SE Suffers First GAC Loss

Box Score DURANT, Okla. – Plagued by turnovers, the Southeastern offense sputtered and the Savage Storm dropped its first Great American Conference contest, 45-42, to Northwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
The loss drops SE to 8-4 overall on the year and knocks them out of a tie for the league lead at 5-1 in conference play.
 
It was the second-lowest point total of the season for the team and matched the lowest shooting percentage of the year.
 
Despite the 28.3 percent night from the floor, the Storm defense still held NWOSU to just 24.1 percent shooting including a 13.8 percent mark in the first half.
 
The difference on offense proved to be the five threes the Rangers hit compared to just two by SE who averaged five threes per game coming into the contest.
 
Breana Small-Peppers led the offensive charge for the Storm with 15 points and was the only double-digit scorer for the home club, while Haley Schaefer added nine and Cheree Kiser chipped in six.
 
Southeastern also held an advantage on the glass, out-rebounding its opponents 49-to-33, holding an edge on both the offensive and defensive glass.
 
Emily Williams led all rebounders with 11, while Small-Peppers added eight and Kaylie Baxter chipped in six.
 
Taylor Richards dished out four assists to lead the team, but SE finished with just 12 assists across from 22 turnovers.
 
The Storm opened the game on a 10-2 run and kept NWOSU at arm's length for most of the first half, pushing the lead out to as many at 10 points on a Kiser three with 2:21 to play.
 
The Rangers, however, would score the last five points and the SE lead at the break would be 23-18.
 
Southeastern maintained its lead, but was unable to put any distance between it and NWOSU, with a 7-0 run by the visitors eventually tying the game at 32-32 with 12:25 to play.
 
The Rangers would take the lead on a free throw with 8:31 to play and push that lead out to five points at 43-38 with 4:23 to play.
 
A Small-Peppers bucket at that point cut the deficit to 43-40, but that was as close as it would get as NWOSU held on for the 45-42 win.