Storm Stumble in OT in Hoops in Hawaii Opener

Box Score DURANT, Okla. – After a blazing start, an ice cold second half left No. 21/22 Southeastern vulnerable as Simon Fraser rallied to force overtime and the Savage Storm suffered an 86-83 upset loss in the opener of the Hoops in Hawaii Classic on Thursday night in Honolulu, Hi.
 
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 6-2 overall on the season with game two of the classic slated for 9:45 p.m. central time on Friday night against Alaska-Anchorage.
 
Southeastern opened the contest hitting 56.7 percent from the field and draining six threes in the first half, but saw the overall effort fall to 35.0 percent in the second half and the Storm hit just 1-of-9 from three-point range in the second half.
 
Kevin Buckingham finished the game with a team-best 23 points on a 9-of-15 shooting effort to lead a foursome of double-digit scorers.
 
Kellen Manek and Adam Dworsky each finished with 18 points, while Kayo Goncalves posted 12 points on four first-half three pointers.
 
Dworsky dished out seven assists to lead all players in the game, but the Storm were stifled by 15 turnovers as a team.
 
Buckingham finished just one rebound shy of a double-double with nine while Manek followed with seven.
 
The Storm got 14 first half points from Buckingham and Goncalves hit all four of his threes in the first half as SE scored the first four points and never trailed in the first half.
 
A Buckingham three at the 11:39 mark would push the lead to double digits, reaching as high as 19 points three times in the half, the last on a pair of Al Ervin free throws to take a 42-23 lead with 2:41 to go in the half before settling on a 45-27 lead at the break.
 
The Clan chipped away to open the second half, but by the 11:25 mark had cut the Storm advantage to single digits.
 
The Storm would slow the rally briefly as a Buckingham bucket would make the score 64-55 with 5:12 to go.
 
SFU would finish the second half on a 13-r run to tie the game and force overtime.
 
The Clan was perfect in OY, hitting 4-of-4 overall and 3-of-3 from three-point range to lead by as much as eight in the extra frame, but SE would rally to a one possession game on a Manek three with 10 seconds to play.
 
After a pair of missed SFU free throws the Storm would have a final possession, but the Clan would foul Buckingham and send him to the line.
 
He would miss the first and purposely miss the second which was rebounded by Clanet but the kickout pass for a three was off the mark and the Storm would suffer the 86-83 loss.