Men’s Basketball: Southeastern Ready for Rematch v. ECU

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern is hosting rival East Central in the final home contest of the season at 7:30 p.m. on Feb 28 in Bloomer Sullivan Arena in a game that has great meaning to both teams as they fight for position in the upcoming Great American Conference tournament with two regular season games to play.

The Savage Storm will also see three seniors playing their final home games in Chris Roussell, a four-year player, as well as Steven Kohli and James Harris, both of whom transferred in as juniors last season.

SE enters Thursday’s meeting with a 14-10 record overall and a 10-8 mark in conference play, currently in fifth place in the league standings, but with Northwestern Oklahoma State tied for the lead but ineligible for the tournament, the Storm currently holds the No. 4 seed with two games to play.

There is plenty of room for that to change as Southeastern is two games behind league-leaders Arkansas Tech and NWOSU, but just 1.5 games up on Southern Nazarene and Southwestern Oklahoma State who are tied for seventh.

The Tigers also come into the game with motivation as they are locked in a tie for the final playoff spot with Southern Arkansas as both teams are 5-13 on the year and split their regular season series.

Eight teams advance to the GAC tournament, but with NWOSU and SNU serving provisional years this season, neither team is eligible for postseason play.

Southeastern will also be out for a bit of revenge after seeing a second-half lead disappear before ultimately losing on an ECU bucket with seven seconds to play in Ada, Okla., just over a month ago.

Kohli and Roussell each turned in double-doubles in that contest, with Kohli turning in 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Roussell was right behind with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Andris Misters chipped in 12 points in the effort and Mateus Oliveira added 11.

Travis Timmons dished out a game-high seven assists and added eight points in what would be his last full game before being injured two days later against ATU.

Roussell continues to pace the Storm with 15.9 ppg on the year, while Kohli is adding 12.1 per outing. Oliveira and Misters are each just under the double-digit mark at 9.8 and 9.0, respectively.

Kohli leads the rebounding effort with 8.0 rpg, while Roussell and Oliveira are each pitching in 7.3 per contest.

Roussell has also stepped up his distribution efforts in Timmons’ absence and has lifted his assists per game mark to 3.4.

ECU has struggled since the teams met in Ada, posting a 2-6 record since then including a current two-game losing streak.

The Tigers are led by Colby Carr at 13.3 ppg, while Chris Fisher is just outside the double-digit mark with 9.8 ppg.

Carr also paces the club in rebounds at 8.2, while Fisher is dishing out a team-best 2.6 assists per game.

Women’s Basketball: SE Hosts Rival ECU on Senior Night

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern will set out to avenge a loss from earlier in the season when it hosts rival East Central for senior night at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.

The game will be the final home contest for the Savage Storm’s two seniors, Bailey Welch and Kayle Reaves who have both spent four seasons with the team.

SE comes into the contest with a 10-14 record on the season and an 8-10 mark in Great American Conference play with two games remaining in the regular season.

The Storm are all but locked into the No. 6 seed in the postseason tournament with two games to play in the regular season, but with jockeying still to be done in the top half of the conference standings they will likely have to wait till the regular season concludes on Saturday to figure out who the first round opponent will be.

On the other hand, Southeastern is very familiar with Thursday’s opponent in the home finale having faced the Tigers on the road just over a month ago, falling in that contest 98-85.

The Storm put four players in double-figures that night, led by a 20 point performance by Welch who was 5-of-15 from the floor with a pair of threes, but a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line. She also dished out a game-high eight assists.

Haley Schaefer followed up with 17 points, while Emily Williams came off the bench to add 14 and Ronay English pitched in 12.

Breana Small-Peppers led the team tam in rebounds with 10 as the Storm held a 51-to-41 edge on the glass.

Welch continues to pace the squad on the season, averaging 13.0 ppg while also dishing out a team-best 4.4 assists per contest.

She is joined in double-figures by Schaefer who is posting 10.6 ppg as well as English who is averaging 10.1 per outing.

Emily Williams and Cheree Kiser have added solid scoring off the bench to the tune of 9.7 and 8.6 ppg, respectively.

Schaefer is leading the team’s rebounding effort with 6.3 per night, while Williams checks in at 5.5 and two others are averaging more than four per game.

ECU enters Thursday’s meeting at 17-7 on the season and 12-6 in GAC play and fighting for seeding in the top half of the bracket.

The Tigers are currently in a three-game skid that ended a four-game winning streak, and all three losses have come at home.

Dilan Webster leads ECU with 13.1 ppg and is the only player averaging in double-figures, while Lindsay McCown is at 9.5 and four others are averaging more than 7.0 ppg.

Ashley Robinson leads the team in rebounds at 7.5 per game, while Alycea Price is right behind at 7.0.

Alex Tucker guides the offense and has dished out a team-best 3.3 assists per game.