ADA, Okla. – The East Central University women's basketball team faced Southern Arkansas University on Thursday in a critical Great American Conference showdown. With both teams vying to break a tie for eighth place, the Muleriders ultimately came out on top with a 56-52 victory.
 
The Tigers now sit at 5-10 in GAC play, in ninth place, and will look to regroup and get back into tournament contention with a home matchup against the University of Arkansas at Monticello on Saturday.
 
The game remained tightly contested throughout, with neither team able to pull away until the final moments.
 
ECU held a narrow 14-12 lead after the first period, but SAU edged out the Tigers in the second quarter to take a slim 22-21 advantage into halftime.
 
The Muleriders again narrowly outscored ECU in the third, leading 41-38 heading into the final frame.
 
With 5:55 remaining, SAU stretched their lead to six at 52-46, but back-to-back clutch three-pointers from Peyton Mosley tied the game at 52-all, making it anyone's contest to win.
 
Both teams went cold in the closing minutes, unable to score until a foul by ECU sent SAU to the free-throw line with nine seconds remaining. The Muleriders made both free throws, giving them a 54-52 lead. The Tigers had one final opportunity, but a turnover at the baseline allowed SAU to close out the game with two more free throws.
 
Peyton Mosley and Eva Fernandez led the Tigers' offense, with Mosley scoring 12 points and adding four assists, while Fernandez contributed 11 points and four assists.