Savage Storm Loses Lead Late in Loss

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern held a late lead, but a three-minute dry spell in the fourth quarter proved costly in a 56-54 loss to Oklahoma Baptist on Saturday afternoon in the home finale of the fall semester in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
The loss is the fourth-straight for the Savage Storm and drops them to 4-5 on the season overall and 0-3 in the Great American Conference play, while the Bison improve to 4-5 and 1-2 in league play.
 
Southeastern went cold from the field in the third quarter, hitting 18.2 percent (2-of-11), but recovered in the fourth to knock down 50 percent of their shots (5-of-10).
 
The Storm added a 73.7 percent effort from the free throw line on the afternoon, hitting 14-of-19 at the line, and would hit 6-of-15 from beyond the arc.
 
Caitlin Kobiske would lead the way with 19 points in the contest, doing a chunk of her work at the charity stripe where she hit 8-of-10.
 
Ashton Hackler and Grace Alverson each just missed double-digits with nine points apiece, while Lauren Beason added six off the bench.
 
Beason led the way on the boards with six rebounds, while Kobiske was on her heels with five.
 
Grace Alverson would hand out a team-high three assists as the squad finished with nine combined.
 
The scoring was close in the first quarter, featuring five ties and six lead changes before the Storm got a Bri Wietelman three to take a 14-11 lead after one quarter.
 
The game remained a one-possession, back-and-forth battle over the first five minutes of the second quarter, before SE would use a 13-4 run capped by an Alverson bucket to take a 30-21 lead at the half.
 
In the third quarter, the Bison managed to slow down the Storm as SE was just 2-of-11 from the field in the frame while OBU connected on 50 percent of its field goals, erasing a 10-point lead to knot the game at 40-40 at the end of three.
 
The fourth quarter would feature five ties and six lead changes over the first six minutes, with a Kobiske free throw at the 3:48 mark and an Aimee Alverson layup with 2L59 to play giving SE a 54-51 lead.
 
However, the Storm would go 0-for-3 over the final 2:09 as OBU scored the final five points of the contest to swipe the game 56-54.