SE Goes Cold as Lions Steal OT Contest

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern's offense went cold over the final eight and an half minutes between regulation and overtime and found itself on the wrong end of a 78-73 overtime loss to Texas A&M-Commerce on Sunday afternoon in the season's home opener in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 3-2 overall on the year heading back into Great American Conference play on Dec. 1 against Ouachita Baptist at 5:30 p.m. in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
An Olivia Potter transition bucket would put SE up 70-63 with 3:29 to play, however the Storm would get just one free throw make over the remainder of regulation as the Lions rallied to knot the game at 71-71 and force overtime.
 
A 1-of-5 shooting effort in overtime coupled with a pair of missed free throws would lead to Southeastern getting outscored 7-2 in the extra frame en route to the 78-73 final score.
 
Potter led the scoring with 16 points on the strength of four threes, while three others joined her in double-figures.
 
Ariannah Kemp turned in a season-high 14 points, while Sa'Liesha Hunter added 13 and Courtney Brady chipped in 10.
 
Emem David just missed double-digits with eight points and Katie Webb finished with six.
 
Hunter dished out a team-best four assists, while Webb Rachel Wallace and Brady added three apiece.
 
Kemp also turned in her first career double-double with 10 rebounds, with Webb right behind with eight and Hunter adding six.
 
SE scored first and with the exception of a two minute stretch in the first quarter would never trail until the overtime period.
 
The Storm shot 46.4 percent in the first half and led by as many as 17 points in the second quarter before settling on a 35-21 lead at the break.
 
The Lions would erase that lead in the third quarter, tying the game inside the final minute, but a pair of Alix Robinson free throws with 34 seconds to go would give SE a 53-51 edge heading to the fourth quarter.
 
The Storm would regain the lead and go up by as many as seven points in the fourth before going cold in the final three and a half minutes of the quarter which opened the door for the TAMUC rally.