Storm Rally For Victory over Rangers

DURANT, Okla. – A trio of double-digit scorers helped power a rally over the final 10 minutes of the contest which helped the Savage Storm rally from nine down to pick up a 62-57 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 6-8 overall on the season and 2-6 in Great American Conference play heading into a Monday night matchup with rival East Central at 7:30 p.m., also in Bloomer Sullivan arena.
 
Jett Jobe turned in a team-high 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting with three threes, while Anton Cook added 14 points and Kevin Buckingham turned in 13 to power the Storm offense.
 
The Storm bounced back from a 33.3 percent effort from the field in the first half to shoot 52.2 percent in the second half while adding a 7-of-8 performance at the free throw line which proved pivotal in the victory.
 
Jobe and Cook each dished out five assists, while Buckingham and James Donelan added three each and the Storm handed out 17 as a team.
 
Buckingham also hauled in a game-high nine rebounds to lead the way.
 
NWOSU scored the first four points of the game, but the Storm would eventually pull out to a 13-8 lead just over five minutes in after a Jobe three.
 
The teams would trade buckets and eventually the lead back-and-forth, with the Storm holding a 25-24 lead after a Bobby Johnson jumper with 4:53 to go, however the Rangers would score eight of the final 11 points and SE trailed 32-28 at halftime.
 
That deficit would twice grow to 10 points early in the second half and stood at 48-39 with 10:44 to play.
 
Cook would hit a jumper to answer and an 11-2 run would then be capped by a pair of Cook free throw which knotted the game at 50-50 with 5:54 to play.
 
NWOSU regained the lead and went up by three, but a Buckingham layup and moments latyer a free throw would knot the game again, but again the Rangers answered and led 55-53 with 1:33 to go.
 
It was Cook once again who found the response, draining a three to give the Storm its first lead since the first half at 56-55.
 
After forcing a stop on defense Buckingham would add a layup to stretch the lead and with a pair of Cook free throws at the 14 second mark SE held by a 60-55 edge.
 
NWOSU would get a layup with seven ticks left, but Jobe would sink both free throws on the other end to fashion the 62-57 victory.