BETHANY, Okla. – The East Central University women's basketball team traveled to Bethany, Oklahoma, where they faced off against Southern Nazarene University. It was a back-and-forth contest, but the Tigers pulled through with a 56-52 win to complete the series sweep over the Crimson Storm.
 
With the victory, ECU improves to 13-9 on the season and 9-9 in conference play, while SNU drops to 8-10 in league play. The Tigers will return to Ada to host two crucial GAC matchups, beginning with Harding University on Thursday, Feb. 19, and Arkansas Tech on Saturday, Feb. 21.
 
Both teams got off to a slow start, but the Tigers struck first with a three-point play from Rylie Burnett. SNU found some rhythm to go up 10-7 with two minutes left in the quarter, and a layup from Katie Edelen brought ECU within one. A layup and a free throw from SNU, however, gave the Crimson Storm a 13-9 advantage after the first 10 minutes.
 
ECU trailed to start the second quarter as SNU went on an 8-3 run to begin creating separation. Midway through the period, a made free throw from Ella Lavinge stopped the scoring run and sparked a 6-0 stretch by the Tigers to cut the deficit to 21-18. The Crimson Storm answered with a three-pointer, but a layup by Tatum Havens narrowed the gap to 24-20 heading into halftime.
 
Out of the break, the Tigers looked to find life offensively. After a layup from SNU, ECU embarked on a 9-0 scoring run, capped by five straight points from Claira Dannefer to reclaim the lead for the first time since the opening quarter at 32-28. The Tigers continued to apply pressure in the third, holding a 35-30 advantage entering the final quarter.
 
ECU added to its lead to open the fourth, but SNU slowly chipped away at the deficit, eventually tying the game at 38-all at the 5:41 mark. From there, it was a back-and-forth battle, with the score tied three more times before a layup by Edelen gave ECU the lead for good. Jayden Weiberg followed with a three-pointer to push the advantage to two possessions. After successful trips to the free-throw line down the stretch, the Tigers held off the Crimson Storm for the 56-52 road win and series sweep.
 
ECU was led by Rylie Burnett, who recorded a game-high 16 points, including 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. Katie Edelen added 15 points and six rebounds. The Tigers shot 37.5% from the field while scoring 17 points off turnovers and 30 points in the paint.
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