Storm Win Streak Ends in OT Road Loss

SHAWNEE, Okla. – Southeastern erased a double-digit deficit to force overtime in Shawnee, Okla., but would see Oklahoma Baptist sink four free throws with four seconds to play to steal the contest by a final score of 87-84 on Thursday night.
 
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 21-8 overall on the year and 17-4 in conference play, ending the team's winning streak at 11 games and postpones its opportunity to secure at least a share of the Great American Conference Regular Season Championship with a win until Saturday's 3 p.m. matchup with Northwestern Oklahoma State back in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
Brennen Burns would power the SE offense with a team-high 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting while wrapping up a double-double with 10 assists.
 
Kyle Leslie would rain four threes on his way to 18 points, while Robert Briley came off the bench with 14.
 
Kody Clouet followed with 12 points on a pair of threes, while Landon Condiff added 11 with a trio of threes.
 
Leslie and Briley would each finish with a team-best eight rebounds.
 
SE fell behind early as OBU scored the first six points and would push out to a 12-3 lead over the first four minutes.
 
The Bison lead would eventually hit 10 points by the 11:06 mark, but a pair of buckets from Leslie and Briley would close that gap to 20-14 with 8:34 to play in the half.
 
OBU would respond and push its lead to as many as 12 points while the Storm could get no closer than seven points over the final seven minutes and would head to the half trailing 40-29.
 
The Bison would quickly push their lead to a game-high 14 points early in the second half would still hold a 10-point edge with 12:53 to play.
 
SE would begin chipping away at the deficit, closing to within one possession on a Clouet jumper with 8:27 to play in the second half.
 
SE would hover there, trailing by one possession for most of the next four minutes until a Condiff three would finally give the Storm its first lead at 70-68 with 3:25 to play in regulation.
 
The teams would combine for three ties and three lead changes, the last tie coming on a Burns layup with six seconds to play, sending the game to overtime tied at 78-78.
 
OBU would take the lead first in OT, holding it until a Clouet layup tied the game with 2:13 to play and a pair of Leslie free throws a possession later would put Southeastern in front 83-81.
 
The Bison would tie the game with 1:31 to play, but a Burns free throw would give the Storm an 84-83 lead with 1:05 remaining.
 
The teams would then trade fruitless possessions until SE was called for a foul with six seconds to play which was followed up by a technical foul called on head coach Kelly Green, sending OBU to the line for four free throws where they would hit all four.
 
A final three-point attempt by Southeastern would miss the mark, leaving the final 87-84.