RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Andrew Guillory scored 18 points, while Nick Wayman added a 11-point, nine-rebound performance, but the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys basketball team (15-12, 10-12 Great American Conference) was unable to overcome a hot shooting performance by East Central (21-7, 17-5 GAC), falling 83-66 to the Tigers on Saturday afternoon at Tucker Coliseum.   

HOW IT HAPPENED

• ECU opened the game on a 10-2 run over the first 4:30 of the game, and pushed its lead into double figures (24-12) with 7:09 to go until half.
• After the Tigers pushed ahead by 15 (28-13) with 4:43 to go, Tech outscored ECU 15-6 down the stretch to pull to within six (34-28) at the half.
• ECU used the opening minutes of the second half to push its lead back into double figures, and reached the 20-point margin with 9:12 to play (65-45).
• Tech was able to pull to within 14 in the final two minutes, but ECU's hot second-half shooting provided all the cushion the Tigers would need.

NOTABLES

• Tech held a 33-27 advantage in rebounding, including a 13-6 advantage on the offensive glass.
• ECU outshot Tech 55.8 to 40.7 percent, hitting at a 67.9 percent clip in the second half.
• ECU was 11-of-23 from long range, while the Wonder Boys were 6-of-19.

COACH KLINE SAYS

• On going back to Bartlesville to defend a tournament title ­– "We didn't finish the way we wanted to, losing two straight home games, but if you think about it we're 15-13 and that's the exact same record we went into that tournament with last year. Everyone is 0-0 right now, and this tournament has had a history of producing higher-seed upsets. This year we need the seven to come through for sure. I'm excited for our guys – they'll get to go experience something in Bartlesville that's pretty special."
• On the play of Stirling Thomas – "He's tough against any defense because he's not just a shooter. You can't really trap him because then you play 4-on-3 on the back end and they have so many shooters… they're good. There's a reason they're conference champions."
• On an opening-round rematch with ECU – "If I remember correctly they beat us twice in the regular season last year too, and things flipped around a little bit."
• On the final game for the seniors – "Toughness is the first thing that comes to mind. Fletch and Wayman were the cornerstones of it having been here the longest. Every one of the seniors have been first-class citizens. There's never an issue with these guys. They have handled themselves as good young men."

NEXT UP

• The Wonder Boys open play at the Great American Conference Championship tournament on Thursday, March 3, facing East Central in a 2:15 p.m. contest.