SE Opens GAC Season with Win Over HSU

Box Score | PHOTO GALLERY

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern got double-doubles from Haley Schaefer and Emily Williams en route to a 78-62 win over Henderson State in the Great American Conference opener on Thursday night in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 4-1 overall on the year and 1-0 in GAC play with Ouachita Baptist up next at 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
 
Schaefer came off the bench to turn in her best outing of the young season with 16 points and 13 rebounds, both game highs.
 
She was joined in double-figures by Emily Williams finished the night with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Taylor Richards added 10 points in the effort, while Cheree Kiser and Breana Small-Peppers each finished with nine.
 
On the whole it was not a great shooting night for either team, with the Storm holding a 37.7 percent-to-33.9 percent edge in shooting.
 
SE did get a big boost in the second half by hitting 50.0 percent from the field, including a 4-of-9 effort from three-point range.
 
The Storm also held an edge on the boards by a 53-to-47 margin.
 
In addition to the 23 combined rebounds from Schaefer and Williams, Natalie Ruud added five and Small-Peppers, Kaylie Baxter and Shelby Hill each added four.
 
Williams and Richards each dished out a game-high four assists.
 
The Storm outscored the Reddies 33-15 off the bench thanks to Schaefer's contribution and also held a 36-24 advantage in point in the paint.
 
SE scored first and the teams traded buckets with HSU tying the game four times over the first nine minutes, with the last coming at 11-11 with 11:05 to play in the first half.
 
A Ronay English layup would break the tie and key an 8-0 Storm run that was capped by a Demi Koelzer jumper that made the score 19-11.
 
The Reddies would twice cut the advantage to one point, the last time coming with 1:44 to play, but SE would score the final four points of the half and take a 31-26 lead into the locker room at halftime.
 
The Storm slowly pushed its lead out further, making the score 38-28 on a Baxter jumper with 17:21 to play to go up by double-figures for the first time.
 
The lead would hover near 10 for most of the second half, with SE leading 64-55 with 5:33 to play.
 
The Storm would outscore HSU 14-4 over the final five minutes to pick up a 78-62 win.