ADA, Okla.– Jacie Higgins and Hannah Villines turned in 17-point efforts, but the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns basketball team was unable to complete its comeback rally as East Central (9-2, 4-2) took advantage of free-throw opportunities after a blocking call with 0.2 seconds remaining, topping the Golden Suns 61-59 on Saturday at the Kerr Activities Center. 
 
NEXT UP

• Arkansas Tech returns to action on Thursday, Jan. 10, hosting Southern Nazarene at Tucker Coliseum. A 5:30 p.m. tip-off is scheduled.     

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Arkansas Tech controlled the pace early, opening up a seven-point (15-8) lead midway through the opening quarter and taking a four-point (18-14) advantage after the opening quarter. 
• Tech grew its lead to nine (29-20) midway through the second quarter and held its lead at nine (31-22) before ECU scored the final five points of the second quarter to pull to within four (31-27) at the half.
• The Golden Suns continued to hold East Central at arm's length through the third quarter, but ECU chipped away at the Tech lead to pull to within two (41-39) at the end of the third quarter.
• The Tigers knotted the game at 44 on a 3-pointer by Madison Nickens with 8:10 to play, and would edge ahead, but a 3-pointer by Leighton Taylor put Tech back on top 50-48 with 5:19 remaining. 
• ECU knotted the game on its next possession and pulled ahead again, claiming a five-point (56-51) lead with 1:17 to play.
• After Tech cut its deficit to two (58-56) with just over 30 seconds to play on a long 3-pointer by Jayana Sanders, ECU split a pair of free throws with 27 seconds remaining and the Golden Suns took a timeout to set up a potential game-tying shot. 
• Jacie Higgins was fouled early in the possession and split a pair of free throws, and a jump ball gave the ball back to Tech with 15.7 seconds to play. 
• Higgins drained a pull-up jumper from the charity stripe with 5.2 seconds to play to tie the game at 59-59.
• A blocking foul was called with 0.2 seconds on the clock against the Golden Suns sending Lakin Preisner to the line to shoot a pair. Presiner hit both to give ECU a 61-59 lead, giving the Tigers the final margin of victory.

NOTABLES

• Both defenses did an outstanding job challenging shots, as Tech outshot ECU 32.8 to 31.3 percent.
• The Golden Suns held a 48-45 rebounding advantage. 
• Tech committed 21 turnovers to ECU's nine. 
• Tech held a 16-11 advantage in second-chance points, but ECU held a 16-7 advantage in points off turnovers, a 13-5 advantage in bench points, a 22-12 advantage in points in the paint and a 4-2 advantage in fast-break points.