A rough road trip through Northwest Arkansas culminated with four losses for the Southeastern basketball teams last week.
The Savage Storm women put up solid offensive numbers but came out on the short end of decisions to Harding (81-69) and Arkansas Tech (96-71). Coach Kelly Green’s men weren’t any more fortunate in losses to Harding (87-54) and Arkansas Tech (77-62).
It will be another challenge this week for each with the road trip continuing to East Central and Northwestern.
Women
Despite putting up solid offensive numbers in each contest, the Savage Storm just couldn’t keep up with the hot shooting of the host team, including over 48 percent shooting by 15th ranked Harding in the opener.
The host Bison were up 2419 through one period and 4435 at the half but could never make a solid challenge after the break despite a spectacular double-double effort from freshman Tori Kilburn, who finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds while connecting on 10 of 16 from the field.
Kenzli Warden pumped in 12, Abbie Barr had 10 and Katie Allen scored nine points but Southeastern shot just 38 percent for the game, including a dismal 23 percent in the third stanza when Harding really began to pull away.
The Savage Storm snagged a 24-21 lead through one stanza at Arkansas Tech with 67 percent shooting but the hosts began to heat up and that did not bode well against one of the highest scoring foes in the Great American Conference.
Foul trouble also hindered Southeastern with Kilburn on the bench as Tech claimed a 44-41 edge at intermission and then exploded for a 31-16 offensive burst in the third period and never looked back.
Warden notched 21 points with Kilburn adding 20 as she connected on seven of just eight field goal attempts. Allen just missed double digits with nine points.
Men
Horrendous starts in each contest dug Southeastern too much of a hole to climb out of as they never led in either game of the road trip.
Harding cruised to an 18-3 in the opening outing as the Savage Storm only got a Chandler Dickinson layup for their lone field goal as they missed seven shots and had a pair of turnovers in the game’s first seven minutes.
Harding’s lead ballooned to 45-24 at the halftime break and the hosts cruised home from there despite a tremendous game from Dickinson, who wrapped up with 18 points and 15 rebounds.
Augusto Toledo was the only other Savage Storm player to reach double figures with 11. Santiago Camacho Gomez chipped in eight and Saxon McWilliam tallied seven points.
The story was eerily similar at Arkansas Tech as Southeastern managed only an Ethan Wilkerson bucket and Camacho Gomez three pointer in the game’s first eight-plus minutes while the Wonder Boys were building a commanding 20-5 lead in the contest.
Arkansas Tech was in front 36-22 at intermission and narrowly outscored the Savage Storm 41-40 after the break but they never got within double figures.
A trio of Southeastern players connected for double figures led by Ethan Scott with 14, including four three pointers. Camacho Gomez tossed in 11 points, Deondre Dunn had 10 with Jamal Drewery adding nine, Wilkerson had eight and Dickinson scored seven.
