The final regular game of the season for the East Central University men’s basketball team was nothing short of thrilling as ECU beat OBU in overtime 78-70 Saturday night in a packed Noble Complex.
The Tigers finish the regular 2022-23 season 18-10 overall and 13-9 in conference play. The win stretched ECU’s win streak to six and helped the team secure the No. 4 seed at the 2023 Great American Conference Championship Tournament, March 2-5 at Fire Lake Arena.
“The guys found a way to win,” Head Coach Daniel Wheeler said. “We talk about character a lot in this program, and the guys showed some tonight. I’m proud of them.”
The first half started out with both teams exchanging leads. Barron Tanner, Jr. made the first shot with a three-pointer, but OBU answered back with a three-pointer of their own for the first tied score of the night at 3-3. The Tigers and Bisons would keep the game close in the opening minutes before ECU reached its largest lead of 20-12 at the 10:42 mark. OBU battled back, though, and regained the lead to go up 29-25 at the break.
The Bisons fired a three-pointer to open up the second half of play, but the Tigers continued to chip away at the deficit until ECU was back within one at 44-43. The following two minutes were a back-and-forth battle as there were three lead changes until OBU managed a four-point lead at 52-48. Despite the Bisons attempt to keep pulling away, the Tigers never backed down. Down 69-63 with :37 left to play, Leonard Dixon hit back-to-back threes when ECU needed it the most to force the extra period.
The next five minutes was all ECU as OBU was held to just one made free throw and only three field goal attempts to give the Tigers a 78-70 overtime win.
Leonard Dixon and Luke Harper led the Tiger offense on the night.
Dixon scored a team-high 22 points, going 8-for-16 from the field, with six of them coming from beyond the arc.
Harper had 20 points shooting 7-for-15 from the floor while adding six assists and five rebounds.
Quinton Johnson II was next with 14 points going 5-for-9 overall.
The East Central University men’s basketball team will face No. 5 Arkansas Tech for the first round of the Great American Conference Championship Tournament Friday, March 3 at 5:45 p.m.
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