ALVA, Okla. – SWOSU Men's Basketball trailed for the entirety of the second half but cut the deficit to one possession late before coming up short in an 80-73 loss to Northwestern Oklahoma State on Thursday night inside Percefull Fieldhouse.
The Bulldogs struggled offensively in the opening half, scoring just 26 points, but turned up the tempo after halftime and stayed within striking distance throughout the final 20 minutes. Northwestern ultimately did just enough to hold off the rally, edging SWOSU by a single point in second-half scoring while shooting 55% after the break compared to SWOSU's 47%.
Despite the loss, SWOSU took care of the basketball, committing just seven turnovers on the night — tying a season low.
SWOSU briefly held a 13-12 lead midway through the first half before Northwestern used an 11-1 run to seize control. The Rangers pushed the margin to as many as 12 before halftime, but the Bulldogs battled to stay close and trailed just 32-26 at the break.
Northwestern extended its lead to double digits multiple times in the second half, but each push was met with an answer from SWOSU. The Bulldogs consistently cut the deficit back to manageable margins and pulled within one possession with just under three minutes remaining. However, SWOSU was unable to string together the stops and scores needed to complete the comeback down the stretch.
SWOSU shot 42% from the field for the game and finished 5-of-25 from three-point range. The Bulldogs went 16-of-23 at the free-throw line. Northwestern shot an even 50% overall, went 5-of-16 from beyond the arc, and finished 15-of-18 at the stripe.
The Rangers held a 37-25 rebounding advantage, while SWOSU forced six more turnovers than it committed.
Kayden Carter led the Bulldogs with 18 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
Ty Frierson added 17 points despite a 1-of-8 effort from three-point range, and
Kray Rogers chipped in 14.
SWOSU (6-11, 3-8 GAC) will return to action Monday night, January 26, at No. 20-ranked Oklahoma Baptist in Shawnee. The matchup was preemptively rescheduled from Saturday due to expected winter weather.
