ECU Lady Tigers (5-2, 1-2 GAC) at Arkansas Tech Golden Suns (4-1, 1-0 GAC) When: Saturday, Dec. 7, 2 p.m. Where: Tucker Coliseum, Russellville Radio/Internet: KWKK 100.9 FM/www.arkansastechsports.com Series: Tech leads 8-5 About the Golden Suns: Arkansas Tech ranks among the NCAA Division II women’s basketball statistical leaders in 3-point field goal percentage (2nd, .449), scoring offense (4th, 95.8 points per game), turnover margin (6th, +12.8 turnovers per game), steals (6th, 16.4 per game), field goal percentage (9th, .491) and assists (11th, 20.0 per game) this season. The Golden Suns won 2-of-3 meetings with East Central last season, including an 81-69 Arkansas Tech victory over the Lady Tigers in the semifinal round of the 2013 Great American Conference Tournament. About the Lady Tigers: East Central is under the direction of interim head coach Emily Holombek, who took over this fall when Kent Franz was re-assigned to other duties. Franz had served as the Lady Tigers’ head coach for the previous 21 seasons. ECU opened the 2013-14 season with four consecutive wins, but the Lady Tigers have lost two of their last three outings going into Saturday. East Central committed 22 turnovers and shot 26 percent from the field in its 81-45 loss at Harding on Thursday. ECU Tigers (3-4, 2-1 GAC) at Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys (5-2, 1-0 GAC) When: Saturday, Dec. 7, 4 p.m. Where: Tucker Coliseum, Russellville Radio/Internet: KWKK 100.9 FM/www.arkansastechsports.com Series: Tech leads 12-7 About the Wonder Boys: Head coach Doug Karleskint has 74 career wins, fifth-most by an Arkansas Tech head men’s basketball coach all-time. He needs four wins to move in front of his former boss, Mark Downey, and into fourth place on the Wonder Boys’ basketball all-time victories list. Downey earned 77 wins as Tech head coach from 2006-10. Karleskint was assistant coach at Arkansas Tech in 2009-10 before being elevated to head coach in spring 2010. The Wonder Boys are 4-0 against East Central since the formation of the Great American Conference. Arkansas Tech is 9-1 all-time in home games against the Tigers. ECU’s lone win over the Wonder Boys in Russellville was a 60-58 triumph on Dec. 3, 1996. About the Tigers: East Central continued its 2013-14 resurgence on Thursday night during its 93-83 win at Harding University. The Tigers led by as many as 30 points in the first half. A.J. Moutry paced four ECU players in double figures by scoring 21 points. East Central shot 63 percent from the field, including 10-of-18 shooting from 3-point range. The victory was the latest sign of improvement for a Tigers basketball program that has experienced five consecutive losing seasons, including a cumulative overall record of 13-41 the past two seasons.]]>
