ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - The Ouachita Tigers' men's basketball team fell to top-seeded East Central University in a Great American Conference Men's Basketball Championships semi-final game on Saturday night in Bartlesville, Okla. by a final of 92-82. In the final game of their Ouachita careers, senior Lakee Westbrook scored 24 points, senior Justin McCleary scored 18 points and senior Carven Holcolmbe finished with nine points and eight rebounds. The Tigers end the season with an overall record of 14-14. 

Down by as many as 14 points in the opening minutes of the first half, the Tigers clawed their way back into the game behind the hot hand of Lakee Westbrook. The guard from Shannon, Miss. made four three-pointers and sank a pair of free throws to pull Ouachita within four, 24-20, with 8:29 to play in the half. A three-pointer from Jontavis Willis at the 4:47 mark capped off a 7-0 Tigers run and tied the game at 29-29. Justin McCleary followed with a free throw to give Ouachita their first lead of the game, 30-29. Willis's second three-pointer fo the half extended the lead to 35-33. East Central closed out the first half with a 9-1 run and led Ouachita 44-36 at the break. 

Down seven with 16:43 to play in the second half, the Tigers went on a 7-0 run, led by Justin McCleary's five points. Carven Holcolmbe's bucket in the paint gave Ouachita their second lead of the game, up 50-48 with 14:48 remaining. East Central answered to retake the lead and did not relinquish it for the remainder of the half. Down 11 with 1:57 to play, Ouachita put together a late run and cut the ECU lead to four after Westbrook drained a three-pointer from the left wing, but could not get any closer. East Central made of 9-10 free throws in the final 35 seconds to earn the 92-82 win.

Jordan Corbitt and Jontavis Willis finished with seven points each. Aitor Lopez-Breton and Mahlon Martin each finished with five points.