WEATHERFORD – SWOSU Hoops got the better of Northwestern in the second matchup of the season, beating the Rangers 83-75 at home for a third straight victory.
 
The Bulldogs outrebounded NWOSU 43-25 in the game and got strong performances from a multitude of players in the win. Five Bulldogs finished with double figure scoring led by MJ Warrior who was two assists shy of a triple double and Eli Al-Debaran who led the team in scoring with a double-double of his own with 21 points and 10 rebounds.  
 
The win keeps SWOSU, currently seventh and one game above two teams battling for the eighth spot, inside the eight-team playoff threshold with five games left in the regular season. Another huge contest comes on Saturday when Southeastern, who's one of those teams a game back from SWOSU, visits Weatherford.  
 
SWOSU edged the Rangers in the first half and led 36-33 at the break. Northwestern held a 24-19 lead with just under eight minutes to play before the Dawgs used a 10-1 run to flip control and eventually finish the half with a lead.
 
12 of Elijah Williams' 20 points came in the opening half as he led SWOSU early in scoring.
 
After halftime, SWOSU grew a lead to double digits by the 15-minute mark and began fending off Ranger attempts at a comeback from there. Every time Northwestern would chip into its deficit, the Dawgs seemingly knocked down a shot to answer.
 
The Rangers had the deficit dwindled to four points with 3:40 to play before back-to-back three balls from Kray Rogers pushed the margin back out to double figures and all but sealed it from there. He poured in 15 points off the bench on the night.     
 
Williams supplied the scoring in the first half, and Al-Debaran and Rogers stepped up in the second half combining for 26 points in the final 20 minutes on 9-of-12 shooting.  
 
Warrior had a career night in his near triple-double. He scored 10 points and grabbed a career high 12 rebounds and dished out a career high eight assists.
 
Both teams shot 45% overall from the field in the game. SWOSU finished 10-of-25 (40%) from beyond the arc, compared to Northwestern's 9-of-27 (33%). The Bulldogs went 10-12 at the line, the Rangers ended 17-23.