FORT SMITH, Ark. – The No. 8 East Central University women's basketball team made their highly anticipated return to the big stage on Thursday night, facing top-seeded Southern Nazarene University in the quarterfinals of the GAC Women's Basketball Championship Tournament. Despite the hard fought effort, the Tigers ultimately fell 61-45 as the Crimson Storm pulled away in the second half at Southside Arena.
 
ECU concludes the 2024-25 season with a 10-17 overall record and an 8-14 mark in GAC play. Senior Chloe Malone played in her final collegiate game.
 
Having defeated the No. 1 seed Southern Nazarene just a month ago, the Tigers entered the matchup looking to replicate their aggressive defensive performance. However, turnovers hindered ECU's offense, while SNU steadily gained momentum, ultimately making the game too distant for a late comeback.
 
Southern Nazarene opened the game with an 11-0 run, and ECU was unable to score until the 2:26 mark when Tatum Havens finally put the Tigers on the board. At the end of the first quarter, the Tigers trailed 16-8.
 
Despite a slow start, ECU came alive in the second quarter. A clutch three-pointer from Peyton Mosley sparked the Tigers, who steadily chipped away at the deficit, and a three-pointer from Lucia Hervia gave ECU their first lead of the game at 22-20. Mosley extended the lead to four with a quick layup, but SNU responded with a 6-0 run, taking a slim 26-24 advantage into halftime.
 
The third quarter remained a tight contest, with the Tigers keeping the game within a one- or two-possession margin. ECU trailed 33-31 with 2:28 left in the third quarter, but SNU closed out the period on a 7-0 run, extending their lead to 40-31 heading into the final frame. The fourth quarter was dominated by Southern Nazarene as they maintained their offensive pressure in the paint, while ECU struggled to find a counter attack, ultimately falling 61-45.
 
As a team, ECU shot 36.7% from the field, while SNU converted at 40.0%. The Crimson Storm capitalized on ECU's turnovers, converting them into 21 points, and outscored the Tigers 34-26 in the paint. However, ECU dominated the boards, outrebounding SNU 40-27.
 
Eva Fernandez led the Tigers with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, adding three assists, one block, and three rebounds. Peyton Mosley narrowly missed a double-double, contributing nine points and nine rebounds. Claira Dannefer, Katie Edelen, Makenzy Herman, and Tatum Havens each grabbed five rebounds.
 
Although the result wasn't what they hoped for, the ECU women's basketball team showed resilience throughout the season, overcoming adversity and fighting their way into the tournament.