Storm Wrap Challenge with 95-86 Victory

BETHANY, Okla. – Adam Dworsky flirted with a triple-double and all five starters scored in double-figures as Southeastern completed the GAC/NSIC Challenge undefeated thanks to a 95-86 victory over Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday afternoon in Bethany, Okla.
 
The Savage Storm improve to 2-0 to start the season and will have time to celebrate it as they will not be back in action until Nov. 21 when they host Oklahoma Baptist at 7:30 p.m. in the Great American Conference opener in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
Dworsky put up 19 points on the game, aided by an 8-of-8 effort at the foul line, while dishing out 13 assists, and flirting with a triple-double by finishing with seven rebounds.
 
As it stands, he opens the season with a pair of double-doubles, piling up 25 assists over two games.
 
Buckingham recovered from a slow start, scoring just two points at the free throw line in the first half, to put up 18 second-half points and finish as the team's high scorer with 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including a perfect 2-for-2 effort from beyond the arc.
 
Kellen Manek, Kayo Goncalves, and A'Torey Everett each tallied 14 points, with all three shooting better than 50 percent from the floor.
 
SE finished the contest hitting 56.1 percent overall from the field despite a 5-of-16 effort from long range.
 
The Storm also took advantage of a 26-of-30 effort at the charity stripe, hitting 86.7 percent.
 
Dworsky, Manek, and Goncalves each hauled in seven boards to lead the way, while the team snagged six steals on the game and only committed eight turnovers.
 
For the second time in as many games, Southeastern never trailed and were only tied once, 56 seconds into the game at 2-2.
 
After that tie a pair of Everett layups would bookend a Manek three and a 7-0 run quickly gave the Storm a 9-2 lead.
 
MDU would get as close as four points over the first half, but another 7-0 run capped at the 8:18 mark by a Dworsky bucket would give the Storm its first double-digit lead of the day at 26-15.
 
The Bulldogs would close the gap to six before SE finished the half on a 14-2 run before taking a 42-27 lead into the locker room at halftime.
 
The lead would grow to 17 early in the second half but MDU would chip away over the half, closing all the way down to a one possession ballgame at 65-62 with 7:40 to play.
 
A Goncalves three would provide the Storm answer, followed a possession later by an Everett jumper and the threat was averted as SE would push its lead back out to double-figures at 81-71 on a pair of Dworsky free throws with 2:37 to play.
 
Southeastern would hold off any late rallies for the 95-86 victory.