ALVA, Okla.- The Rangers dropped the Monday evening playoff opener after a 7-0 run put the Tigers up double digits. East Central used eight three pointers to open up their lead in the second half in which they would never lose.
The Red-and-Black were led by Bubba Furlong and Deon Barrett finishing the game with 12 points each. Matej Drgon had a game high nine rebounds Monday night followed by Furlong with seven. Northwestern had three different players with two assists in Barrett, Jack Peck, and Parrish Hewitt.
East Central was led by Jalen Crutchfield with 17 points and a game high. Jakeem Acres finished the game with six rebounds tying a team high along with Matt Garriga. Romello Wilbert finished with a game high seven assists. The Tigers shot 72.7 percent from three including 8 of 12 in the second half to close out the win.
The Rangers jumped out to a fast start in Monday's playoff opener as Bingham buried a three off the opening tip-off. Northwestern's defense then would force three straight turnovers. Furlong would then rattle off four straight points for the Rangers as the Red-and-Black would open on a 7-0 run. East Central would go scoreless in the opening three minutes of the game before the broke the lid of the rim with a layup. At the first media timeout the Rangers led 7-2.
Rangers would grow their largest lead at 10 at the 14 minute mark of the opening half after a Barrett three and Drgon layup. The Tigers would respond, though on an 8-0 run to cut the Tiger deficit to two. The defensive intensity would continue to pick up as both teams would go on little over two-minute scoring drought following a Ranger 16-12 lead.
East Central would take their first lead of the game off of a J.Crutchfield three pointer with 8:50 left in the first half at 17-16. Crutchfield would hit back to back three pointers to put the Tigers up by five. Derrick White and Drgon baskets would keep the Rangers a float and within three.
The final media timeout in the opening half came to a close as Blunt would even the score shortly after with a layup at the 3:39 mark in the half. Jack Peck and Tylor Arnold of ECU would trade baskets evening the score at 27. A Ranger turnover from a Brennen Bruns steal allowed Jonathan Baruti to make a layup as the second half came to a close with a Tigers 29-27 halftime lead.
The second half started the opposite of the opening half, of a defensive battle. The teams started the second half trading points. A Parrish Hewitt layup kept the deficit close at three but ECU responded with a 7-0 run to take their first double digit lead of the game as the home team opened an eleven point game.
After the opening media timeout the Tigers caught fire. The Tigers would knock down three straight 3-pointers to build a 16 point lead about the halfway point of the second half.Brennen Burns would follow to put the Tigers up 20 points. ECU started the second half 5 of 6 from beyond the arc.
The under eight media timeout the Rangers trailed by 21 as they tried to answer back going on 6-0 run to cut the deficit to 15 forcing an ECU timeout. Two minutes after the timeout thought the Tigers answered back pushing the lead back to 21.
The final minutes following the media time the teams would trade baskets before a 6-0 run Tiger closeout to win 81-56 on Monday night. Northwestern finishes the season 3-12 on the season and 1-12 in conference play with a first round exit.
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