DURANT, Okla. – Despite 28 points from
Taylor Smaller Southeastern was unable to pull off the upset of league-leading Ouachita Baptist on Thursday, falling 78-71 in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 13-12 overall on the year and 9-8 in Great American Conference play heading into a 3 p.m. Saturday matchup against Arkansas Tech.
SE hold onto fifth place in the league standings with three games to play needing a win on Saturday to keep its hold on the No. 5 seed and move a step closer to clinching a conference tournament trip.
Smaller finished the game 7-of-15 and drained five threes while adding a 9-of-10 effort at the free throw line.
He poured in 16 of those points in the first half to help stake the Storm to a 36-31 lead at halftime.
He was joined in double-figures by
Sami Bzai who shot 50 percent from the field and posted 14 points.
Smaller also dished out a team-high five assists, while
Anton Cook added four in the effort.
SE had a rough night on the board where OBU held a 41-to-28 edge that included 16 offensive rebounds that the Tigers turned into 22 second-chance points.
Smaller and
Darius Harris led the team with six rebounds each, while
Antonio Worthy and Cook pitched in five apiece.
Harris also added four blocked shots in the game.
SE led early in the contest, but the Tigers would put together a small ru to open up a 19-12 lead with 7:57 to go in the half.
Tyler Lonzie would stop the run with a bucket and with 3:48 to go in the first Bzai would connect on a jumper to give the Storm a 26-25 lead.
The Storm would outscore OBU down the stretch for a 36-31 lead at halftime.
OBU would take the lead one early, but the Storm would rebuild its lead to six points on a Bzai bucket with 13:53 remaining.
Southeastern would hang onto the shrinking lead until the 5:22 mark when the Tigers would take the lead for good.
SE would tie the game at 71-71 on a pair of Smaller free throws with 1:14 to play, but the Tigers would score the game's last seven points to fashion the 78-71 final.
