Smaller Powers Southeastern past UAM

MONTICELLO, Ark. – Taylor Smaller turned in his sixth 20-plus point performance of the season and the Savage Storm shot 51.6 percent from the field en route to an 83-70 win over Arkansas-Monticello on Thursday night in Monticello, Ark.
 
The win moves SE to 12-11 overall on the year and 8-7 in Great American Conference play, moving them over the .500 mark for the first time this year as the team has won four of its last five contests.
 
The Storm will finish out its final Arkansas road trip with a Feb. 14 contest against Harding at 3 p.m.
 
Smaller led all scorers in the contest with 23 points, powered by a 6-of-12 performance from behind the arc.
 
He was joined in double figures by Antonio Worthy who turned in a season-high 15 points, as well as Darius Harris who tallied 13 and Tyler Lonzie who chipped in 10 on a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free throw line.
 
Southeastern finished 33-of-64 from the field, shooting 50.0 percent or better in both halves, while adding a 43.5 percent effort from long range, hitting 10-of-23.
 
Sami Bzai dished out a team-high six assists, while Harris added five while the team racked up 22 helpers combined.
 
The defense led the Storm to a 45-to-41 edge on the boards thanks to Worthy's 12 rebounds which gave him his first double-double of the season.
 
He also collected three of the seven blocks SE collected, while Harris and Lonzie each added two.
 
Southeastern trailed for just 1:10 in the contest, with that coming early in the first half before an 11-0 run would break a tie and stake the Storm to a 23-12 lead.
 
UAM would shrink the edge to five points, but a 13-3 run would open up a 38-23 lead with 5:45 to go in the half, with SE ultimately taking a 44-36 lead into the half.
 
The Storm would open the second half with the first six points to take a 14 point lead and would lead by double-figures for the remainder of the game, stretching its advantage to as many as 18 points before leaving with an 83-70 win.