Manek Buzzer-Beater Lifts SE to OT Win

DURANT, Okla. – Kellen Manek poured in a season-high 26 points, but it was the last three that were his most memorable as he connected on a three-point bucket with 0.2 seconds to go in overtime to lift Southeastern to an 84-82 win over Southwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday evening in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 7-7 on the season in Great American Conference Western Division play heading into a Monday night matchup with rival East Central in Ada, Okla., at 7:30 p.m.
 
"I took the first one," said Kellen Manek, "And I kind of rushed it and the ball pinged around. I look up and Bobby comes to the same side of the court I'm already on. That's what I said after the game 'Bobby, that was huge rebound, you don't get that we don't win the game.' He gives it to Adam and I thought Adam was going to shoot it. He was open. I wanted Adam to shoot it. He fakes to Bobby, and I'm thinking 'I haven't moved and I'm kind of open, you know.' Well, I just shot one from here so I know what I did wrong, so let's line this one up and hit this one, and sure enough."  
 
Manek would miss his first try with 10 seconds to play with the Storm down 82-81, and RJ Weeks would attempt to tip it in but the ball ricocheted out to the left corner where Bobby Johnson corralled the offensive rebound with 5.7 seconds to play.
 
He would give the ball to Adam Dworsky who would look off a pair of defenders before kicking the ball back to Manek who was in the same basic spot he had just missed form, however this time his high-arching shot would splash through the net with 0.2 seconds to play.
 
The Bulldogs ensuing inbounds attempt would connect with the overhead speakers in the arena, thus giving the ball back to the Storm and preserving the 84-82 overtime victory.
 
"The guys got out and they fought hard," said head coach Kelly Green. "The emotions were there with them too. The ups, the downs. We got the lead, we blew the lead. They had us on our heels, we had no real answer. They were coming and doubling us and we were having a hard time running much of anything at the end. And really just got into a little bit of chaos."
 
Manek finished off his first double-double of the season with a season-high 26 points, three shy of his career best mark, hitting 9-of-16 overall and 5-of-10 from three-point range. He completed the double-double with a season-high 11 rebounds, while adding five assists and a blocked shot.
 
Johnson was next in line with 12 points, while Dworsky finished with 10.
 
All nine players who saw time for the Stormk would score in the contest, with RJ Weeks coming off the bench to add eight, while Jaedaun Slack and Taylor Cox each had seven.
 
Manek, Dowrsky, and Weeks each finished the contest with five assists.
 
Southeastern drained 14 threes as a team on the night and had its best team outing at the free throw line, finishing the night 16-of-19 at 84.2 percent.
 
Manek's 11 rebounds led all players on the boards while the Storm held a 42-to-38 edge on the glass as a team, with Slack and Adam Nance adding seven boards apiece.
 
SE jumped out in front to open the game and would push its lead out to 9-4 on a Slack three at the 15:58 mark before SWOSU would answer with a 9-2 run to take its first lead at 13-11 with 13:41 to go in the half.
 
The Storm would kick off a 9-0 run of their own that was capped by a Conner Brister three to take a 20-13 lead.
 
The advantage stopped there as the Bulldogs quickly answered with a 7-0 run to knot the game at 20-20 with 10:35 to go in the first.
 
Southeastern would slowly edge its lead out again, reaching 29-22 on a Weeks free throw with 2:42 remaining, but a SWOSU run over the final 2:32 would close the Storm lead to 33-30 at halftime.
 
Three different times over the first 5:10 of the second half the Bulldogs would close the deficit to one point before SE finally answered with a 15-4 run capped by a Nance three at the 9:40 mark to take a 57-45 lead.
 
SWOSU would slowly chip away at the Storm lead over the final nine minutes, cutting it to one point at 65-64 with 27 seconds to play in regulation.
 
A pair of Dworsky free throws with 20 ticks left would push the lead back to three points, but a Bulldog layup with 13 seconds to play again cut it to one point.
 
Manek would follow by going 1-of-2 at the free throw line, and SWOSU would take advantage, hitting a layup with two seconds to play in regulation and forcing OT tied at 68-68.
 
SE scored the first four points of the overtime session on a free throws from Johnson and Dworsky, and would eventually push its lead out to nine points at 81-72 on a Manek three with 2:01 to play.
 
The Bulldogs would score 10 points over the next four possessions and take an 82-81 lead with 11 seconds to play, setting up Manek's heroics.