Storm Fall in Hard-Fought Season Finale

DURANT, Okla. – Grace Alverson put up 20 points and hit five threes, but it was not enough to lift Southeastern in a 78-74 season finale loss to Northwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
The loss ends the Savage Storm season with a record of 10-18 overall and 6-16 in Great American Conference play.
 
Saturday was also senior day for a trio of Storm players in their final contests, as Maci Bookout, Lauren Beason, and Aimee Alverson were all recognized in a postgame ceremony.
 
Grace Alverson would finish the contest 7-of-15 overall and 5-of-11 from beyond the arc on her way to 20 points while also handing out four assists.
 
Ashton Hackler and Holli Lindley joined her in double figures with 14 points each, as Hackler was 4-of-7 from the field with a pair of threes, while Lindley went 5-of-8 with two threes.
 
Aimee Alverson and Bri Wietelman each finished with six, while Caitlin Kobiske was held to five after getting in foul trouble and fouling out of the game.
 
Hackler would pull down a team-best seven rebounds, with Lindley and Kenzli Warden each adding five.
 
SE survived a slow start, falling behind 7-0 over the first 1:22 of the game and would trail 14-7 with 5:28 to go in the first quarter before a 9-2 run capped by a Wietelman free throw would t9ie the game at 16-16 with 1:11 to play in the opening frame.
 
NWOSU would push its lead to 19-16 after one quarter.
 
The Storm would score the first five points of the second quarter and a Lindley layup at the 8:12 mark would give the Storm its first lead at 21-19.
 
The Rangers answered with a 10-0 run and would three times lead by eight points in the second quarter before SE trimmed the deficit to 39-33 at the half.
 
The NWOSU lead would hit 10 points early in the third, but an 8-0 run capped by a Lindley layup would close the gap to 43-41 with 7:12 to play in the third.
 
SE would hover one to two possessions from the lead for the remainder of the third and would enter the fourth quarter trailing 56-51.
 
The Rangers would again push their lead to double figures, going up by 12 points with 6:58 to play, but again the Storm would answer with a 13-2 run to close the deficit to 68-67 on a Wietelman three with 3:59 to play.
 
Just under two minutes later an Aimee Alverson three would knot the game at 70-70 with 2:07 remaining.
 
SE would trail by one possession but were unable to take the lead with the Rangers hitting 6-of-6 free throws in the final 42 seconds, making the final score 78-74.