Cook's Career Night Powers SE to Win

DURANT, Okla. – Anton Cook turned in a career-high 27 points to help lift Southeastern to its second-straight win 66-57 over Oklahoma Baptist on Thursday night in Shawnee, Okla.
 
The Savage Storm improve to 9-13 overall on the season and 7-9 in Great American Conference play, moving into a three-way tie for seventh heading into a 3 p.m. matchup with one of those teams on Saturday in Northwestern Oklahoma State in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
Cook finished 10-of-22 from the field and hit five threes on the night to lead all scorers.
 
Sami Bzai came off the bench for the second-straight game and finished with 12 points with a pair of threes, while Nathan Jackson chipped in 11 points.
 
Quinton Threadgill dished out a season-best seven assists, accounting for just over half of the Storm's total of 13.
 
SE finished the night shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 40 percent from long range, while holding the Bison to a 38.9 percent effort from the field overall and a 25 percent mark form three-point range.
 
Cook also led the Storm on the boards with eight on the night, while Tyler Lonzie added six.
 
Despite a Cook three to open the game, OBU would hold the lead early, going up by six points at 17-11 with 9:45 to play in the half.
 
However, Cook would drain threes on three-straight possessions to erase the deficit and take a 20-17 lead with 8:14 to go in the first half.
 
SE would stretch that lead out to eight points on another Cook three before settling on a 31-26 lead at the break.
 
The Storm opened the second half on an 8-2 run that was capped by a pair of Cook free throws to open up a 39-28 lead with 16:57 to go in the game.
 
The lead would eventually stretch out to 15 points at 49-34 on a Jackson bucket with 12:44 to go.
 
OBU would chip away at the SE advantage, twice narrowing it to six points inside the final three minutes, the last coming with 1:39 to play.
 
The Storm would answer the last push with a Bzai three-point play and a Cook layup to quickly push the gap back to 11 points before wrapping up a 66-57 win.