ALVA / DURANT – SWOSU Men's Basketball has another two road games this week against long time foes Northwestern on Thursday and Southeastern on Saturday.
The Bulldogs, 8-8 in the GAC, sit tied for fourth place in the conference standings with Harding with six games left to play in the regular season. Another four teams rest one game back from SWOSU with 7-9 marks and another two are one game back from there with 6-10 records.
Last week, the Dawgs split their Arkadelphia road trip after a 77-66 loss to Ouachita and an 84-78 win over Henderson State. It was SWOSU's second road conference win of the season.
They'll have a chance to improve their 2-6 record in road GAC games coming up with rematches with the Rangers and Savage Storm – both teams SWOSU beat earlier this season in one possession ball games.
SWOSU defeated Northwestern 75-72 in Weatherford back on January 25 after withstanding a 10-point second half comeback attempt. Roles were reversed against Southeastern on December 2 when the Bulldogs wiped out an 18-point second half deficit to stun the Savage Storm 75-74 and earn Brett Weiberg his first win at the school.
Northwestern holds a 10-6 record in GACtion as winners of four of their last five. They are holding opponents to a league-leading 31% from the three-point line while ranking second with a +2.14-turnover margin. Sticking to the defensive success, the Rangers are second in the GAC in blocked shots, 3.55 bpg, and third in steals at 7.55 spg.
SWOSU fell 91-81 in overtime last year to Northwestern in Alva, snapping a previous four-game Alva winning streak. In the GAC, the Dawgs are 4-8 on the road against Northwestern.
Meanwhile, Southeastern currently sits atop of the league standings with a 13-3 record in conference action and 17-7 mark overall. They feature the GAC's top scoring offense, averaging 85.3 points per game while shooting nearly 49% from the field and 37% from the three-point line. They are also 373-for-481 at the foul line for a 77.5% clip which leads the conference in makes, attempts, and percentage.
The Savage Storm are a perfect 8-0 this year at home and enter the week on a seven game win streak. They'll host East Central Thursday before welcoming SWOSU on Saturday. Brennen Burns, a Savage Storm guard, will be a player to keep in check having claimed two consecutive GAC Player of the Week honors and three of the last five.
The Bulldogs will enter Saturday's road matchup with Southeastern looking to snap a nine-game losing streak to the Savage Storm in Durant. The last road win came January 20, 2016. While playing in the GAC, the Dawgs are 4-11 when the game is held in Durant.
