Storm Men Hosts GAC/MIAA Challenge

Men's Basketball | 11/12/2015 11:38:00 PM

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern men's basketball will open its 2015-16 season at home when it hosts the men's half of the GAC/MIAA Challenge Nov. 13-14 at Bloomer Sullivan Arena against in-state rivals Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma.
 
The Savage Storm open play at 7:30 p.m. on Friday against Northeastern State and finish the weekend on Saturday against Central Oklahoma.  SE will also host a 5:30 game each day between Northwestern whichever team SE is not playing that day.
 
The team is coming off a 15-14 season which ended in a first round loss at the Great American Conference tournament against Arkansas Tech and will be looking to replace a pair of all conference performers in Taylor Smaller and Darius Harris.
 
Sami Bzai is the team's leading returning scorer after putting up 12.0 ppg last season, including shooting 45.0 percent from three point range.
 
The Storm will be looking to channel its last performance against a Division I opponent, a 69-66 win over Tulsa last season
 
SE returns one starter and seven letter winners from last year's squad and enter the season picked to finish eighth in the GAC Preseason Poll.
 
Southeastern does return key players who recorded starts and made significant contributions throughout the season.
 
Antonio Worthy was the team leader in blocked shots with 47 on the year while adding 6.6 ppg and 5.9 rpg in 17 minutes per contest, while Anton Cook averaged 16.5 minutes on the floor and put up 5.8 ppg and 2.0 rpg.
 
Tyler Lonzie, Quinton Threadgill and Kyle Roberts all made starts over the 2014-15 season and will be returning this year.
 
Last season's group average 73.6 ppg while shooting 46.5 percent from the floor and 38.7 percent from three-point range.
 
In the first ever GAC/MIAA Challenge which opened the 2014-15 season, the Storm fell to Central Oklahoma 80-68 and NSU 94-84.