Big Second Half Lifts SE Past SWOSU

WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Southeastern had four players in double-figures and drained 17 threes on its way to a 92-77 road victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon in Weatherford, Okla.
 
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 4-1 overall on the season and evens its Great American Conference record at 1-1.
 
Kevin Buckingham turned in a huge performance, finishing with his second-straight double-double while leading all players with 24 points and posted a game-high 11 rebounds.  He shot 9-of-13 from the floor, including a pair of threes, and tacked on a 4-of-4 effort at the free throw line.  He also pitched in three assists, a block and a steal.
 
Todd Dawkins joined him in double-figures with a season-best 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting from three-point range, while Kayo Goncalves chipped in 14 points with a trio of threes, while Kellen Manek added 12 with a pair of threes.
 
SE finished the contest shooting just under 50 percent from the field, bolstered by a 52.2 percent effort in the second half, while hitting 17-of-36 from long range.
 
Jett Jobe led the way in triggering the offense with a season-high 10 assists, while Adam Dworsky dished out seven and the Storm handed out 25 helpers as a team.
 
Buckingham's 11 rebounds led all players on the glass, while Goncalves was next in line with seven as the Storm held a 40-to-37 edge on the boards.
 
The teams traded runs early in the first half, with SWOSU putting together a a 19-2 run to open up a 29-15 lead near the midway point of the first half.
 
The lead would grow to 15 points before the Storm put together back-to-back-to-back threes from Dworsky, Dawkins and Manek to quickly close the deficit to 33-27 with 8:21 to go in the half.
 
Dawkins would later connect on a transition three to knot the game at 38-38 with 5:08 to play in the first.
 
The Bulldogs would reclaim the lead, and despite the Storm swiping it back briefly on a Goncalves layup, the home team would hold a 52-47 lead at the break.
 
SE took the lead early in the second with the first seven points of the half, but the teams would trade leads and ties until Buckingham and Dawkins hit back-to-back threes to give the Storm a 63-57 lead at the 13:06 mark of the half.
 
SWOSU would respond and take a 67-66 lead with 10:43 to play, but another Dawkins three would erase that deficit and put SE up for good.
 
The lead was still one possession with 6:11 to play, but Southeastern would turn up the heat in the final six minutes, outscoring the Bulldogs 19-6 to pick up the 92-77 victory.