The Savage Storm ladies shot the lights out at Bloomer Sullivan Arena on Tuesday, taking their first win of the season and a measure of revenge over Oklahoma Christian, 91-90.
After a short delay due to the lights going dark at the arena with 43 seconds left in the game, the Eagles hit a three-pointer to take a one-point lead at the 13-second mark. The Savage Storm passed the ball around before finding sophomore Emily Williams who hit the game winning layup as time expired.
She wasn’t the only hero for the Savage Storm, who shot 53 percent from the field as a team (33-for-62) while holding OCU to 32 percent (30-for-93). Half of the Southeastern points were scored by freshmen and sophomores, including a game-high 23 for Haley Schaefer to go with a dozen rebounds.
“Getting our first win means a lot,” said SOSU Coach Darin Grover. “With seven freshmen and three sophomores, we’ve got to give them something to believe in. This hopefully can be a springboard for them to believe that we can go out there and win games.”
He was pleased with Schaefer’s “breakout game” as well as the physical play of Durant freshman Taylor Richards. The starting guard dished out a game-high eight assists to go with six points.
“As a freshman playing under pressure, that’s senior-level effort,” Grover said. “Playing with another Durant girl out there (OCU’s Katy O’Steen), I thought she held her own within that battle.”
O’Steen, a senior for the Eagles, collected a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. She scored five straight points in the late minutes to tie the game at 87 apiece in a hectic and physical struggle for control.
Senior Bailey Welch scored 14 points before fouling out, including a deep three in the late minutes to extend a five point Storm lead. She and Schaefer were both seven-for-eight from the free throw line.
Ronay English scored 16 points, with 12 of those coming in the second half when she went 5-for-7 from the field. Kayle Reaves added nine, Natalie Ruud had seven, Williams finished with six, Brooke lane and Cheree Kiser scored four each and Shelby Hill added two.
The Savage Storm (1-2) were able to avenge a season-opening 98-77 loss to OCU in Edmond. The next game for SOSU will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in Commerce, Texas, against Texas A&M-Commerce. The Savage Storm return home on Dec. 6.
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