SE Women Clinch GAC Tourney Bid with Win Over SNU

DURANT, Okla. – Kenzli Warden put up 19 points and reached another career milestone as she powered Southeastern to a post-season clinching 65-60 win over Southern Nazarene on Thursday night in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 15-12 overall on the season and 12-9 in Great American Conference play, clinching a berth in the league's postseason tournament.
 
It was also senior night as Stevie Stinchcomb and Abbie Barr suited up for the final time in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
Warden picked up another career milestone as she crossed the 500-rebound threshold with her nine boards on Thursday and became the 14th player in SE women's basketball history to surpass that number.
 
She also turned in a game-high 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting while adding two assists and three blocked shots.
 
Tori Kilburn picked up the pace in the second half and finished with 12 points while adding seven rebounds on the night.
 
Akiera Hawk matched Kilburn's 12 points and added three blocked shots of her own.
 
Stinchcomb and Mackenzie Espinosa each finished with eight points while Katie Allen chipped in six on a pair of threes.
 
Stinchcomb dished out a game-high four assists, while Kilburn, Warden, Espinosa, and Allen added two each.
 
SE opened the game 0-for-5 from the field as the Crimson Storm pushed out to an early 6-0 lead before Allen connected on a three to put the Savage Storm on the board at the 5:29 mark.
 
SNU would maintain the lead through the remainder of the first quarter, pulling ahead 19-11 at the end of one period.
 
Warden connected on a three to open scoring the second quarter and the Storm reeled off a 14-0 run capped by a pair of Warden free throws at the 4:58 mark to take a 25-19 lead.
 
The lead grew to 28-21 on an Espinosa three, but the teams would settle on a 30-25 Southeastern lead at the halftime break.
 
SNU outscored Southeastern to open the third quarter 11-5 to take a one-point lead three minutes in and eventually pushed its lead to 43-39 with 4:15 to go in the third.
 
The Savage Storm still trailed by three with 2:47 to go in the period before an Espinosa three knotted the game and was followed by six-straight SE points, including a Kilburn buzzer beater to take a 52-46 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
The southeastern lead stretched to eight points to open the final frame, but by the midway point in the quarter the Crimson Storm had narrowed the advantage to 57-55.
 
SE twice pushed its lead to four points, but SNU again closed the gap, cutting the score to 61-60 with 19 seconds to play.
 
Warden followed by connecting on a pair of free throws and Stinchcomb would add two more with two seconds to play to secure the 65-60 win.