SE Snags First GAC Win at SNU

BETHANY, Okla. – Southeastern shot 62.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from three point range and the Savage Storm picked up its first Great American Conference win of the season, 74-58 over Southern Nazarene on Saturday night in Bethany, Okla.
 
The win lifts SE to 4-6 overall on the season and 1-2 in Great American Conference play.
 
Taylor Smaller turned in his second 20-point scoring outing of the season, finishing one shy of his season-best with 24 on 8-of-9 shooting and 2-of-2 from three.
 
Sami Bzai joined him in double-figures with 13, while Danny Powell added 12 and Darius Harris chipped in 10.
 
Smaller and Bzai each dished out five assists as well.
 
The Southeastern offense hit 30-of-48 from the field overall and 6-of-12 from three point range.
 
The Storm held a 27-to-18 edge in rebounding led by six each from Harris and Antonio Worthy.
 
SNU shot 44.7 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from long range, with a pair of double-digit scorers led by Jared Starkey with 15.
 
SE took an early lead and maintained it throughout most of the first half until a Crimson Storm run gave the home team a two point advantage with 6:50 to go in the half.
 
A Worthy bucket would cue a 10-0 run that was capped by a Smaller jumper to open up a 35-27 lead which would turn into a 41-32 advantage at halftime thanks to a Smaller three to close the half.
 
An SNU three out of the intermission would close the gap to six points, but that was as close as the game would get as the Savage Storm led for the entire second half.
 
The lead would reach its widest margin on a Worthy dunk with 4:55 to play as SE opened up a 71-51 advantage before settling on the final score of 74-58.