WEATHERFORD – The Lady Dawgs had their season come to an end in a heartbreaking loss on Senior Day as Southeastern knocked down two free throws with just two seconds left to overtake SWOSU on the scoreboard, winning 68-67.
SWOSU finishes the season 12-15 overall while going 10-12 in conference play. They finished in a tie for the final spot in the GAC Tournament, but tiebreaker scenarios with Southern Nazarene involved, which won by two today against Northwestern, pushed them outside the playoff threshold.
After the game was tied early in the first quarter at eight on each side, SWOSU rattled off the next 15 points in a massive first-quarter run. SE scored the final four points of the frame to cut the deficit to 11.
The second frame was not as kind, as Southeastern fought its way back to tie the game heading into halftime, largely due to the Lady Dawgs scoring just two buckets in the quarter. The third frame stayed close, with neither team holding more than a four-point lead at any time.
The Savage Storm came out firing to open the final quarter of the season, scoring 10 of the first 11 points of the frame as they exploded for an eight-point lead and took firm control of the game. The scoreboard remained in favor of the visitors, as they held a six-point lead with just over three minutes to go.
SWOSU, however, was not ready for its season to end, scoring the next seven points to take a one-point lead with just under a minute to play. Tori Kilburn retook the lead with a layup before
Landry Allen responded with an and-one layup on the other end but missed the free throw. Kilburn once again came up clutch with another layup to regain the lead with just 15 seconds left.
On the Lady Dawgs' final possession,
Elle Papahronis was fouled while shooting and calmly made both free throws to secure a one-point lead with only nine seconds to go. After a timeout by SE, Kenzli Warden drove to the basket and lost the ball on her way up. In a moment when it looked like the Lady Dawgs would get the stop they needed, the referee crew ruled that the ball was touched by the home team before going out of bounds, leaving four seconds on the clock for SWOSU to get one final stop. Warden got the ball again, but this time she was fouled, and the ninth-best free throw shooter in the GAC made both attempts. With just two seconds remaining and no timeouts, the Lady Bulldogs were unable to get off a desperation heave for the win.
Allen finished her season on a high note, scoring a team-high 24 points, which matched her season high, while grabbing nine rebounds and swatting away five more shots. Her second block of the day was a big one, as it broke the GAC all-time single-season record. Her 119 blocks on the year now stand as the record, and the total also ranks as the second most in the country this season.
Papahronis added 12 points, seven rebounds, and three steals.
Sincere Jackson scored 10 points while grabbing six boards.
