Storm Close GAC/NSIC Challenge with Win over WSC

SHAWNEE, Okla. – Southeastern put five players in double-figures and bounced back in game two of the GAC/NSIC Challenge with an 80-64 win over Wayne State on Saturday evening in Shawnee, Okla.
 
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 1-1 on the year heading into the home opener against Arlington Baptist on Nov. 17 in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
Jett Sternberger led SE with 16 points on the contest, hitting 6-of-13 from the field with a pair of threes.
 
Ante Brzovic added 15 off the bench on 6-of-9 shooting, while Kyle Leslie finished with 12.
 
Kellen Manek dropped 11 in the effort while Adam Dworsky put up five.
 
Dworsky and Manek each dished out five assists while Sternberger handed out four.
 
Leslie led the Storm on the board with nine, while Brzovic hauled in eight and Manek pulled down seven.
 
SE shot 49.2 percent from the field for the game while holding the Wildcats to a 36.1 effort.
 
The teams traded buckets out of the gate, with SE taking the first two-possession lead after a pair of Manek free throws at the 9:34 mark at 15-11.
 
SE would push that lead out to six points, but a WSC 7-0 run would leave SE down 18-17 with 7:54 to play in the half.
 
The Storm answered and regained the lead on a Leslie bucket and would push that edge out to seven points with 3:29 remaining before settling on a 34-29 lead at the half.
 
SE would maintain that edge out of the break and would push it to double-figures on a Leslie three at the 14:18 mark of the second half.
 
By the 10:49 mark a Sternberger three would push the advantage to 57-41.
 
WSC would close the gap to 13 points twice in the following minutes before Southeastern answered by pushing the lead out to a game-high 19 points twice, first on a Brzovic layup and later on a Dworsky fastbreak bucket.
 
Southeastern would close out the contest with an 80-64 win.