WEATHERFORD – SWOSU Men's Hoops found a way to get the job done against Henderson State on Thursday night, defeating the Reddies 84-82 in a physical overtime matchup after trailing by as many as 10 in the middle of the second half and by two possessions with under two minutes to play.   

Four of five starters finished in double figures and SWOSU got more help off the bench from Jacore Williams who pitched in a 10-point, 10 rebound double-double – one of two such performances in the game after Mark Berry also notched his second of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

It was the first overtime game of the season for the Dawgs, who have now played in back-to-back conference contests decided by two points. They move to 4-3 in the Great American Conference.  

The game featured 19 lead changes and another 14 ties.

SWOSU trailed 37-35 at halftime in a tightly contested first half that had good rhythm. The Bulldogs shot 52% from the field in the first half led by Jalen Johnson who had 13 of his 19 points before the intermission.

After the break, the game got more physical with ensuing fouls and whistles. After 12 called fouls in the first half, the teams combined for 28 in the second half and another eight in the overtime period. SWOSU (25-39) finished with a season high 39 free throw attempts, while 28 from Henderson State (17-28) represented their second highest total. Both teams shot sub-65% from the free throw line.

Henderson State jumped out to a 58-48 second half lead with under 12 minutes to play before SWOSU immediately answered with an 8-0 run over the next two-plus minutes to get right back into business.

After finally reclaiming a quick lead with 5:45 left, SWOSU eventually trailed 73-68 with 3:36 left before closing the game on a 7-2 spurt. The Dawgs had the final possession in regulation but could not score the game winner in the closing seconds. The Reddies managed a heave at the buzzer in transition after the rebound, but the shot wasn't close and the teams went to overtime.

In overtime both teams combined to shoot just 3-for-14 from the field, but the Bulldogs cashed in on free throws – going 7-for-9 in bonus time.

The lead changed hands one final time with 1:03 remaining. Trailing 79-78, Jacore Williams erupted the gym after an and-one putback layup. He knocked his free throw down for the three-point play and the Bulldogs did not relinquish the lead from there.

Henderson State had a shot at the buzzer, a corner three ball, but it did not go down and SWOSU earned the hard-fought GAC win.

Up next for the Bulldogs will be Ouachita Baptist on Saturday for a 3pm tipoff.