Storm Comeback Falls Shy at NWOSU

ALVA, Okla. – Southeastern rallied from a double-digit second half deficit to get within two points with 1:20 to play, but were unable to complete the comeback on the road in an 82-77 loss to Northwestern Oklahoma State in Alva, Okla., on Saturday afternoon.
 
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 5-9 overall and 3-5 in Great American Conference play heading into a Monday night meeting with rival East Central at 7:30 p.m. in Ada, Okla.
 
SE put four players in double-figures as it shot 46.8 percent as a team, including hitting six threes, but struggled to stop the Rangers who hit 50.8 percent from the floor and 53.8 percent from behind the arc.
 
Tyler Lonzie led the way with 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor, adding a 4-of-5 effort form the line.
 
Nathan Jackson and Anton Cook each pitched in 16 points with Cook putting up a pair of threes and Jackson going 7-of-11 overall from the floor.
 
Sami Bzai finished with 13 points with a team-best three three pointers.
 
Bzai also led the way with four assists, while Stelios Papafloratos added three to go with seven points off the bench.
 
Lonzie also led the way on the glass, nearly turning in a double-double with nine rebounds, while Kyle Roberts added six.
 
Lonzie also chipped in a pair of blocked shots, while Roberts had two steals.
 
The Rangers took the lead out of the gate and SE would tie the game once, but NWOSU would eventually run out to a 25-15 lead by the midway point of the first half.
 
An 11-1 run by the Storm answered to tie the game at 26-26 after a pair of Papafloratos free throws, but SE was unable to seize the lead as the home team would eventually take a 35-30 lead at the half.
 
That deficit would twice grow to double digits over the first eight minutes of the second half, but SE would mount a comeback and after Cook converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 10:25 to go the deficit was 59-56.
 
Just under four minutes later Cook would hit a three to knot the game at 61-61.
 
However, NWOSU scored the next seven points, and despite closing to within two points in the final 1:20, SE was unable to cap the comeback, falling 82-77.