Dworsky Sets GAC Mark in SE Loss

ADA, Okla. – Five Southeastern players scored in double-figures in a game that featured 18 ties and 14 lead changes and took two overtime sessions to decide, but the Savage Storm fell on the short end of the final lead change in a 103-102 loss on Monday night to East Central in Ada, Okla.
 
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 2-5 on the year overall and in Great American Conference Western Division play heading into a Thursday night matchup with Southern Nazarene at 7:30 p.m. in Bethany, Okla.
 
"I made a bad call," said head coach Kelly Green. "We made a sub and we told them that they were going to go to the basket that they had to go to the basket. And we got off and helped inside and we should have gotten tighter. We were supposed to be tight but then stay out with shooters, and I made a bad call and we had bad execution.  They did a good job of getting the guy running. We wanted Bobby to turn the guy. He's got to get him turned and he could never get him turned."  
 
With four seconds left on the clock Jaedaun Slack connected on a pair of free throws to put the Storm in front 102-100, but ECU's Tyler Arnold would connect on a three as time expired to steal the game 103-102.
 
 In the second OT frame, the Tigers jumped to a five-point lead early but an Adam Dworsky three and a pair of Slack free throws would knot the game at 97-97.
 
An ECU three-point play on the next possession was answered by a Taylor Cox three with 34 seconds to play, setting up the final exchange.
 
Dworsky had another monster night against East Central despite the loss, finishing with a game-high 35 points on 12-of-22 shooting with a 5-of-8 effort from beyond the arc while playing all 50 minutes.
 
He also added a game-high seven assists and in the process took over the top spot in the GAC in career assists, climbing to 597 and passing the previous record of 590 held by Southern Nazarene's Micah Speight.
 
With that record, he has now tied or broken the single game, single, season, and career assists record at both Southeastern and in the Great American Conference.
 
Dworsky also chipped in five rebounds and snagged a pair of steals.
 
Slack came off the bench to turn in his second double-digit scoring effort with a season-high 19 points, mostly on the strength of a 13-of-14 effort at the free throw line.
 
Bobby Johnson followed with 12 points, while Vadim Clanet added 11 points and RJ Weeks 10, despite both fouling out.
 
Three players for each club fouled out in a game that featured a combined 54 fouls whistled.
 
SE spread the first-half scoring around with Dworsky turning in eight points, while Weeks added seven, and Clanet and Johnson each chipped in six.
 
The Tigers took an early 4-0 lead and led 6-2 before back-to-back buckets knotted the score.
 
Trailing 10-8 it was a 7-0 Storm run capped by a three-point play from RJ weeks in transition to take a 15-10 lead at the 12:21 mark of the half.
 
Dworsky would record the assist on the play to earn his place in the GAC record book.
 
ECU would rally to within a point at 20-19 with 9:33 to go in the half, but jumpers from Dworsky and Clanet would stretch the lead to 24-19.
 
The Tigers again made a move and would knot the game at 26-26 with 5:36 to go, but Southeastern answered with an 8-1 run, taking a 34-27 lead on a Johnson layup with 2:21 to go in the first.
 
ECU would score the final five points of the half and the Storm would hold onto a 34-32 lead at the half.
 
The pace would pick up in the second half and a 9-4 run capped by a Dworsky three would put SE in front by seven points at 43-36 which is the largest lead either team would have.
 
The Tigers would hang close, cutting the gap down until knotting the game at 49-49 with 14:16 to play.
 
After another tie, SE would push its lead out to 67-61 on a Dworsky bucket with 9:58 remaining, but another ECU rally would tie the game at 69-69 with 6:48 to play in regulation.
 
From that point on the game would feature two ties and three lead changes, with the Storm going up 80-78 with 20 seconds left before a Tiger bucket with nine seconds left sent the game to overtime.
 
ECU scored first in the opening OT session, but a Slack three answered to put SE up 83-82.
 
The teams would trade the lead seven times on ensuing possessions, with ECU holding a 92-90 edge before a pair of Dworsky free throws with 41 seconds to play would tie the game at 92-92 and eventually sending it to a second overtime.