ADA, Okla. – The East Central University men's basketball team overcame an early deficit and delivered a dominating performance Thursday night inside the Kerr Activities Center, storming back to secure an 82-59 victory over Henderson State University.
 
With the win, the Tigers improve to 9-9 overall and 4-8 in Great American Conference play. ECU now shifts focus to Ouachita Baptist University on Saturday, Jan. 31.
 
Henderson State jumped out to a 7–0 lead, but a layup from Jaden Miller sparked a 10–3 run that evened the score. A free throw from Brandon Mann gave ECU its first lead, and the Tigers never relinquished. After the Reddies tied the game at 22 with six minutes left in the first half, ECU answered with three consecutive scores in the paint from Miller, Mann, and Kameron Newsome, building separation and eventually taking a seven-point lead into halftime at 37-30.
 
In the second half, the Tigers kept their momentum rolling, shooting efficiently and quickly breaking the game wide open. Rustin Coffey's three-pointer at the 17-minute mark gave ECU its first double-digit lead, and the Tigers steadily built on that advantage, keeping Henderson State from mounting any serious threat. A final jumper from Mark Rucha capped the scoring, securing an 82-59 victory.
 
The Tigers shot a second-best 61 percent from the field, compared to Henderson State's 38.6 percent.
 
Five ECU players finished in double figures, led by Kameron Newsome with a career-high 16 points. Javaun Henderson added 13 points, while Jaden Miller and Brandon Mann each scored 12, with Miller also recording 10 assists for his sixth double-double of the season, tying him for first on ECU's single-season assist record list at 156. Miller currently leads all of NCAA Division II with an average of 8.7 assists per game. Rustin Coffey rounded out the double-digit scoring with 11 points.