Southeastern Oklahoma Keeps SAU Women Winless

Courtesy SAU Athletics Department

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern Oklahoma State had four players score in double-figures as they held off Southern Arkansas, 73-58, in Great American Conference action Thursday at Bloomer Sullivan Arena.

Emily Williams led the Savage Storm (4-7, 2-3 GAC) with 17 points and seven rebounds, and Haley Schaefer scored 12 points and pulled down six boards. Taylor Richards and Cheree Kiser scored 10 points each.

Junior guard Stevi Cooper (Reno, Nev.) paced the Lady Muleriders (0-10, 0-5 GAC) with 13 points, while sophomore guard Katherine McBride (Lucas, Texas) scored 12 points. Freshman center Jordan Redmond (Liberty Hill, Texas) added eight points and had game-highs of 10 rebounds and five blocked shots off the bench.

SAU trailed just 52-47 with 7:25 remaining in the game, but Southeastern outscored SAU 21-11 the rest of the way to secure the win.

Kiser’s lay-up put the Savage Storm in front by double-digits for good with four minutes left as they built a 73-52 lead at 1:05, before Cooper and junior guard Shelbi Cottingham (Prescott) hit three-pointers to trim it to the final margin.

Freshman center Tori Nichols (Houston, Miss.), averaging 9.2 points and nearly eight rebounds per game, saw only eight minutes of action for the Lady Muleriders because of foul trouble, finishing with just two points and one rebound.

SAU shot just 34.5 percent (20-58) for the game, including hitting only 7 of 25 (28 percent) three-pointers, and was 11 of 18 (61.1 percent) at the free throw line.

Southeastern Oklahoma finished at 44.4 percent (24-54) from the floor, and canned 23 of 31 (74.2) free throws.

Southern Arkansas was within single-digits the first half until the Savage Storm grabbed a 33-23 advantage with one minute left. The Lady Muleriders trimmed it to a 33-26 game at the half.

SAU fought back from a first half eight-point deficit for a 17-15 lead at 8:41, and were up 21-20 at 5:36.

Southeastern held a 43-33 rebound advantage, outscoring Southern Arkansas 42-22 inside. The Lady Muleriders committed 26 turnovers, and the Savage Storm had 22.

SAU travels Saturday to Ada, Okla., for a 2 p.m. GAC meeting with East Central.