SE Drops First GAC Contest at OBU

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Southeastern's defense never found traction and despite shooting 52.1 percent from the floor for the game the Savage Storm suffered its first Great American Conference loss, falling at Ouachita Baptist 102-71.
 
The loss drops SE to 4-3 overall on the year and 2-1 in league play heading into a Saturday matchup with Henderson State who dropped a 68-64 contest to East Central on Thursday.
 
The Storm got off to a slow start to the game, but closed to within two points and looked to have survived a run, but the Tigers would reel off nine straight points to take a 20-9 lead and by the 8:40 mark had built up a double-digit lead which would grow into a 48-25 halftime deficit.
 
That was despite the Storm shooting a respectable 41.7 percent overall in the half, but were off the mark from behind the arc with a 2-for-10 effort and from the free throw line where they hit 3-of-11.
 
Conversely OBU hit 54.1 percent from the floor and hit six threes in the half.
 
SE outshot the Tigers 62.5-to-55.0, but a 10-to-1 OBU edge on the offensive glass and seven turnovers in the half would give the home team 16 more shots and a 54-46 edge in the second 20 minutes to pull away with the 102-71 final score.
 
Quinton Threadgill came off the bench to lead the Storm in scoring with 15 points, hitting 3-of-7 from behind the arc.
 
Anton Cook added 13 points with a pair of threes, while Sami Bzai hit a pair of threes en route to 12 points.
 
Nathan Jackson added eight, while Ander Perez turned in seven.
 
The Storm finished with 17 assists in the game, led by four each from Threadgill and Cook, while Jackson added three.
 
SE was outrebounded 45-to-22, marking just the second time this season they have been outrebounded and by the largest margin in the Kelly Green era.
 
Bzai led the way with five rebounds, while Cook and Jackson added three each.