Branam Paces Storm in Rivalry Win Over ECU

ADA, Okla. – Katie Branam delivered a career-high 28 points, hitting 6-of-8 from beyond the arc, to lift Southeastern to a 78-64 win over rival Eat Central on Monday night in Ada, Okla.
 
The win improves the Savage Storm to 9-7 overall on the season and puts a spotlight on the final two games of the regular season upcoming this week with a chance to move as high as second in the division which would earn a first-round bye in the Great American Conference Tournament.
 
"We were getting the ball down in the post," said head coach Darin Grover. "It's the same shots we were getting literally every single time we've played them this year, we just hit them this time. When we played here last we missed 15 open looks. When we played last at our place, even though we won that game, we missed eight open looks. Bottom line, we missed open looks. Well today, we hit them. It's amazing how you just feel better about everything when you just hit shots."
 
Branam was nearly automatic on the night, finishing 10-of-14 overall from the floor and 6-of-8 from long range while also connecting on both of her free throws attempted.
 
Briley Moon joined her in the 20-plus club as she was 7-of-13 with a pair of threes and added a 6-of-6 effort at the free throw line to finish with 22 points.
 
The effort marks Branam's third 20-point game of the season, while moon has reached the plateau five times.
 
Jordan Benson joined the high-scoring pair in double-digits with 12 thanks in part to a pair of threes, while Chandler Kemp just missed double-figures and finished with eight.
 
Kemp led all players in assists however, handing out a career-best seven assists as the Storm finished with 14 as a team.
 
Moon would pace all players on the glass with nine rebounds, while Maci Bookout came off the bench and added five.
 
ECU scored the first bucket of the contest, but a Moon layup would answer and trigger a 10-0 run to lead 10-2 by the 7:40 mark and the Storm would never trail again in the contest.
 
The Tigers would rally to close the gap to four points with 3:35 to play in the first quarter, but SE answered by closing out the quarter on an 8-0 run with a Branam layup putting the Storm up 18-6 after one.
 
Southeastern held that double-digit lead early in the second before the Tigers again mounted a run, this time 7-0 to again close the gap to four points at 24-20 with 4:42 to go in the half.
 
A Benson layup would get the Storm back on track and SE would finish the half scoring nine of the final 13 points, including a Bookout put back as time expired to take a 33-24 lead at the break.
 
Southeastern would hold the Tigers at arm's length in the third as they would twice get as close as eight points but the Storm would respond and the lead would reach 50-34 on a Benson three with 2:49 to play in the third quarter en route to a 55-41 lead after three quarters.
 
Moon would connect on the first two buckets of the fourth quarter and the SE lead would hit its largest point at 59-41 1:38 into the fourth.
 
ECU would get as close as 11 points in the final minutes, but the Storm would go 9-of-10 at the free throw line in the final 1:13 to preserve the 78-64 victory.