SE Downs OBU in Regular-Season Finale

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Southeastern had six players score in double-figures and picked up an 80-76 victory over Ouachita Baptist in the regular-season finale in Arkadelphia, Ark.
 
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 14-12 on the season overall and 12-10 in Great American Conference play. SE will head into the conference tournament as the six seed and face Southern Nazarene at 2:15 p.m. on March 8 in Bartlesville, Okla.
 
Alix Robinson led SE with 17 points on the strength of five three-point buckets, while Neely Noel was next in line with 14 and was perfect shooting, hitting 4-of-4 including a 2-for-2 effort from beyond the arc and added a 4-for-4 mark at the free throw line.
 
Tracy Johnson and Haiden Williams each turned in 12 points, while Katie Branam added a=11 and Briley Moon finished with 10.
 
Southeastern shot 54.0 percent from the floor overall and 48.1 percent from long range, hitting 13-of-27 threes.
 
Robinson led the way on the boards with eight of the team's 27 rebounds, while Branam and Williams each dished out a team-high three assists.
 
Robinson dropped 14 points in the first half with four threes to lead all scorers through the first 20 minutes.
 
A Robinson three put SE on the board first, but a 13-2 run was OBU's answer and the Storm faced an early 13-5 deficit.
 
A pair of Robinson threes helped SE get out of the hole and close to within two points before heading to the first break down 19-13.
 
The Storm whittled away at the deficit and tied the game first at 26-26 on a pair of Robinson free throws, then again at 32-32 on a Moon three and finally tying the score at 34-34 at halftime on a Branam layup with just under a minute to play in the half.
 
The Storm took an early lead on a Noel three at 37-36 and the teams would trade buckets and the lead until a Moon three put SE in front for good in the quarter with the team going up by as many as six points before taking a 57-53 lead to the fourth quarter.
 
OBU would use a quick scoring spurt to regain the lead briefly and the teams would fight to a tie as late as 3:56 to play at 67-67.
 
A Branam three would break that tie and she would add another with 2:07 to play to take a 73-67 lead.
 
The Tigers would close the gap to one possession inside the final minute, but Noel would go 4-of-4 at the free throw line to help preserve the Stork lead and the 80-76 victory.