Box Score (html)
ADA, Okla. – Martell Collins had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, but East Central used a large run during each half to race past SWOSU for an 89-64 victory on Thursday night at the Kerr Activities Center.
SWOSU fell behind by 14 in the early going as the Tigers brought the energy to open the game. An 18-6 stretch allowed the Bulldogs to get within two points on a lay-in from
Ayo Ojo with 5:47 to play in the first half, but ECU answered with the next 12 points, holding SWOSU scoreless for nearly four minutes en route to taking a 44-34 lead to the break.
The closest the Dawgs would get in the final half was eight after
Nick Shoemaker connected on a triple with 12:13 to play that made it 58-50. Shoemaker got another look on the ensuing possession but misfired and the next 16 points and never looked back as they kept SWOSU facing at least a 15-point deficit the rest of the way.
East Central outscored SWOSU 38-to-22 in the paint and controlled the backboards with a 47-to-34 rebounding advantage that included 12 offensive rebounds leading to 17 second-chance points while SWOSU got no points off of put backs.
Collins was the steady hand for SWOSU, scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
Markeise Champion added 12 points and
Collin Jennings chipped in 11, but no other Bulldog player scored more than six points in the contest.
"We had opportunities tonight and didn't make plays," SWOSU Head Coach
Bob Battisti said following the game. "Both times we made a run at ECU, they responded with big runs of their own and we didn't have an answer for them tonight. I'm not as worried about this game, it's over, we have to move forward and I'm more worried about how we're going to respond against SNU on Saturday."
SWOSU (13-9, 9-7 GAC) is in action this Saturday at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center, hosting Southern Nazarene on Hall of Fame weekend with tipoff set for 3:00 pm.
