Setting the Stage
The postseason push for SWOSU basketball begins on Thursday as the No. 2-seed Bulldogs take on No. 7-seed Southern Arkansas in the quarterfinals of the Great American Conference Tournament. The Bulldogs swept the season series from SAU, winning 76-68 in Magnolia back in November and coming from behind for a 72-63 win at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center at the end of January.
SWOSU will be higher seed in the conference tournament for the first time this year after heading to Bartlesville as the No. 7 seed in both prior trips. The Bulldogs were within one game of earning their first regular season conference championship since 1986-87, but now they set their sights on a conference tournament championship and their first trip to the NCAA Division II tournament since 2005.
The Coaches
Bob Battisti is the 14th head men's basketball coach in SWOSU history and in his first season on the Bulldogs sidelines. He most recently spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Oklahoma Christian University where he helped the program its first postseason basketball title in 30 years. Prior to his stint at OCU, Battisti spent 25 years at Northwestern Oklahoma State, coaching the men's basketball team for 21 seasons before taking over as the school's athletic director for four years. In more than 24 years as a head coach, Battisti has a career record of 426-305.
Andy Sharpe is in his second season as the head men's basketball coach at Southern Arkansas, where he holds a record of 21-32 to date. Prior to his appointment at SAU, Sharpe served five years as head coach at NAIA-affiliated Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tenn., where he turned the program into a national title contender by making three trips to the NAIA National Tournament.
Last Time Out
A spirited crowd at Percefull Fieldhouse was treated to an exceptional basketball game on Thursday night as SWOSU and Northwestern needed five extra minutes to determine a winner. Eventually it was the Rangers holding on for the 90-89 overtime victory over the Bulldogs, their second one-point win against SWOSU this season.
Rod Camphor put on an all-conference performance, scoring 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting that included 6-of-10 shooting from 3-point range before fouling out in the final seconds of regulation.
SWOSU took a 73-72 lead into final possession of regulation and forced a missed shot, but Adrian Motley grabbed the rebound for Northwestern and he was awarded free throws after Camphor was called for his fifth foul on the put back. Motley made the first free throw and missed the second but they retained possession after SWOSU's
Jalen Dorsey hit the deck while going for the rebound.
The Rangers got two free points to start overtime via technical free throws, but SWOSU would take the lead twice early on after 3-pointers by
Trent Washington and Inglett. Each time, however, Northwestern had an answer and they had an 83-81 lead with just over a minute left when controversy again struck.
Jordan Franz pulled down the rebound on a missed basket by NWOSU and as he cleared the rebound he was called for an intentional elbow that appeared to make minimal contact with the head of Adrian Motley. In any event, the play resulted in two free throws and the ball for Northwestern, who seized the opportunity and stretched their lead to six at 87-81.
As they've done all season, however, the Bulldogs continued to battle and cut that lead down to one points at 90-89 with six seconds left after Borders hit a pair of free throws. Brandon Wooley went to the line for the Rangers and missed both free throws but a desperation half-court shot at the buzzer by Franz was off line and left victory in the hands of the home team.
SWOSU vs. Southern Arkansas This Season
November 23 in Magnolia
SWOSU's starting lineup combined to score 69 points against Southern Arkansas, leading the Bulldogs to a 76-68 victory on Saturday evening in Magnolia, the team's third straight win after opening the season 0-2.
The starting lineup of
Kenyan Borders,
Rod Camphor,
Trent Washington,
Gary Inglett and
Michael Bradley keyed the win for SWOSU. All five players tallied 28 minutes or more with each scoring at least eight points. Inglett scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Camphor had 18 points and eight boards. Washington scored 14 points and Bradley had 10 while Borders scored eight with four steals.
January 30 in Weatherford
It's a scene that has become all too familiar for SWOSU men's basketball coach
Bob Battisti. His Bulldog squad built a 20-point deficit in the first half against Southern Arkansas – the fourth consecutive game trailing by double figures in the opening period – before outscoring the Muleriders 51-24 after the break to claim a 72-63 victory on Thursday night at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center.
The SWOSU starting lineup of Borders, Washington, Camphor,
Gary Inglett &
Michael Bradley combined to score 68 of the team's 72 points as the Bulldogs bench was outscored 43-4 by the SAU reserves. Borders led the way with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting and Camphor was close behind with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Washington hit 5-of-18 shots to finish with 14 points and Bradley came up just short of a double-double, finishing with 13 points and nine rebounds. Inglett was the second Bulldog to secure a double-double as he scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, helping SWOSU to a 47-43 advantage on the glass.
Checking the Standings
After being picked eighth in the preseason poll, the SWOSU men finished second in the Great American Conference this season with a 14-6 conference record. It is their best conference finish as members of the GAC and they were within one game of their first regular season conference championship since 1986-87. The Bulldogs earned the No. 2 seed and a date with Southern Arkansas, who finished ninth in the regular season standings at 7-13 but they earn the seventh seed since Southern Nazarene and Northwestern Oklahoma State are ineligible for the postseason tournament.
Scouting the Opponent
Southern Arkansas is the second-highest scoring team in the Great American Conference this season, scoring 76.3 points per game but they are allowing their opponents to respond with 74.3 points per game. The Muleriders defend the arc better than any other team in the conference, holding opponents to 32.6% 3-point shooting.
Jeffrey Walker is the leading scorer for SAU, averaging 15.2 points per game, while also grabbing a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game. Alre'k Brown is also a top rebounder for the Muleriders, grabbing 7.2 boards per game and leading the GAC in blocked shots with 53 (2.4 per game).
Quick Hits
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Rod Camphor scored a season high 29 points against Northwestern in the regular season finale, his 10th 20-plus point performance of the season
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Gary Inglett finished the regular season with 10 double-doubles, tied for the most among players in the GAC
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Trent Washington has scored more than 20 points in three of the last five games and he averaged 17.7 points per game in the last six games of the regular season
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Michael Bradley did not record a blocked shot against Northwestern, the first time in 15 games he was held without a block
