BETHANY, Okla. – SWOSU Men's Basketball hung tough in the first half against No. 5-ranked and undefeated Southern Nazarene on Saturday but could not keep pace after halftime in an 83-55 road loss to the Crimson Storm.
 
The contest marked SWOSU's second straight game against a ranked opponent.
 
The Bulldogs relied on the three-point shot to stay within striking distance early, knocking down six triples in the first half to trail just 35-32 at the break. Shooting cooled significantly after halftime, however, as SWOSU went 0-for-11 from beyond the arc in the second half. Meanwhile, Southern Nazarene found its rhythm offensively, shooting better than 60% after the break to steadily extend the margin.
 
SWOSU finished the game shooting 40% from the field but dropped to 22% from three-point range after missing all 11 second-half attempts. Southern Nazarene shot 53% overall, finished 7-of-19 from deep, and went 12-of-14 at the free-throw line. The Bulldogs attempted just five free throws and saw 13 turnovers converted into 19 points by the Crimson Storm.
 
Tucker Shepherd led SWOSU offensively with 12 points and five rebounds, while Kray Rogers followed with 10 points.
 
The Bulldogs will close out the fall semester portion of the schedule next Thursday, December 18, on the road against Southeastern Oklahoma State before Christmas Break.