SE Holds Off SAU to Advance to GAC Semifinals

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – Top-seeded Southeastern used a huge first half to take a big lead and held off a late charge by Southern Arkansas to pick up an 84-75 victory in the first round of the Great American Conference Tournament on Thursday night in Bartlesville, Okla.
 
The win moves the Savage Storm to 20-7 on the season, reaching the 20-win mark for the first time since the 2014-15 season and advancing SE to the semifinals on March 7 at 5:45 p.m. to face the winner between Southern Nazarene and Henderson State.
 
Kamryn Cantwell and Katie Webb matched each other point for point on the game with each posting 21 points, with Cantwell going 5-of-11 from the floor and 10-of-11 at the free throw line, while Webb was 7-of-16 overall and 7-of-8 at the charity stripe.
 
Tracy Johnson and Briley Moon also reached double figures with each turning in 16 in the contest.
 
Johnson hit 4-of-7 from three-point range, while Moon was 4-of-8 from the floor and 7-og-8 at the free throw line.
 
Webb also led the team on the board with nine rebounds, while Cantwell hauled in eight and Moon added seven while the Storm held a 46-to-38 edge on the glass.
 
Webb and Cantwell each handed out five assists to lead all players while the Storm finished with 14 for the game.
 
Cantwell and Webb combined for 26 points in the first half, each posting 13. Cantwell was 2-of-6 and hit 8-of-9 at the free throw line, while Webb turned in a 5-of-11 shooting effort in the first half.
 
Right behind that pair were Johnson and Moon who combined for 18 in the half, each turning in nine points. Johnson was 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, while Moon was 3-of-5 overall shooting.
 
SE jumped out early with the game's first 12 points, capped by a Johnson three at the 5:57 mark of the quarter.
 
SAU would cut the Storm lead back to eight points three times over the next three minutes, but SE would finish the quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 22-8 lead into the first break.
 
That run continued into the second quarter as Southeastern scored the first six points as part of a 17-2 run capped by a Moon three to take a 39-10 lead at the 4:04 mark.
 
The Muleriders would connect on a free throw, but SE would push its advantage out to 33 points before settling on a 47-17 lead at the halftime break.
 
The Storm would maintain its 30-ppoint lead until the midway point of the third quarter when SAU would reel off 12 straight points as part of a 17-2 run which trimmed the SE advantage all the way down to 60-45 with 1:18 to go in the frame.
 
Southeastern would score five of the final seven points in the quarter to take a 65-47 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
The Storm would edge the lead back to 20 points early in the fourth quarter before SAU used a 19-6 run over 4:50 to close the gap to 77-70 with 1:04 to play.
 
SE would finish the game hitting 7-of-8 at the free throw line in the final minutes to end the threat and hold on for an 84-75 victory.