Southeastern Opens New Year With Victory

DURANT, Okla. – Caitlin Kobiske's game-high 21 points and a 19-6 fourth quarter edge lifted Southeastern to a win to open 2025, downing Southwestern Oklahoma State 62-48 on Saturday afternoon in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
The win improves the Savage Storm to 7-5 on the year and 4-2 in Great American Conference play with its next action coming on the road Jan. 9 at 5:30 p.m. versus Southern Arkansas.
 
Kobiske would finish the contest 5-of-10 from the floor and 11-of-11 at the free throw line on her way to a game-high 21 points.
 
Holli Lindley would break double figures as well with 14 on 4-of-6 shooting, while Kenzli Warden had seven, Abbie Barr six, and Connie Hughes five.
 
The Storm would hold a 42-to-30 edge on the boards led by Lindley who rounded out a double-double with 11 rebounds, while Warden pulled down eight.
 
Kobiske would hand out a game-best three assists.
 
The teams would trade buckets out of the gate, but the Storm would push out to an early 8-4 lead on a Kobiske layup at the 5:58 mark of the opening quarter.
 
SWOSU would answer with a three and the teams would remain within a possession of each other for the remainder of the first quarter, tying three times before SE took a 19-18 lead at the first break.
 
The Bulldogs scored the first four points of the second quarter and would maintain a lead until a Warden layup was followed by an Abbie Barr three to retake the advantage at 25-23 with 6:10 to play in the half.
 
Five Storm turnovers over the final six minutes of the half would prevent them from pushing that advantage out, with SWOSU edging the Storm 9-6 over that span to put SE at a 32-31 deficit at the halftime break.
 
Southeastern would fall behind by as many as five points early in the third quarter, with Lindley finally getting the Storm on the board with a three nearly four minutes into the quarter.
 
Just under a minute later Connie Hughes would tie the game with a jumper in the paint, knotting the game at 36-36.
 
The teams would close the frame by trading buckets until a pair of Kobiske free throws would give SE a 43-42 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
 
The fourth quarter belonged to Southeastern as the Storm would reel off an 11-0 run to open the period, pushing out to a 54-42 lead on a Kobiske three-point play with 4:04 to play in the game.
 
SWOSU would close the gap to nine points with under two minutes to play but SE would connect on free throws down the stretch to pick up the 62-48 win.