Sternberger Leads Storm Past SPU, 81-69

DURANT, Okla. – Jett Sternberger turned in 19 points and Ante Brzovic added a double-double as Southeastern closed out its non-conference schedule with an 81-69 victory over Seattle Pacific on Wednesday night in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
The win is the team's eighth in-a-row and lifts them to 8-1 overall on the season as they prepare to jump back into Great American Conference play with a  Saturday matchup at Northwestern Oklahoma State at 3 p.m.
 
Sternberger did his damage inside the arc versus SPU, hitting just 1-of-5 from three-point range but connecting on 6-of-9 shots inside the arc on his way to 19 points to lead the Savage Storm.
 
Brzovic turned in his second-straight double-double and his third o0verall, on the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds while also adding three assists.
 
Adam Dworsky was next in line with 14 points with a pair of threes while also handing out five assists and pulling in five rebounds.
 
Bobby Johnson rounded out the double-figure scoring for SE with 13 points, hitting 4-of-8 from the field, including a trio of threes.
 
Kellen Manek added 10 rebounds as well and just missed the double-double with eight points while also handing out five assists.
 
Southeastern converted SPU turnovers into points, holding a 16-3 edge in points off turnovers while also holding a 12 point advantage in scoring in the paint.
 
The Storm bench continued to bring the points, outscoring the Falcon bench 34-10.
 
A Dworsky bucket and a Sternberger three gave SE an early 5-0 lead, but a 9-0 SPU run would erase that advantage by the 16:38 mark of the contest.
 
The Falcons would maintain their edge until the 11:44 mark when RJ Weeks connected on a slashing dunk off a Brzovic pass to retake the lead 18-17.
 
SE would trail once more, by one point, just over a minute later, but a Brzovic hook shot would give the Storm the lead back for good, kicking off an 11-0 run capped by a Weeks put back to go ahead 29-19 with 7:59 to play.
 
Seattle Pacific would whittle the Southeastern lead down to six points three times over the next three minutes, but the Storm would score seven of the final 10 points in the half to take a 40-30 lead into the break.
 
Two-and-a-half minutes into the second half SPU had cut SE's lead in half to 42-37, but a Dworsky three would stop the rally and the Storm would edge the lead back out to double-digits at 10 points.
 
After a Falcon bucket at the 11:31 mark again trimmed the lead to single digits the Storm would rip off a 10-0 run capped by a Sternberger pull up jumper to stretch its lead to its largest of the game at 68-50 with 8:13 remaining.
 
Seattle Pacific would slowly chip away, but SE always had an answer down the stretch, with SPU getting as close as 10 points with 19 seconds to play, but a pair of Dworsky free throws on the ensuing possession would set the final score at 81-69 in favor of Southeastern.