Moon Powers SE to Win in Battle of Storms

DURANT, Okla. – Briley Moon paced all scorers with 20 points and Southeastern shot 55.6 percent from the field on its way to a 58-45 win over Southern Nazarene on Saturday afternoon in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 3-5 on the season and evens its Great American Conference record at 1-1 heading into a weeklong break before hitting the road to take on Oklahoma Baptist in Shawnee, Okla., on Dec. 11.
 
"We were able to finish enough one-on-one baskets," said head coach Darin Grover about his team's performance in a physical game, "And if they are going to play that way, they are relying on one person to help and they don't have much help. We were able to get to the basket enough."
 
"I think that we're a really good defensive team overall," said Grover. "In the end, that was the key. They crashed like their hair was on fire. Briley Moon goes and gets nine rebounds and we gang rebounded. Just playing gap defense and keeping them away from the basket. And then when they did shoot it they cooperated with us and didn't hit their jumpers so we were able to get enough rebounds. They're one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the league."
 
Moon finished the contest hitting 8-of-14 from the field and going 2-of-2 from beyond the arc on her way to 20 points, nine better than the next closest scorer on either team.
 
She also finished one board short of a double-double with nine while adding two assists and a steal.
 
Chandler Kemp was next in line with eight points, while Jordan Benson finished with seven. Caitlin Kobiske chipped in six, while Kamryn Cantwell and Kentoya Woods scored five each.
 
Kemp also dished out a game-best four assists.
 
SE was 25-of-45 overall for the night, but went 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. The six threes attempted is the fewest by the Storm since putting up a 3-for-6 effort in an 85-82 win over Texas A&M-Commerce on Nov. 11, 2011.
 
SNU opened scoring in the game but a Kobiske layup was an immediate answer while kicking off a 12-0 run that was capped by a Woods hook shot to take a 12-2 lead at the 3:28 mark of the first quarter.
 
The Crimson Storm would whittle the SE lead down to 13-7 by the end of the first quarter.
 
That did not last long as Southeastern used an 8-2 run to open the second quarter to extend its lead back out to 10 points at 21-11.
 
SNU would again put together a rally, closing the gap to four point at the 4:50 mark of the quarter, but a Lauren Beason three in transition and helped quell their momentum as the Storm would push its advantage back out to 10 points for a 30-20 halftime lead.
 
Southeastern would maintain its lead through the third quarter, but Southern Nazarene would make its hardest run yet, closing to within one possession at 35-32 and again at 39-36 with 1:38 to go in the third, but back-to-back buckets by Haiden Williams and Cantwell on SE's final two possessions of the frame would make its lead 43-36 after three quarters.
There would be no comebacks in the final quarter as the Savage Storm reeled off a 13-1 run over the first five and a half minutes, with a Moon three-point play giving SE a 56-37 lead with 3:43 to play.
 
SNU would chip away but never threaten as Southeastern held on for a 58-45 win.