EDMOND, Okla. – Southeastern's senior trio combined for 45 points while the Savage Storm shot 55.6 percent from the floor en route to a 71-62 season-opening victory over Northeastern State on Friday afternoon at the GAC/MIAA Challenge in Edmond, Okla.
 
The win gets Se off to a 1-0 start heading into a Nov. 13 matchup to finish out the challenge with host Central Oklahoma at 7:30 p.m.
 
Tyler Lonzie led that senior group with 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor.
 
Anton Cook was right behind with 16 points thanks to a 3-of-6 effort from long range and a 5-for-5 mark at the charity stripe, while Nathan Jackson turned in 10 points on 4-of-5 from the floor.
 
Kevin Buckingham added nine points off the bench, while Jett Jobe chipped in six.
 
The Storm hit 25-of-45 from the field and 9-of-15 from three-point range on the night.
 
Jackson dished out a game-high five assists, while Jobe added four as SE tallied 15 on the night.
 
Lonzie just missed a double-double by hauling in a game-high nine rebounds, while Jackson added six.  Four others added at least three boards each.
 
The Storm held a huge 39-to-20 edge in the rebounding battle which helped lead to a 15-2 edge in second chance points.
 
Lonzie also added a pair of blocks on defense, while Jackson snagged three steals.
 
NSU would open up an 8-2 lead out of the gate, but a 12-0 run capped by a Buckingham three would flip the deficit into a 14-8 lead by the 13:08 mark of the first half.
 
The Riverhawks would regain the lead, eventually going up 22-20 before Jobe connected on a three to retake the lead with 7:10 to go in the half.  That lead would grow as large as eight points before the Storm settled on a 31-26 advantage at the break.
 
Lonzie would hit a bucket on the first possession out of the half and NSU would answer and from that point on the Storm lead would remain within two possessions, getting to a one-point margin with 13:47 to play.
 
From a 43-41 lead a Marti Fonolla three would trigger a 13-2 run capped by a rare four-point play by Cook to give the Storm its largest lead of the night at 56-43 with 7:07 to go.
 
The Riverhawks would make one last rally and cut the SE lead to three points with 4:14 to play, but a pair of Lonzie free throws would push the edge back to two possessions and the Storm would get out with a 71-62 victory.