defense proved dominant, forcing 20 turnovers and scoring 13 points off those mistakes. Additionally, ECU outscored SNU in the paint 24-18, in bench points 23-6, and at the free-throw line (10-for-17 to 2-for-4).
 
Peyton Mosley led the Tigers' offense with 12 points, finishing a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and 4-for-6 from the free-throw line. Chloe Malone and Eva Fernandez each contributed nine points.
 
The ECU women's basketball team will continue their road trip next week, facing Harding University and Arkansas Tech University in their final Arkansas series of the season, February 20-22.