GAME INFORMATION
ARKANSAS TECH GOLDEN SUNS 5-3 (2-2 GAC)	EAST CENTRAL TIGERS 4-4 (0-4 GAC)
Thursday, January 4 | 5:30 p.m. Tucker Coliseum | Russellville, Ark. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | GAME NOTES

TIPPING OFF
The Arkansas Tech women's basketball team is back in action following the Christmas break and will take the court for the first time in 18 days on Thursday night as they play host to East Central in a Great American Conference showdown.
 
This will be the 35^th meeting all-time between Arkansas Tech and East Central in a series that dates back to 1986. Overall, Tech holds a commanding 25-9 lead in the series. Since the two became charter members of the GAC prior to the 2011-12 season, the Golden Suns are 20-6 against East Central.
 
As conference foes, the two teams met twice last season in the regular season and Tech emerged victorious in both games, winning 87-59 on the road and 74-67 at home.
 
Tip-off for Thursday night's game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. inside Tucker Coliseum.
 

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TECH(NICALLY) SPEAKING
The Golden Suns are 5-3 overall on the season and are 2-2 early in the GAC season. Tech is coming off an impressive 95-72 win at home against Southern Arkansas back on December 17.
 
At this point of the season, the Golden Suns average 75.9 ppg and rank fourth in the GAC. On the defensive end of the court, the Golden Suns rank 11th in the league in scoring defense, giving up an average of 68.1 ppg. In terms of field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense, the Golden Suns are third in the conference as they shoot at an overall clip of .443 (222-of-501) and are limiting their opponents to a .365 mark (176-of-482) to rank fifth.
 
From beyond-the-arc, the Golden Suns shoot at a clip of .291 (32-of-110) to rank ninth in the GAC while their opponents make three-pointers at a mark of .297 (57-of-192) to rank seventh. From the free throw line, the Golden Suns shoot .697 as a team (131-of-188) to rank ninth.
 
Individually, the Golden Suns have two players averaging double figures and three more that are at least at 8.0 ppg. Pacious McDaniel currently leads the team in scoring at 21.8 ppg. She is also first in scoring in the GAC and fourth nationally. Behind McDaniel in scoring is Alex Hill at 14.3 ppg. Dana Thompson, Hayleigh Wyrick and Julie Wagner are all averaging at least 8.0 ppg at 9.6, 8.1 and 8.0 ppg, respectively.
 
Thompson leads the team in rebounding and is averaging 7.9 rebounds per game. In terms of assists, McDaniel and Hill lead the team and are averaging 2.6 assists per game each.
 
Defensively, the Golden Suns are led in steals by Hill at 2.1 steals per game and in blocks by Thompson at 1.0 blocks per game.
 
The Golden Suns are coached by Dave Wilbers, who is in his 17th season as Tech. During his time at Tech, Wilbers has amassed a 347-124 overall record. Nine times, Wilbers has won 20 or more games at Tech and twice has won 30 or more. In terms of national rankings, a Wilbers-led team has been nationally-ranked at any point in a season 10 times. Among those, he has guided the Golden Suns to the top of the rankings on a pair of occasions during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.
 

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SCOUTING THE TIGERS
East Central is 4-4 overall this season and are 0-4 in the GAC thus far. The Tigers lost their most-recent game, 69-60, on the road at Oklahoma Baptist in what was their final game before the Christmas break.
 
Statistically, the Tigers average 63.9 ppg and rank 10th in the GAC. On the defensive end of the court, the Tigers rank second in the league in scoring defense, giving up an average of 55.0 ppg. In terms of field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense, the Tigers are ninth in the conference as they shoot at an overall clip of .391 (179-of-458) and limit their opponents to a .350 mark (140-of-400) to rank second.
 
From beyond-the-arc, the Tigers shoot at a clip of .359 (70-of-195) to rank second in the GAC while their opponents make three-pointers at a mark of .253 (39-of-154) to rank third. From the free throw line, the Tigers shoot .686 as a team (83-of-121) to rank 10th.
 
Individually, the Tigers have one player averaging double figures in scoring and three others at 7.0 ppg or higher. They are led by Mackenzie Crusoe and her 17.1 ppg. Jayden Weiberg is next at 8.9 ppg while Natalie Payne and Kennedy Cummings round out their top-four scoring at 7.5 and 7.1 ppg, respectively.
 
Crusoe is the team-leader in rebounding and is averaging 8.4 rebounds per game. In terms of assists, Crusoe leads the team and is averaging 1.9 assists per game.
 
Defensively, the Tigers are led in steals by Crusoe at 3.0 steals per game and in blocks by Kate Ogle at 0.5 blocks per game.
 
The Tigers are coached by Heather Hurt, who is in her second season at East Central as head coach after spending the previous nine years as an assistant at ECU. As head coach, Hurt has a 12-16 record.