ARKADELPHIA, ARK. – For the second time in the 2016-17 season the battle of the Tigers in women's basketball ended being forced into overtime. This time the wrong Tigers came out on top as the East Central University women's basketball team fell to Ouachita Baptist, 69-73.
The Tigers (6-12, 5-9 GAC) were led by junior Alexa Adair, who tallied 23 points and added three assists. Sophomore Tia Williams also had a strong night with a career high 16 points and season-best five rebounds.
The first half was a defense battle with both teams struggling to make shots and combining for 12 turnovers. In the first quarter, Ouachita was the first to get on the scoreboard and they held the lead all the way through the stanza. ECU kept the deficit within two possessions and finished the quarter trailing 6-11.
The second quarter started out much like the first, but a 6-0 run last in the period allowed Ouachita to gain a 10-point lead (14-24), with 31 seconds left. Adair then hit a triple for the Tigers in the final seconds to cut the disadvantage to 17-24 at the half.
The third quarter was a tight battle from start to finish, with Ouachita ending the stanza with a 34-41 advantage.
The fourth quarter is where ECU went to work. OUA pushed the lead out to 12 (38-50) in the first three minutes before the Tigers found a second gear. That's when they started a 13-2 run that spanned five minutes to take their first lead of the game (53-52).
Ouachita jumped ahead on a four-point play on the next possession, but senior Jalyn Jackson got ECU back within one with 35 seconds to go. A free throw on the other end put Ouachita up by three. Adair then got the ball at the buzzer and sent up a three that rattled in to tie the game at 58.
The first minute of overtime was even until a 7-2 run by OUA over the next two minutes cemented the win. ECU kept the game within three for most of the remaining time, but late free throws by Ouachita kept the lead in its favor and the game ended with a 69-73 score.
The Tigers claimed a lead in overall shots (23-22) and a bigger advantage on shots from beyond the arc (13-7), but Ouachita made up difference at the free-throw line. ECU went 10-of-12, while Ouachita was 22-of-29.
ECU will now prepare for a game against Henderson State, Saturday, Feb. 4 at 1 p.m.
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