Box Score (html)
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – SWOSU Basketball will take added momentum into the postseason after winning at Ouachita by a score of 81-74 on Saturday and keeping the Tigers from earning at least a share of the Great American Conference regular season championship.
SWOSU hit their final 14 free throw attempts to hold off the Tigers, who were limited 38.6% field goal shooting and made just 5-of-25 three-point attempts in the game. SWOSU countered with a balanced attack that was led by
Markeise Champion with 22 points and
Juwan Newmen, who secured his second straight double-double and seventh this season with 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Emeche Wells and
Collin Jennings each added 11 points and
Nick Shoemaker had eight off the bench.
"All season long, this team has played hard and it's just a matter of whether or not we can make shots and get stops," SWOSU Head Coach
Bob Battisti said. "I'm really proud of Markeise and Juwan for stepping up and making plays to help their team win. We've been point to March all season and it's been our focus all semester and I'm excited for our guys to have a chance to play in Bartlesville next week."
SWOSU (17-11, 13-9 GAC) finishes the regular season tied for fourth place in the GAC standings and they have earned the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament thanks to a season sweep of Southern Arkansas, who will be the No. 5 seed and the Bulldogs first-round opponent. That quarterfinal matchup will take place on Thursday evening at 8:00 pm at Bruin Fieldhouse in Bartlesville.
