Box Score (xml)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – The Bulldogs controlled the game throughout en route to a 92-75 victory over Hillsdale Baptist College in the squad's first game of 2016.
SWOSU opened up on an 8-0 run, with Hillsdale not finding the bottom of the basket until the 15:33 mark in the opening half off a free throw. Following a make from long range by
Markeise Champion, the Dawgs saw their lead expand to 14 points before a layup by
Martell Collins pushed the advantage to 16 points at 23-7 with 9:45 to play. Maintaining a double-digit lead for the remained of the half, another layup by
Cooper Battisti by 7:13 to play again pushed the lead to 16 points.
Champion had the hot hand in the first half, draining all five of his efforts from long range for 15 points in 16 minutes of action. Three other Bulldogs had six points in the half, including
Martell Collins,
Collin Jennings and
Juwan Newmen. Jennings pulled off the play of the half on a breakaway following a steal by
Luke Lewallen. The sophomore guard received a full-court pass from Lewallen and executed a spinning lay in to get the crowd going. The Dawgs finished the half with a 41-30 advantage.
As the second half started, SWOSU's bigs, Newmen and
Ayo Ojo, got into foul trouble, and
Wesley Franklin was called upon to play heavy minutes. The freshman answered the call brilliantly, sparking an offense that had gone dormant with 13 second-half points, punctuated by an emphatic one-handed slam off a feed by Collins. A final push by the Dawgs saw the hosts close out the game up 92-75.
"The first game back we played with more energy and enthusiasm than we did in our last game before the break," said SWOSU Head Coach
Bob Battisti. "It's always good to play Hillsdale because Mark Berokoff has them well-coached and if you aren't prepared you'll get exposed."
Champion's six-of-six shooting from long range tied the school record for most three-pointers made without a miss with Rod Camphor. He led the team with 20 points, while Franklin, Collins, Wells and Newmen all reached double figures. Newmen and Collins finished with double-doubles, grabbing 11 and 10 rebounds respectively.
SWOSU returns to action on Thursday, January 7 for a 7:30 tipoff against Henderson State as Great American Conference play resumes in the Pioneer Cellular Event Center.
