GAC Tournament Championship

(6) SWOSU vs (4) Henderson State

3:30 pm || Sunday, March 10 || Shawnee, Okla. (FireLake Arena)

GAME NOTES || COVERAGE LINKS

SWOSU's season continues into the GAC championship game following a 79-72 win over Harding in Saturday's semifinal. The Lady Bulldogs have collected tournament wins during their run over a Northwestern team receiving votes in national polls and a Harding team ranked #17/23. They'll finish off the tournament slate against 4-seeded Henderson State who swept the regular season series against SWOSU by finals of 78-71 and 62-53.

In the GAC Tournament, the Lady Dawgs are 3-0 all-time against the Reddies with wins in 2022, 2014, and 2013.

SWOSU's 2024 run as a six seed has been historic. The Lady Dawgs are the second six seed to make the championship game, and the first six seed to oust both the 2 & 3 seeds in the same tournament. No six seed has ever won the tournament.

The Lady Dawgs are 4-2 in the championship game of the GAC Tournament. The most recent title came in 2022 inside FireLake Arena.

Henderson State awaits SWOSU. The Reddies have advanced to the title game for the first time in conference history. They've beaten 5-seeded ATU and 1-seeded and #5/7 SNU to get there.

SWOSU has had a season high scoring mark set in both games of the tournament so far so help propel them to wins. Vs Northwestern, it was Libbi Zinn's 20. Vs Harding, it was Mason Jones' 27.

In two games of the tournament, SWOSU is shooting 50% from the field, 45% from the three-point line with 17 makes, and averaging 72.0 points per game. They do need to clean up turnovers, averaging 20.0 per game.
 
After 13 more against Harding, Grant (8.5 ppg) has now scored 10-plus points in six of the last eight games. Her double-double vs the Lady Bisons (11 rebounds) was her second of the season. In the tournament, Grant is averaging 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3 blocks on 10-15 shooting.

Against Harding, Mason Jones connected on four three balls for the third time this season. She has made three or more treys eight times this year. SWOSU is 6-2 when she hits three in a game. She's averaging 21.0 points on 15-of-22 shooting in the tournament. 8-of-12 from deep. 

SWOSU is 11-1 this year when leading at halftime. SWOSU is 3-0 when shooting 45% or better from the field.

Against Harding, and for a second straight game in the tournament, SWOSU finished with more turnovers than its opponent. It's just the fourth time this year the Dawgs had more miscues than their opponent.

Against Harding, SWOSU shot season highs in both field goal percentage, 52.9%, and three point percentage, 50%. 79 points was also the highest point total of the season.

In two losses to Henderson State this season, SWOSU has still hung with the Reddies. They entered the fourth quarter with deficits of two and five but could not find a way to pull out either win. Knocking down shots was a challenge. SWOSU has shot 42-121 against the Reddies this season -- 34.7%. The Lady Bulldogs are 4-11 on the year when shooting sub-35% from the field. 

Averi Zinn led SWOSU in scoring against HSU this season including a career high 31 points on January 11. In that contest, she was 11-24 from the field and 4-10 from beyond the arc.

This is SWOSU's first Sunday game of the season.