Alva Review-Courier -

KANSAS CITY, MO. – The East Central University men's basketball team lost its first game of the 2017-18 season, falling 72-58 to Central Missouri. The game was part of the MIAA Men's Basketball Challenge at historic Municipal Auditorium.

The Tigers (2-1, 2-0 GAC) were led by the third different player in the first three games of the season, as junior Da'Rion King recorded his second double-double of the year. King netted 16 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and a .500 (7-of-14) field goal percentage.

King was one of three players to earn double-digits in the point column, with sophomore Camron Talley and junior Marcus Lytle each netting 11 points.

The teams traded the first 10 points of the half, before the Mules (3-1) went on an 8-0 run to gain the advantage (13-5). UCM has increased the lead to 10 (16-6) with 11 minutes left to play, before ECU was able to cut the deficit to six (18-12) over the next minute.

Both teams went cold over a three-minute span before the Mules again started to push ahead. This time it was a 10-1 run over the next two minutes to earn a 28-13 lead. The teams traded shots until the final two minutes when ECU went on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 10 (36-26) at the half.

After UCM pushed the advantage to 41-26 in the first two minutes of the second half, the Tigers started to mount a come-back. Over the next three minutes ECU cut the deficit to six (41-35). However, over the next few minutes the Mules were able to push the lead back to 11.

UCM kept pushing and increased the lead to as many as 19 in the final five minutes of the game. The Tigers kept fighting, but ended up falling 72-58.

The Tigers will now have the rest of the week off before traveling for the second weekend of Great American Conference action, Nov. 30-2. ECU will first battle with Southern Arkansas, Thursday, Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. and then head to face Arkansas-Monticello, Saturday, Dec. 2 at 3 p.m.