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Harding University Athletics

78
Winner East Central ECU 7-4, 3-2 GAC
60
Harding HU 6-3, 3-2 GAC
Winner
East Central ECU
7-4, 3-2 GAC
78
Final
60
Harding HU
6-3, 3-2 GAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
East Central ECU 45 33 78
Harding HU 27 33 60

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | by Scott Goode (1/5/17)

East Central Ends Harding Home Win Streak

SEARCY – East Central scored the first eight points Thursday and led throughout in a 78-60 victory over Harding in Great American Conference action at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.

East Central won its seventh straight after opening the season with four consecutive losses. The Tigers moved to 7-4 overall and 3-2 in conference games, snapping Harding's 11-game home winning streak, the fifth-longest in program history. The Bisons fell to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the GAC.

After East Central's hot start, Harding cut the lead to 11-9 on a Will Francis 3-pointer with 15:47 left. The Bisons made only one field goal, a Stefan Andelkovic 3-pointer, over the next seven minutes, and the Tigers led by 11 or more the rest of the half.

Much of East Central's first-half success came in the paint, where the Tigers had a 22-8 points-in-the-paint advantage and a 24-13 rebound margin.

East Central, the GAC's preseason favorite, boosted its lead to 45-27 at halftime when Braxton Reeves recovered a loose ball and hit a half-court shot as the buzzer sounded.

Both teams suffered extended scoring droughts in the second half and neither team shot well. Harding pulled within 13 points twice early and cut the East Central lead to 12 at 66-54 on a Francis layup with 4:59 left. East Central answered with a 9-1 run.

Junior Tim Wagner led Harding with 13 points, and Francis added 11.

Senior Ishmael Donzo led East Central with 22 points and 13 rebounds. He shot 10-of-15 from the field. Reeves, the GAC's scoring leader had 17 points.








 
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