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Women's Basketball Jordan Beech, SWOSU Sports Information

Lady Dawgs Set for GAC Quarterfinal Matchup with Savage Storm


(6) SWOSU (12-14) vs. (3) Southeastern Oklahoma State (19-9)
Bartlesville, Okla. (Bruin Fieldhouse)
Thursday, March 5, 12:00 pm
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SWOSU Game Notes

Setting the Stage
- SWOSU heads to Bartlesville, Okla., looking to become the lowest seed to ever win the Great American Conference Tournament crown
- After winning four straight games, SWOSU clinched the No. 6 seed
- The quarterfinal will be a rematch of last Saturday's game against Southeastern Oklahoma State who claimed the No. 3 seed in the postseason tournament
- SWOSU is 1-1 against the Savage Storm this season and this will mark the first time the two teams have met in postseason play since the programs joined the GAC for the 2011-12 season
 
The Opponent
(3) Southeastern Oklahoma State (19-9)
- Southeastern saw their four game winning streak come to an end on Saturday afternoon in the Pioneer Cellular Center after a second half rally saw SWOSU earn the win
- The Savage Storm has the fourth-best offense in the GAC, averaging 72.1 points per game. Emily Williams remains their top scorer this season, putting up 18.0 PPG. She was held to just 12 points on 3-8 shooting in her last meeting with SWOSU
- SOSU also boasts one of the better defenses in the conference, holding opponents to just 64.0 PPG throughout the season. Opponents are shooting just .372 from the field and .282 from beyond the arc, giving Southeastern the best shooting defensive percentages in the GAC
- Averaging 39.0 rebounds per game, the Savage Storm are fifth in the category. Williams leads the team and is sixth in the conference at 7.4 RPG
- SOSU assists on an average of 15.5 baskets per game, the second-best mark in the conference. Williams and Taylor Richards both rank in the top 10 at 3.3 and 2.8 APG respectively
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Kelsi Musick (90-79, 6th season) 
- Kelsi Musick is in her sixth season leading the SWOSU women's basketball program
- The two-time GAC Coach of the Year has been the model of consistency, winning GAC Tournament titles in two of the last three years and earning back-to-back NCAA Division II National Tournaments. SWOSU is one of only four teams in the Central Region that have reached the national tournament each of the last two seasons
- Her high-energy style of play has led the Lady Dawgs to rank in the top four in the nation in scoring, and top ten in three points made in each of the last three seasons
- A great developer of talent, Musick has coached one All-American and 11 all-GAC selections, including one Player of the Year recipient
- Musick has also spent time as an assistant coach at Fresno State, where they won two Western Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles, as well as qualified for the NCAA Division I National Tournament in the 2008-09 season
 
SE Oklahoma State: Darin Grover (113-83, 8th season)
- Darin Grover enters his eighth season in charge of the Savage Storm women's basketball
program
- Two of his teams have qualified for the NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament,
most recently in 2011
- Southeastern has qualified for the GAC Tournament every year since joining the conference in
2011. They earned the fifth seed, their highest placement in the postseason tournament
- Prior to becoming the fourth coach in program history, Grover served for ten years as an
assistant and head coach at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. He amassed a 77-18 record as the
head coach for the Norse, while also developing fi ve All-Americans and two Women's National
Basketball Association draft picks
 
Last Time Out
- SWOSU closed out the regular season last Saturday, Feb. 28 when they hosted Southeastern looking for a fourth straight win. The Lady Dawgs used a 14 point swing in the second half to down the Savage Storm 77-71
- The Savage Storm outscored Southwestern 37-30 through the first half, despite a game-high six points by Jessica Penner
- Southeastern led by as many as eight points in the second half before SWOSU took the lead for good with 3:33 remaining. Penner exploded for 13 points in the half to help the Lady Dawgs to a Senior Day victory
- Penner finished with a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Morgan Vogt was second on the team with 13 points. Jade Jones and Korina Chapman finished with 12 points apiece
 
SWOSU in the GAC Tournament
- SWOSU enters the GAC Tournament as the No. 6 seed. It is the lowest seeding for the team since joining the GAC for the 2011-12 season
- The Lady Dawgs have never failed to reach the GAC Championship, but face an uphill battle this year
- Southwestern has averaged 72.0 PPG in the quarterfinals of the tournament. Their average margin of victory in the quarterfinal round is 17 points
- Penner and Chelsea Bates are the only returning players who featured in the tournament last year. The duo combined for eight points, six rebounds and seven assists in a 66-60 quarterfinal victory over Henderson State
 
In the Regular Season
- SWOSU and Southeastern split the season series 1-1 with both teams winning their respective home game
- Williams of SOSU is the series' overall scoring leader at 15.0 PPG, but SWOSU's Jones is close behind at 14.5 PPG
- SWOSU holds a slim +1.5 scoring margin in the series, outscoring the Savage Storm 77.5-76.0
- Penner has been a force on the glass, averaging 16.0 RPG over two games. SWOSU holds a +6.5 rebounding margin
- Averaging 14.0 PPG to go along with her 16.0 RPG, Penner has averaged a double-double against the Savage Storm
- Bates averaged 6.5 assists per game and had an assist/turnover ratio of 1.6 against SOSU
 
SWOSU Notes
- SWOSU enters the game with the 68th-ranked scoring offense in Division II, averaging 72.1 PPG. Bates is the team's leading scorer at 12.6 PPG and is 12th in the GAC, while Penner is not far behind in 16th with 11.5 PPG
- The Lady Dawgs grabs 30 defensive RPG, the 23rd-best mark nationally. Chapman leads the team and is 28th nationally in DRPG at 7.0
- Vogt recorded back-to-back games in double figures for the first time in her career as she scored 29 and 13 in the last two games of the season
- Penner's double-double was her team-leading sixth of the season. Bates and Chapman have also earned double-doubles this season, and the team has 11 total
 
Looking Ahead
- With a SWOSU win on Thursday afternoon, the Lady Dawgs will punch their ticket to the semifinal round against the winner of the Arkansas Tech/Henderson State game. Tip-time would be slated for 12 pm on Saturday, March 7
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Players Mentioned

Chelsea Bates

#10 Chelsea Bates

G
5' 4"
Senior
Jessica Penner

#24 Jessica Penner

F
6' 0"
Junior
Korina Chapman

#33 Korina Chapman

F
6' 0"
Junior
Jade Jones

#2 Jade Jones

G
5' 6"
Freshman
Morgan Vogt

#15 Morgan Vogt

G
5' 8"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Chelsea Bates

#10 Chelsea Bates

5' 4"
Senior
G
Jessica Penner

#24 Jessica Penner

6' 0"
Junior
F
Korina Chapman

#33 Korina Chapman

6' 0"
Junior
F
Jade Jones

#2 Jade Jones

5' 6"
Freshman
G
Morgan Vogt

#15 Morgan Vogt

5' 8"
Freshman
G