RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech Golden Sun basketball team is set to compete at the Great American Conference Championships. Tech enters the tournament as the seven seed and will open the conference tournament against second-seeded East Central in Bartlesville, Okla. today at 12 p.m. 

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Live video, audio and statistics are available at www.arkansastechsports.com. The games will be carried live on 102.3-FM (KCJC) in Russellville, with Sam Strasner calling the play-by-play.
 

Stats	TECH	ECU
Record	13-15 (10-12 GAC)	21-7 (16-6 GAC)
Pts/GM	70.2	67.9
FG%	42.0	39.8
3FG%	35.0	35.9
FT%	66.4	74.8
Reb/GM	40.5	36.8
Ast/GM	13.5	11.9
Blk/GM	2.6	2.6
Stl/GM	8.7	8.3
Pts Allowed/GM	65.5	59.8
FG% Defense	37.8	37.3
3FG% Defense	31.5	31.6
Rebound Margin	+3.3	+2.0
Ast-TO Ratio	0.9	0.8

 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN SUNS
Arkansas Tech (13-15, 10-12 GAC) finished the regular season by winning three of its last five games. The Suns split the season series with East Central as both teams won at home. Tech fell 61-59 to ECU in Ada, Okla. in the first meeting before beating the Tigers 64-56 in Tucker Coliseum on Jan. 31. Arkansas Tech boasts a 7-1 record in quarterfinal games at the Great American Conference Tournament, its only loss came to Southwestern Oklahoma State in 2012.
 
The Golden Suns are led this season by the GAC Newcomer of the year and All-GAC Second Team selection, Hannah Villines. Villines paces the Suns 13.9 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game. Villines finished the regular season ranked ninth in steals (2.0), 12^th in the conference in scoring, 12^th in field goal percentage (46.2%), and 15^th in rebounding. She also shot 50.0 percent from the 3-point line, which was the best in the GAC. In the two matchups with ECU this season Villines averaged 14.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.
 
Jacie Higgins and Jayana Sanders both finished the regular season averaging double-digits in scoring as Higgins ranked 23^rd in the GAC at 11.6 points per game, while Sanders ranked 27^th at 10.0 points per game. Ke'Vonshaye Stackhouse ranked 28^th at 9.9 points per game. Sanders also ranked third in assists per game (4.4) and Higgins ranked fifth in free throw shooting percentage (81.2%).
 
In the first meeting with ECU this season, neither team shot the ball well as both teams shot below 33.0 percent. The key difference came from turnovers as the Lady Tigers forced 21 Tech turnovers and scored 16 points off those miscues. In the second meeting, Tech outshot ECU 41.2 percent to 31.2 percent, thanks to the hot shooting of Stackhouse who scored a game-high 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting.
 
SCOUTING THE LADY TIGERS
East Central (21-7, 16-6 GAC) ended the regular season on a seven-game winning-streak. It' last loss came back on Feb. 7 to No. 11 Southwestern Oklahoma (91-76). The Tigers only conference losses this season came by the hands of Southwestern Oklahoma (twice), Southern Nazarene (twice), Harding and Arkansas Tech.

The Tigers are led by All-GAC second-team selections, Lakin Preisner and Tia Williams. Preisner leads ECU and ranks 16^th in the conference in scoring (13.1), while Williams is ranked 19^th (12.7). Preisner also leads the GAC in free throw percentage (92.7%) and ranks second in rebounding (8.2). Williams ranks third in the league in made 3-pointers (64) and made 3-pointers per game (2.4).