Box Score Durant, Okla. – A pair of
Kimmi Sawatzky free throws gave SWOSU a 76-74 lead with 58 seconds left in regulation before Southeastern Oklahoma State came back to win it 81-78 in conference action on Saturday afternoon.
Head Coach
Kelsi Musick went to her bench early and often during the contest. Sawatzky,
Kassy Easter and
Morgan Vogt all came off the bench to score in double digits. The trio shot 50.0 percent from the field and accounted for six of SWOSU's ten makes from beyond the 3-point line.
The game started off slowly for SWOSU, with the Savage Storm scoring the first seven points before jumping out to a 13-2 lead at the 17:23 mark. A pair of 3-point baskets by freshmen
Jade Jones and
Morgan Vogt drew the Lady Bulldogs within eight points of SOSU with 15:59 to play before Southeastern used another 9-0 run to extend their lead to 25-8. The hosts would see their lead balloon to 19 points with 8:38 left in the first half before the Lady Dawgs rallied back with a 15-0 run of their own.
The Savage Storm again increased their lead to as many as 12 points to start out the second half, but a big 3-point make by Easter sparked a run by SWOSU that saw them draw within striking distance at the 10:53 mark with the score 56-54. The Lady Dawgs tied the game thanks to another made 3-pointer from range, this time courtesy of Sawatzky.
Sawatzky finally gave SWOSU the lead off third 3-point shot of the half, making the lead 67-65 with just over five minutes to play. Southwestern would hold the lead for the next two minutes before relinquishing it on a shot from deep by Southeastern's Rachel Wallace. Despite falling behind by two with under a minute to play, SOSU seven of the last nine points in the contest to emerge as the winners.
Jade Jones finished with a team-high 17 points and three rebounds. Sawatzky was second on the team with 16 points, while Easter and Vogt chipped in with 12 and ten points respectively.
Jessica Penner was once again strong on the glass, grabbing a game-high 17 rebounds.
"We showed a lot of fight and grit to come from behind to take a lead," said Musick. "I think our freshmen really stepped up and made some big shots and plays for us. We have to play an entire game like played while making our comeback."
SWOSU returns to action on Thursday, January 8 when they play host to Ouachita Baptist inside the Pioneer Cellular Event Center. Tip-time is set for 5:30 PM.
