Everything went right for the Arkansas Tech University men’s basketball team on Saturday except for the outcome of its own game.
The Wonder Boys (15-13 overall, 10-12 Great American Conference) dropped a regular season-ending 83-66 decision to East Central University at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville, but thanks to outcomes elsewhere in the league Arkansas Tech will make its ninth consecutive postseason appearance in men’s basketball anyway.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University and Northwestern Oklahoma State University both lost on Saturday, putting the Wonder Boys in the No. 7 seed for their defense of the GAC Tournament title they won as the No. 5 seed in 2015.
Braxton Reeves scored 20 points and Stirling Thomas notched 19 points for East Central (21-7, 17-5), which earned a share of the GAC regular season championship with the victory.
Andrew Guillory had 18 points for Arkansas Tech. Nick Wayman added 11 points and nine rebounds.
It was the final home game for the Wonder Boy seniors Wayman, Bryson Fletcher, Andrew Guillory and DeChriston McKinney.
The Tigers lead was only 38-32 with 17:57 remaining, but back-to-back 3-pointers by Thomas followed by a Reeves trey extended their edge to 47-32 with 15:59 to go.
East Central maintained at least an 11-point lead the rest of the way as it completed a regular season sweep of Arkansas Tech.
The second-seeded Tigers and the Wonder Boys will meet again in the first round of the GAC Tournament on Thursday, March 3, at Bruin Fieldhouse in Bartlesville, Okla. Tip-off is set for 2:15 p.m. Radio station KCJC 102.3 FM and www.arkansastechsports.com will have live coverage.
