Savage Storm Topple 10th Ranked SNU

BETHANY, Okla. – Southeastern survived a slow start and shot over 50 percent from the field en route to completing a season sweep of No. 10 Southern Nazarene with an 81-77 victory on Saturday afternoon in Bethany, Okla.
 
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 14-6 overall and 10-6 in Great American Conference play and snaps the Crimson Storm's 26-game home court winning streak.
 
Kevin Buckingham led all scorers with 28 points, crossing the 20-pooint threshold for the 10^th time this season, and finishing the contest shooting 8-of-12 from the floor with three threes and adding a 9-of-10 effort at the free throw line.
 
Her was joined in double figures by three others, led by Jett Jobe who turned in 13 while Kellen Manek and Kayo Goncalves each finished with 10.
 
Overall, the Storm shot 51.1 percent, including a 65.0 percent performance in the second half, and was even more impressive from long distance, hitting 52.4 percent form beyond the arc. SE also finished the contest shooting 88.0 percent from the free throw line, going 22-of-25.
 
Jobe dished out a team-high five assists while the team finished with 13.
 
Buckingham also led the way on the boards with seven rebounds, while Goncalves pulled down six and Manek added five.
 
SE was slow out of the gate as SNU scored the first seven points of the contest and by the 12:58 mark had mounted a 17-7 lead.
 
That deficit would grow as large as 13 points with 8:10 to go in the half, and the Crimson Storm maintained a 32-21 edge with 5:13 to go in the half.
 
A Goncalves layup would trigger a 15-0 run fueled by eight points from Goncalves and five from Buckingham to take a 37-32 lead before settling on a 37-34 lead at halftime.
 
The Storm maintained its lead early in the second half, going up as many as seven points in the first five minutes before a SNU 12-2 run would leave Southeastern down 60-55 with 9:58 to play.
 
SE would find its answer in a 16-4 run capped by a Manek jumper with 4:48 to play to erase the deficit and take a 71-64 lead.
 
That edge would hit 75-67 with 2:28 remaining on a pair of Manek free throws.
 
The Crimson Storm would close it to one possession with 1:46 to play, but a Buckingham layup with 1:17 on the clock would stretch the lead back to 77-72.
 
A SNU bucket with 14 seconds left would again close the gap to one possession at 79-77 before Jobe wen to the line and hit two free throws with 13 seconds left and the Storm defense forced a trio of missed shots on the other end to preserve an 81-77 win.