Storm Hold on For 69-63 Win Over OBU

DURANT, Okla. – Briley Moon turned in 20 points to lead all scorers as Southeastern picked up a 69-63 win over Ouachita Baptist on Thursday night in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
The Savage Storm improved to 10-6 overall on the season and 8-4 in Great American Conference play, sliding into a tie for third in the conference standings with Henderson State.
 
With the injuries we've got right now," said head coach Darin Grover, "Any win is a good win.  It's a good team win because we had kids come off the bench.  Neely Noel for instance comes off the bench and knocks down threes and goes for 15 points. Haiden Williams I though came in and did a good job. But mainly Briley Moon, a freshman, comes in and gets 20 points in some times when we were struggling to score."
 
Moon finished the night shooting 8-of-14 from the field and 3-of-6 from three-point range to lead all scorers.
 
Katie Webb was right behind her with a 19-point effort built heavily on a 9-of-11 effort at the free throw line.
 
Noel rounded out the team's double-digit scorers with 15, knocking down 5-of-8 threes.
 
Webb also led the team in assists with five, while Tracy Johnson handed out three.
 
Noel led the way on the glass with seven, while Jordan Benson collected a game-high three steals, part of the eight snagged by SE out of 16 forced turnovers.
 
Moon dropped 11 of her points in the first half and went to the break hitting 4-of-7 from the field with a pair of threes to lead all scorers at the break, while Neely Noel nearly matched her by hitting 3-of-6 threes and posting nine in the first half.
 
The Storm bounced back from a 5-0 run to open the game by OBU and closed the opening frame with a 12-2 run capped by a Noel three to mount a 20-16 lead after one.
 
SE never trailed in the second quarter, eventually pushing its lead out to as many as seven points, first on a Moon layup and then later on a Noel three at 35-28 with 4:11 to go in the first half.
 
The Tigers would close the gap, but a Moon three with 1:44 to play in the half would be the final bucket of the second quarter and make the halftime score 38-33.
 
At the 5:40 mark of the third quarter a Noel three would push the Storm lead to 48-47, passing double-digits for the first time.
 
SE would maintain the edge for the remainder of the quarter, closing the frame on a 7-0 run capped by a pair of Webb free throws to head to the fourth with a 57-42 lead.
 
A Johnson jumper to open the fourth would give the Storm its largest lead of the day at 59-42.
 
OBU would begin chipping away by the midway point of the quarter, cutting the lead to single digits with 2:32 to play at 68-59.
 
That was part of an overall 9-0 run by the Tigers to trim the SE lead to 68-63 with 1:38 to play.
 
However, Webb would hit one of her two final free throws and the Storm would force a turnover and a pair of missed jumpers on OBU's final three possessions to preserve the 69-63 victory.