Storm Survives League Opener, 65-62

Box Score | PHOTO GALLERY

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern had three players score in double-figures, including a big double-double from Urald King as the Savage Storm picked up a 65-62 win over Henderson State on Thursday night in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
SE improves to 3-0 on the season with the win and 1-0 in GAC play and will next welcome Ouachita Baptist to town for a 4 p.m. matchup on Nov. 23.
 
King turned in game highs for all players in points and rebounds, finishing the night with 19 points and 15 boards.
 
John Balwigaire came off the bench in his first game for the Storm since returning from a preseason injury and shook the rust off quickly with 17 points that included a pair of three point buckets.
 
Taylor Smaller rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12, while Darius Harris added eight.
 
King's 15 rebounds led the way by seven boards over the next closest rebounder which was Harris who added eight boards in the effort.
 
The Storm finished with a 32-to-27 edge in rebounds.
 
SE was outshot 50.0 percent-to-46.3 percent, but made up for it at the free throw line by going 11-for-14, while HSU finished 7-of-15.
 
The Reddies scored first and led for the first 10 minutes of the game, going up by as many as six points before SE whittled the deficit away before tying the game at 12-12 with 9:47 to play in the half.
 
The next seven points belonged to the Storm and included a King dunk and an Anton Cook three pointer that put SE up 19-12 with 8:06 to play in the half.
 
SE would maintain the lead until the final two minutes of the half when an HSU 8-0 run would turn a six point lead into a 30-28 deficit for the Storm at halftime.
 
The teams traded buckets almost blow-for-blow early in the second half, with HSU taking a lead as large as five early and the Storm pushing out to a 58-51 edge on a King layup with 4:43 to play.
 
The Reddies would twice cut the SE advantage to one point, but a Smaller jumper and a pair of Balwigaire free throws with 15 seconds left would make the score 64-59.
 
After an HSU three and a free throw by Smaller, a last-second three by the Reddies would miss its mark and Southeastern would survive with a 65-62 win.