SWOSU Men's Basketball has two games remaining to secure a spot in the top eight of the GAC standings and extend its season, earning a trip to Fort Smith with a chance to compete for a GAC championship.

The Dawgs had a demanding three-game stretch last week. They fell to now No. 7 Oklahoma Baptist, the GAC regular-season champion, and later came up short against Arkansas-Monticello before finishing strong with a victory over Southern Arkansas.

SWOSU enters the final week tied for sixth in the conference at 8-12 in GAC play and 11-15 overall. The Bulldogs are level with Northwestern and hold just a one-game cushion over a three-way tie for eighth that includes Henderson State, Southern Arkansas, and Southeastern.

With the postseason field still unsettled, SWOSU controls its own path. A strong showing this week would secure a trip to Fort Smith. The Bulldogs head to East Central on Thursday and return home Saturday afternoon to face Southeastern on Senior Day.

SWOSU:
SWOSU will look for its hot shooting streak to continue, as the Bulldogs have knocked down at least 12 three-pointers in three of their last five games and have shot above 40 percent from the field in five of their last eight contests. They currently rank ninth in the conference in scoring at 70.2 points per game and sit eighth defensively, allowing the same average. The Dawgs also rank fourth in the league in assists, averaging 13.2 per game.

Thursday: East Central
The Dawgs will aim to even the score with East Central after falling in Weatherford despite holding a double-digit lead in the second half. SWOSU allowed 47 points after the break, enabling the Tigers to surge back and take control.

The two programs are well acquainted, meeting 58 times since 1998. In Ada, SWOSU is 13-16, while holding a 32-26 edge overall. East Central enters the week at 14-12 overall and 9-11 in conference play, one game ahead of the Bulldogs. The Tigers also own one of the marquee wins in the GAC this season, handing Oklahoma Baptist one of its only two losses.

Offensively, East Central ranks fourth in the league at 73.6 points per game while allowing 68.7 points on the defensive end. The Tigers average just 30.2 total rebounds and 7.2 offensive rebounds per game, both the lowest marks in the conference.

Saturday: Southeastern
SWOSU earned a 74-62 victory when the two teams met in December, securing the Bulldogs' first conference win of the season. The Dawgs did not trail in the second half and maintained control through the final buzzer.

Historically, the matchup has been tightly contested, with Southeastern holding a slight 31-29 advantage overall. In Weatherford, however, SWOSU owns a 16-13 edge in the series.

Southeastern ranks 10th in the GAC in scoring at 69.7 points per game but allows a league-worst 76.7 points per contest on the defensive end. Opponents shoot a conference-high 48.1 percent against the Savage Storm. Offensively, Southeastern averages 8.9 three-pointers per game, the second-most in the league.