SE Set for In-State Rivalry Contests

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern aims to get back in the win column when it returns to Oklahoma for back-to-back contests against long-time in-state rivals, first taking on East Central on Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Ada, Okla., before returning home to host Southwestern Oklahoma State at 3 p.m. in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
The Savage Storm come into the weekend after dropping back-to-back contests for the first time this season, slipping to 9-4 overall on the year and 5-4 in Great American Conference play, slipping into a tie for sixth place, but just three games out of first as the conference schedule nears the midway point.
 
Southeastern's offense still ranks fifth in the league at 79.1 ppg, less than a point per game out of second, while the defense is third in the GAC while only allowing 68.5 ppg.
 
The Storm is led by a pair of top-10 scorers in Kevin Buckingham and Kellen Manek.
 
Buckingham ranks fifth in the league at 17.7 ppg while shooting 61.0 percent from the field and is the only player in the conference ranked in the top-five in scoring and rebounding.
 
Manek is 10^th in the conference in scoring at 14.8 ppg and is the team's most accurate three point shooter, hitting at a 44.2 percent clip with 23 makes.
 
Jett Jobe joins them in double figures at 11.8 ppg, while Adam Dworsky and Kayo Goncalves are each averaging 8.5 ppg or better.
 
Dworsky leads the team in assists with 5.2 per outing which is fourth-highest in the GAC, while Jobe is right behind at 5.1 per game which ranks seventh, while SE as a team leads the league with 17.8 assists per game.
 
ECU comes into Thursday's matchup a half-game ahead of Southeastern in fifth place with a 5-3 mark in league play and an 8-5 overall record.
 
The Tigers are led by Cameron Talley who ranks in the top-five in scoring at 20.8 ppg, while Da'Rion King and Tylor Arnold are each averaging in double-figures.
 
King leads the team on the glass with 6.1 rebounds per game, while Gerren Jackson is dishing out a team-high 2.9 assists per game.
 
SWOSU enters the weekend with a 3-11 record overall and an 0-9 mark in GAC play.
 
They are led by the GAC's leading scorer in Tre Evans who is putting up 22.9 ppg, while Jamar Sandifer is next in line with 16.6 ppg.
 
Evans leads the Bulldogs across rebounding and assists as well, pulling down 6.9 rpg and dishing out 4.5 assists per outing.