SHAWNEE – Ricky Brown and Joshua Udoumoh sank two free throws apiece in overtime to lift Oklahoma Baptist (12-15, 9-12 GAC) to an 87-84 victory over red-hot Southeastern Oklahoma State (21-8, 17-4 GAC) on Thursday night inside the Noble Complex.
The Savage Storm brought an 11-game winning streak into tonight and nearly defeated the Bison after erasing a 14-point deficit to force extra time. However, Jason Eaker's resilient ball club slammed the door of opportunity and pulled out its most significant win to date.
The victory keeps OBU's postseason hopes intact, as a win on Saturday will punch their ticket to the Great American Conference Tournament.
LEADERS
Ricky Brown knocked down five triples en route to a game-high 23 points on 70.0 percent shooting. Brown turned in a 4-for-4 performance at the charity stripe, highlighted by two clutch freebies in overtime.
Nathan Wilson paired 19 points with 12 boards to record his third double-double this season. He shot 6-of-12 from the field and cashed in all six of his free throw attempts.
Trevin Wade stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, six assists, five rebounds, and two steals. The crafty guard registered a 54.5 percent field goal mark, his highest shooting rate since December, and went a perfect 2-for-2 at the free throw line.
Daniel Ransom chimed in 13 points with five free throw makes and seven rebounds.
Joshua Udoumoh scored 12 points, pulled down four boards, and charted two blocks.
FIRST HALF
The Bison shot lights out in the opening period, turning in a 54.8 percent field-goal mark and a 4-for-4 showing at the charity stripe. Southeastern was held to a 32.4 percent shooting clip and committed five turnovers.
OBU's success began with an 8-0 run to start the game and continued until they held a nine-point (12-3) margin five minutes in. The Bison lead got up to as much as 12 down the stretch.
Southeastern did come within six at the 5:43 mark, but a Wilson layup reasserted OBU's command, which remained until the home team took a 40-29 advantage into the break.
SECOND HALF
The Bison tacked onto their lead in the early part of the second period, going ahead by as much as 14 on two separate occasions. Then, SE trimmed its deficit.
Southeastern outscored OBU 22-12 from the 18-minute mark to 8:27 to come within two, 60-58. From there, the squads traded buckets until the Savage Storm gained its first lead with three minutes left.
Tied at 76-all with 44 seconds remaining, Ransom sunk two free throws before SE's Brennen Burns put in a layup with six ticks left to force overtime.
OVERTIME
Oklahoma Baptist jumped to a two-point advantage before Kody Clouet tied the game at 81. Then, a free throw put the opposition ahead 82-81 with 1:55 remaining.
However, Southeastern was assessed a technical foul, which sent Brown to the line to seal the game. He did just that, ahead of two final makes at the charity stripe from Udoumoh.
NEXT UP
Oklahoma Baptist heads to Ada for the regular-season finale against East Central with a trip to the conference tournament hanging in the balance. Tip-off is slated 3:00 p.m. inside the Kerr Activities Center.
