Smaller, Bzai Lift SE Past SWOSU

WEATHERFORD, Okla.  – Taylor Smaller turned in a game-high 27 points and for the second time in three days helped lift the Savage Storm to a win, topping Southwestern Oklahoma State 83-73 on Saturday afternoon in Weatherford, Okla.
 
The win gives SE a 15-13 record overall and an 11-9 record in Great American Conference play heading into next week's conference tournament.
 
Smaller put up his 27 points on an 8-of-19 shooting performance that included a 6-of-12 mark from long range.
 
Smaller was joined by Sami Bzai who tallied 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting with three three-point buckets.
 
Smaller also dished out a team-high six assists, while Darius Harris and Kyle Roberts added three each.
 
The Storm offense shot 50.9 percent from the field for the game, including a 12-of-24 effort from long range.
 
Harris led all rebounders in the game with 11 boards as SE held a 44-to-32 edge on the glass.
 
Southeastern opened the game on a 21-7 run over the first eight minutes and held a double-digit lead for most of the half until a late SWOSU run cut the Storm lead to 43-37 at halftime.
 
SE pushed the lead back to double-digits early in the second half, but another Bulldog rally would narrow the edge all the way down to 58-57 by the 10:49 mark of the second half.
 
The Storm would never lose its lead, however, and closed out the contest on a 9-1 run to fashion the 83-73 win.