TOPEKA, Kan. – SWOSU opened the Washburn Thanksgiving Classic with a decisive 84-73 victory over tournament-host Washburn at Lee Arena in Topeka.
SWOSU shot 44% from the field in the first half, knocking down 15-of-34 field goals and 5-of-11 three-pointers to build a commanding 42-23 lead at the break. The Bulldogs defense was stifling, forcing eight Washburn turnovers while holding the Ichabods to 9-of-36 (25%) shooting from the field, which included a paltry 2-for-20 shooting from beyond the arc.
The Bulldogs maintained a lead of double figures until the final 90 seconds, but never let Washburn get any closer than eight despite a furious late rally. SWOSU hit 15-of-31 field goals (48.4%) in the second half and knocked 7-of-9 free throws down the stretch to hold off the Ichabods final push.
A truly balanced offensive performance saw six different Bulldogs score 10 points or more, led by
Bralyn James with 13,
Damion Thornton with 12,
Dominique Primer and
Chris Braggs, Jr., with 11 apiece and 10 points each from
Jaylan Williams and
Kamden Gipson.
With the win, SWOSU improves to 4-3 on the year and they'll wrap up play at the Classic on Saturday afternoon against Newman, with tipoff set for 1:00 pm.
