SE Unable to Rally in Loss to UCO

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Southeastern nearly rallied from a 31 point second-half deficit to close the deficit to just nine points against Central Oklahoma, but the rally would run out of gas in an 80-68 loss in the season opener on Friday afternoon in Tahlequah, Okla., in the Stuteville Auto Group MIAA/GAC Challenge.

The loss drops the Savage Storm to 0-1 to open the year and will face the host Northeastern State at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday night.

Five SE players reached double-figures led by Danny Powell who dropped a game-high 17 points, while Antonio Worthy added 13, Sami Bzai chipped in 12, Taylor Smaller put up 11 and Darius Harris posted 10.

The Storm shot 25.7 percent from the field in the first half, but bounced back in the second with a 42.4 percent clip.

Southeastern held a 52-to-50 edge on the boards, highlighted by a massive 19 rebound outing by Harris who completed a double-double in the process.

Worthy added eight boards, while Powell and Nathan Jackson chipped in six each.

Harris also dished out three assists, as did Smaller, to lead the team in helpers.

SE opened scoring in the contest with a Bzai three and would hold a lead until the 13:25 mark of the first half when the Bronchos knotted the score at 13-13.

The tie sparked a 13-0 run by UCO and by the time the dust settles on the first half the Storm found itself down 55-28 at the break.

The lead would balloon to 31 early in the second half, but SE would start chipping away at the deficit.

A Nathan Jackson tip-in with 8:02 to play would get the deficit under 20-points and at the 1:33 mark a Worthy free throw would cut the gap to single digits at 73-64.

That was as close as the score would get, though as UCO would hold off the rally and hand SE an 80-68 loss.