Alva Review-Courier -

MONTICELLO, ARK. – The East Central University women's basketball team fell to Arkansas-Monticello, 57-64, in Great American Conference action.

The Tigers (1-3, 0-2 GAC) were led by senior Whitney Stotler, who tallied 22 of the teams 57 points. Stotler went 8-of-10 from the field and 6-for-6 from the charity stripe, while adding four rebounds. Junior Devon Branchadded 14 points, while senior Jalyn Jackson led the team with nine rebounds and five assists.

The Tigers scored the first two points of the stanza, but the Cotton Blossoms (3-1, 1-1 GAC) countered with a 9-2 run in the first three minutes to push a lead out to five (4-9). The teams then traded points over the next five minutes until ECU used a 5-0 run to drop the deficit to two (14-16) and ending the stanza trailing 16-19.

The score remained close through the first five minutes of the second quarter, with UAM leading. The Tigers kept pushing and used a 7-0 run to regain the advantage (27-24), with four minutes left in the half. However, the Cotton Blossoms countered with an 8-0 run of their own to take a 27-32 lead. The teams each added a basket in the final two minutes for a 29-34 score heading into the locker rooms.

ECU kept the game within one or two possessions, until UAM took its first 10-point advantage, with 2:24 left in the quarter (41-51). That seemed to spark the Tigers, as they ended the stanza on a 7-0 run to hold just a three-point deficit (48-51) heading into the fourth quarter.

The defense was strong on both sides of the court in the first two minutes, with the first points of the fourth quarter coming from the Cotton Blossoms, with 7:47 left on the clock. UAM kept up the defensive pressure and held the Tigers scoreless through the first six minutes of the quarter.

The Cotton Blossoms only scored a total of four in the span to lead by seven (48-55). ECU kept the deficit between four and six points for most of the game, but eventually fell 57-64.

The difference in the game came down to three more made overall shots and two more made three-pointers by UAM. Another key difference on the box score was in turnovers, where the Tigers tallied 14 to the Cotton Blossoms five.

ECU will remain on the road over the Thanksgiving week, as they will head to San Antonio, Texas for the St. Mary's Thanksgiving Classic. The Tigers will face St. Mary's, Friday, Nov. 25 at 4 p.m. and then Angelo State, Saturday, Nov. 26 at 2 p.m.