---

 
Setting the Scene
- The No. 17/19 Lady Bulldogs will close out their four game homestand on Thursday evening against East Central starting at 5:30 pm
- Despite winning both games last week against Arkansas-Monticello and Southern Arkansas, SWOSU remained No. 17 in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and No. 19 in the D2SIDA National Polls
- Since the start of the GAC, the Lady Dawgs hold an 11-4 record over ECU and are 4-2 against the Tigers in Weatherford
- Despite the success over East Central, SWOSU fell to the Tigers last season in Weatherford 88-74 -- the first loss at home to ECU since 2013
- Inside the Pioneer Cellular Event Center this season, the Lady Bulldogs are a perfect 6-0 including a 4-0 slate in conference action
- SWOSU remains the only undefeated team in GAC play at 6-0 
 
The Opponent
East Central (4-6, 3-3 GAC)
- The Tigers come into Thursday's meeting having lost three straight games including a pair of conference games against Henderson State and Ouachita last week
- ECU sits in a three-way tie for fifth place in the GAC standings with their 3-3 league record
- East Central ranks second in the league in three-point shots, knocking down 8.6 deep balls per game at a 30.3% rate
- Their offense also ranks last in the GAC, scoring 61.2 points per game so far this season

The Coaches
SWOSU: Kelsi Musick (141-102, 9th season)
- Two-time GAC Coach of the Year, winning back-to-back honors for the '11-12 and '12-13 seasons and she has now led the Lady Bulldogs to four 20-win seasons after a 20-10 finish a year ago
- Musick has coached two All-Americans and 18 All-GAC selections, including two Player of the Years (Darcie Dick, 2012 / Hailey Tucker, 2017) and one Freshman of the Year (Hailey Tucker, 2016)
- Musick has led SWOSU to four GAC Tournament Championship games with two GAC Tournament Championships (2012, 2014) and two NCAA Division II Tournament appearances (2013, 2014) to her credit
- In nine seasons at SWOSU, Musick has a career record of 141-102, including a mark of 10-4 against ECU all-time
 
ECU: Matt Cole (44-49; 4th season)
- Cole was named ECU's fourth head coach in program history in 2014
- Prior to East Central, Coach Cole spent the last 11 years as an assistant women's coach at Northeastern State where he helped NSU to seven NCAA Tournaments, including two Sweet 16 appearances
 
Checking the Standings
- Arkansas Tech's only conference loss this season came at the hands of SWOSU, and they sit in second place in the standings at 5-1
- Southeastern, with an extra game played, is in third in the standings at 5-2 while Henderson State is fourth at 4-2 and riding a four-game winning streak
- No team is winless in the league following Southern Arkansas' comeback victory over NWOSU last week which put them at 1-5
 
The Series
Date                Location                                           Score
*1/23/2012       Weatherford, Okla. .................... W 93-55
*2/20/2012       Ada, Okla. ................................. W 101-72
3/2/2012          Bartlesville, Okla. ....................... W 81-46
*1/12/2013       Weatherford, Okla. ...................... L 85-94
*2/14/2013       Ada, Okla. ................................... W 72-68
*1/11/2014       Ada, Okla. .................................... L 63-73
*2/13/2014       Weatherford, Okla. .................... W 93-81
3/8/2014          Bartlesville, Okla. ....................... W 87-83
*12/4/2014       Ada, Okla. .................................... L 62-67
*1/31/2015       Weatherford, Okla. .................... W 64-54
*1/14/2016       Weatherford, Okla. .................... W 65-49
*2/11/2016       Ada, Okla. ................................... W 74-71
3/5/2016          Bartlesville, Okla. ....................... W 79-63
*1/12/2016       Ada, Okla. ................................... W 78-57
*2/11/2017       Weatherford, Okla........................ L 74-88
 
GAC Era: SWOSU leads series 11-4
In Weatherford: SWOSU leads 4-2
In Ada: SWOSU leads 4-2
In Postseason: SWOSU leads 3-0

SWOSU Notes
- Hailey Tucker earned her third GAC Player of the Week recognition this season after averaging 21.5 points and 9.0 rebounds against UAM and SAU last week
- Tucker has now earned the weekly conference honor eight times in her time at SWOSU, also winning the award four times as a sophomore and once as a freshman   
- Against Southern Arkansas on Saturday, Hayden Priddy tallied 20 points which marked the third time this season she has scored at least 20 points
- Priddy grabbed a season best six rebounds while also picking up six assists against SAU
- Tyra Aska has now collected at least one steal in four consecutive games, including three straight games with two -- she also has only failed to grab at least one steal in just one game this season
- SWOSU's leading rebounder, Bethany Franks, earned her third double-double of the season against UAM on Thursday, finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds
- Only Hailey Tucker has more double-doubles on the year with four, which included one against SAU when she posted 20 points and 11 rebounds
- Savannah Gray set a new career best assist number last week when she dished out six assists against the Muleriders
- In just eight minutes on the floor against SAU, Penina Faumui grabbed a season high seven rebounds and added six points to the mix

Looking Ahead
- SWOSU will hit the road to Durant, Okla. on Saturday to take on Southeastern in more GAC action