Storm Bested by Muleriders in Overtime 83-79

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southeastern and Southern Arkansas went to overtime in the second meeting this season, and cold shooting by the Savage Storm in the extra period slowed the blue and gold in an 83-79 defeat to SAU.
 
SE went 0-5 from the field in overtime, with its three points coming from the foul line, as SAU outscored them 7-3 in the period. The Storm shot 50.9 percent from the floor for the game and 22.2 percent from beyond the arc, recording four triples. SE led the battle at the glass 33-to-20, led by eight from Ethan Wilkerson.
 
Chandler Dickinson paced the scoring for the Storm with 21 points on 8-14 shooting, while Wilkerson added 18 points. Deondre Dunn knocked down three of the team's four triples to finish with 15 points, and Saxon McWilliam would chip in another 13.
 
Southeastern (5-16, 4-11 GAC) heads back to Durant to meet rivals East Central on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
 
The Storm opened the scoring to take a 6-0 lead, but a trio of three-pointers from the Muleriders quickly gave them a 13-11 edge. The two sides continued to trade leads, as SE went in front 16-15 and later 18-17 behind a layup from Dickinson. Dickinson remained the hot hand for the Storm, scoring five of the next seven points for Southeastern, 23-20. The Storm continued to add to its advantage over the next minute and a half on a 6-1 burst, 29-23.
 
SAU answered back with a 10-2 flurry to regain the lead 33-31, and the Muleriders would hold their edge over the next minute, 38-35 at the 2:07 mark. In the final two minutes of the half, Southeastern scored five points, including a three-pointer by Dunn, to trail 42-40 heading into the break.
 
Southeastern pulled within one of the Muleriders to begin the second half, but Southern Arkansas would build its lead back out on a run of scores, 50-44. The Storm remained on the heels of the hosts and continued to battle, eventually tying the game 52-all and taking the lead 53-52 on a trip to the foul line by Wilkerson. The two sides traded leads again for the next two minutes and were tied 60-60 at the halfway point of the period.
 
The final ten minutes of the game remained back-and-forth with two ties and six lead changes, with SE and SAU locked at 73-73. Neither team could find an advantage in the last two minutes, as a free-throw from Dickinson at the 0:49 mark tied the game 76-all to send the contest to overtime.
 
Quick baskets from the hosts gave Southern Arkansas an 81-76 advantage in overtime, while SE did not see its first points till the 1:02 mark with two free throws from Dunn, 81-78. The Storm registered just one more point in the quarter, as the Muleriders won the period 7-3.