ADA, Okla. – The East Central University women's basketball team opened its first home game of the new year in winning fashion, outlasting the University of Arkansas–Monticello 66–59 on Thursday night at the Kerr Activities Center.
 
The Tigers never trailed, building an early advantage and answering every Blossoms run to improve to 6–5 overall and 2–5 in Great American Conference play, while UAM remained in search of its first league victory. ECU returns to action Saturday when it hosts Southern Arkansas University at 1 p.m.
 
ECU set the tone in the opening quarter, shooting 66.7 percent from the floor to race out to a 17–6 lead. Katie Edelen powered the early surge, scoring 10 of ECU's first-quarter points. UAM began to find its rhythm in the second quarter, opening the frame with five straight points, but ECU maintained control and carried a 32–22 advantage into halftime following a layup by Peyton Mosley.
 
The Tigers came out strong after the break, scoring six consecutive points and pushing the lead to its largest margin of the night at 17 with 3:09 remaining in the third quarter. Free throws from Mosley helped ECU hold a 50–38 lead heading into the final period.
 
UAM made a late push in the fourth quarter, outscoring ECU 21–16 and cutting the deficit to single digits in the final minute. ECU stayed composed down the stretch, and a late free throw by Jayden Weiberg sealed the victory.
 
ECU finished the night shooting an efficient 50.0 percent from the field and edged UAM on the glass, 31–29, while holding the Blossoms to 35.8 percent shooting. The physical contest featured 55 combined personal fouls, with five players fouling out between the two teams.
 
Mosley led ECU with a career-high 16 points, going 10-for-14 from the free-throw line and adding six rebounds. Edelen followed with 12 points and six boards, while Natalie Milwood recorded a career-high 11 points and a team-best eight rebounds. Weiberg provided a spark off the bench, scoring 10 points on a perfect 2-for-2 effort from beyond the arc to round out ECU's double-digit scorers.