Savage Storm Down OBU in Overtime

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Southeastern got a combined 50 points from Kevin Buckingham and Adam Dworsky, but needed five minutes of bonus basketball to pick up a 93-89 overtime victory over Ouachita Baptist in the regular-season finale on Saturday afternoon in Arkadelphia, Ark.
 
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 20-6 overall on the season and 16-6 in Great American Conference play heading into postseason play where SE will face Arkansas-Monticello in the first round of the conference tournament at 2:15 p.m. on March 7 in Bartlesville, Okla.
 
Southeastern hits the 20-win mark for the first time since a 27-5 record and a regional final appearance during the 2006-07 season.
 
Buckingham finished the contest with 26 points, reaching the 20-point plateau for the 15^th time this season, the second time in-a-row and the ninth in his last 11 outings.
 
Hot on his heels was Dworsky who finished with 24 and was the team's leading scorer throughout much of the game until Buckingham got going late.  He would finish with an 11-of-16 effort from the floor and added a team-high five assists.
 
Jett Jobe would connect on four threes and finish the game with 15 points while chipping in four assists.
 
DJ Henderson added nine points off the bench while Kellen Manek finished with eight.
 
Buckingham pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, while Henderson was next in line with six.
 
The Storm jumped out to a 6-0 lead after a three-point play by Buckingham and a Ziga Zatezic three to open play.
 
That run would extend to 12-2 by the 1:42 mark before OBU began whittling it away, closing the gap to 15-12 with 13:29 to go in the first half.
 
The Tigers would keep it close, cutting it to one possession with 8:18 to play before a 17-5 run capped by a Jobe three would stake the Storm to a 42-27 lead with 3:45 to play in the half.
 
SE was unable to stretch its lead beyond 15 points and OBU looked to get it to single digits late, but a Dworsky three to beat the halftime buzzer would give the Storm a 47-33 lead at the break.
 
OBU slowly chipped away at the Storm advantage in the second half, cutting it to single digits and closing to within six points at 50-44 with 16:07 to play in regulation.
 
SE would regain its edge and push the lead back to double digits, but another push by OBU would erase the Southeastern lead, ultimately tying the game with 27 seconds to play at 77-77 and a Storm last second shot would miss the mark, sending the game to overtime.
 
A pair of Buckingham free throws pout SE on the board first in OT, but OBU would eventually take its first lead at 80-79 with 4:07 to go.
 
Buckingham would answer with a three to regain the lead, but the Tigers answered right back with a three as well to go ahead 83-82 with 3:30 to play.
 
Manek would provide the Storm response when he connected on a layup and drew a foul, hitting his free throw and pushing Southeastern ahead 85-83 with 3:10 to play.
 
Southeastern's defense would step up on the ensuing possession and Buckingham would snag a rebound and draw a foul, sinking both free throws for an 87-83 lead with 2:42 to play.
 
A Dworksy jumper a possession later would push the lead to 89-83, but OBU would hit a pair of buckets and get stops to close the gap to 89-87 with 1:10 to play.
 
Zatezic would then connect on his second three of the night with 12 seconds to play to go ahead 92-87.
 
After OBU scored on its end with six seconds to play, Buckingham would hit one of his two free throws to fashion the final of 93-89.