SHAWNEE, Okla. – Southeastern trailed by four at halftime to Oklahoma Baptist, but the Bison would pull away in the final 20 minutes to down the Storm 98-82 in the Noble Complex.
The Savage Storm shot 50.9 percent from the field and finished 6-15 from beyond the arc, led by
Ethan Scott with four three-pointers for 15 points.
Ethan Wilkerson paced the side with 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting and had six rebounds.
Chandler Dickinson recorded 14 points and tied for a team-high four assists, while
Saxon McWilliam had 10 points.
Southeastern (3-7, 2-2 GAC) heads back to Durant to host Southwestern Oklahoma State on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 7:30 p.m. inside Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
The Bison opened the scoring with a 5-0 lead before Scott connected from deep on his first two attempts to tie it 8-all. SE stayed on the heels of the hosts through baskets from McWilliam,
Jalen Williams and Dickinson, but a quick 6-0 surge from Oklahoma Baptist pushed them out in front 24-16. The Storm answered back with a 10-3 run, featuring five points by Wilkerson to pull within one, 27-26.
Scott would provide six of the blue and gold's next eight points, including his fourth three-pointer of the half, down 35-34. Oklahoma Baptist opened its lead back to eight on a 7-0 run, but was matched by a 6-0 flurry from SE, with four points coming from Dickinson to keep it a one-possession game. However, a late basket from the Bison would give the hosts a 44-40 edge heading into the halftime break.
Both teams struggled to find the basket early in the second half, with the first two minutes going scoreless before Wilkerson scored the first points on a layup. Points began to fall from there, and the two sides traded baskets with the Bison holding a one-to-two-point edge, 52-51. Though Oklahoma Baptist soon picked up the past, stringing together an 11-0 run to grow a 63-51 gap. SE looked to chip into the deficit, but the hosts had an answer to each score, leading 71-61 with 10:07 left in the game.
Oklahoma Baptist continued to add to its lead with its advantage growing to 79-64 and later 86-68. McWilliam provided the next four points for the Storm and would add another two from the free-throw line moments later, down 92-78, but the deficit would be too much, as SE fell 98-82.
