BETHANY, Okla. — LB Willis and Deshon Portley combined for 36 points for Southern Nazarene in an 89-72 loss to East Central.
 
The loss is the first inside the Sawyer Center for the Crimson Storm (8-7, 5-4) since the first game of the year. SNU had won six straight at home before the loss to the Tigers (12-4, 8-2 GAC) who have won 12 straight.
 
Willis led the way for SNU with 19 points while Portley scored 17. Wills went 8-for-15 from the field and added five rebounds and three assists. Portley was 7-for-13 from the field and 3-for-6 from 3-point range. Noah Starkey also added 10 points and 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the year.
 
East Central had the hot hand once it got going in the first half. The Tigers shot 47.5 percent from the field and went 11-for-24 from 3-points range. ECU also went 20-for-25 at the line. SNU hit 44.3 percent, but went just 4-for-14 from beyond the arc and 6-for-12 at the line.
 
The Tigers had 36 points off of the bench and a game-high 29 points from Braxton Reeves. 
 
Southern Nazarene jumped out to a 12-5 lead as Portley hit a game-opening three before LB Willis scored nine straight points. SNU Eventually pushed its lead to 23-14 on a Portley fast break dunk, but the Tigers went on a 14-4 run to take their first lead of the game at 28-27 with 9:17 left in the first. ECU pushed the run 25-8 to lead 39-31 with 5:13 in the half before taking a 49-41 lead at the break.
 
East Central pushed the lead to 72-57 with 8:42 remaining in the game and didn't let the lead drop back under double digits the rest of the way.