The SNU men will face off with Tougaloo College in the first round of the NAIA National Championships on Thursday March18, 2010. While SNU is the higher seed and expected to be the favorite, the Tougaloo Bulldogs will be no easy task for the Storm. The Bulldogs bring a 22-8 record to the tournament. 

Tougaloo is led in scoring by Mario Luckett, a 6'6 junior from Vicksburg, Miss. Their most dangerous player is probably their Center, Sylvester Collins, a 6'9 senior from Madison, Miss. Collins leads the nation in blocked shots per game at 3.7 per contest. He is also a very efficient rebounder. He ranks 4th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game and 5th in total rebounds per game. 

As a team, Tougaloo ranks 2nd in the nation in blocks per game, 6th in scoring offense per game, and 10th in turnover ratio. From the looks of those stats, Tougaloo is a very balanced team both offensively and defensively. Offensively, they score just at 85 points per game, while giving up 77 per game. 

SNU is a team that has seen many players step up this year and they will need that balance in the national tournament. A.J. Thomas, SNU's point guard, will be looked to as the floor general and Adrian Hunter will come off the bench to help Thomas with that role. Thomas averages 13.2 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.

On the wing, senior Vladimir Bulut will need to seize every opportunity that he gets to knock down his three-point shot. Bulut has been SNU's most consistent three-point shooter over the past two years. He will also get some help from Jon West, who has shot the ball very well this year and always gives 100% while on the floor. Jeremy Lightfoot will be handed the task of neutralizing Collins, Tougaloo's big man. Lightfoot has the size and footwork to handle Collins with no problems.

SNU has shown a team concept all year on the court, and they will need to stick to that at the national tournament. Everyone has a role, and when they fulfill that role successfully, SNU is very difficult to beat. Other players that will be a key to the success at the tournament are Daniel White, Kyle Boen, and Shane Callaghan. The players that may not get on the court for the Storm at the national tournament are also an integral part of SNU's successes. They are the guys that work hard every day in practice and are vital in the team concept in which this SNU team is built around. 

On the year, SNU averages 77.8 points per game and they only give up 63.6 per contest. For SNU to win, they must keep Collin's off of the boards and neutralize his presence on defense. If they stick to their game plan and everyone does their part, SNU should be just fine in the first round, but that is always easier said than done.

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(Bethany, OKLA.)---It was announced on Tuesday that SNU received the No. 2 at-large bid into this year's NAIA National Championship in Kansas City, Kan. The tournament will be held from March 17-23. 

Click Here for Full Bracket

SNU received the No. 7 seed in the tournament out of thirty two teams. They will face unseeded Tougaloo (Miss.) in their first game on Thursday, March 18, at 8:00 p.m. If they win, they will face the winner of Union (Tenn.) and Montana Western on Friday at 9:45 p.m.

The Sooner Athletic Conference was the most well-represented conference of any in the nation. They received five bids. The teams going from the SAC include: Oklahoma Baptist, Oklahoma Christian, Oklahoma City, John Brown, and of course, Southern Nazarene. Oklahoma Baptist received an automatic bid for being the regular season SAC champions, as did John Brown for being the SAC Tournament champions. The other three schools received at-large bids.

 

 

The first half had it's highs and lows for SNU. No team had larger than a few point lead at any point, and the half was very physical. While they shot much better than Rogers State, 57% to 39%, they still found themselves down two points at half. Xavier Alexander had 11 points and 7 rebounds in the first half to lead the Storm in both of those categories. The real problem was at the free-throw line where SNU shot just 46%. RSU outrebounded the Storm, 20 to 15 in the half.

Box Score

SNU came out in the second half and immediately gave up four quick points to fall down six, 37-31. After two free throws from Daniel White, SNU got a thundering dunk on the next possession from Jeremy Lightfoot that brought the Storm to within two with 17:56 remaining.

The game was back and forth for the next couple minutes and it seemed that with every second that ticked off of the clock, the game became more and more physical. With a four point deficit and 15:20 showing on the clock, Shane Callaghan drew an offensive foul and immediately hit his feet and sprinted to the opposite end of the floor. This got the SNU bench and the crowd back into the game as they had drew quite the past couple of minutes.

Following a defensive stop, Adrian Hunter hit a three-pointer on the next possession to narrow RSU's lead to just one point, 42-41. Unfortunately RSU answered with a three pointer of their own just seconds later. The game continued along at the same pace, and with 12:15 left to play in the game, A.J. Thomas hooked up with Lightfoot on a pick-and-roll for another powerful slam. That made the score 46-45 in favor of RSU.

The battle continued, but everytime SNU would get close to taking the lead, RSU would extend it back to three or four points. With 7:57 to go in the game, Alexander drove the paint and drew a foul while getting his layup to fall, making the score 53-51 still in favor of the Hillcats.

Just over a minute later, as RSU once again took a four point lead, White drove the lane and made a two-point layup. Coach Adam Bohac immediately called a timeout with SNU down 55-53, to calm his team down and prepare them for the last 6:00 of the game. It must of worked, because on that defensive possession, Thomas got a big steal and was able to hit Alexander with a pass on the other end who was fouled. Alexander hit both free throws to knot the score at 55-55.

Just like the rest of the game, as SNU got in position to take the lead, RSU quickly put up five straight points to take the lead again. The trouble for SNU was that the Hillcat's scoring was very spread out. At this point in the game, RSU had four players in double figures, and their leading scorer only had 11 points.

SNU fell down six points with 3:15 to play when Lightfoot drew a foul and made the basket. He would miss the free throw, which was turning out to be the story of the night for SNU. Following a RSU basket, Lightfoot again got the ball inside and was able to put it in to narrow the deficit to 63-60.

That score stayed the same until under a minute and RSU maintained possession. It seemed that SNU could be running out of time at this point with only 40 seconds to play. As RSU inbounded the ball and set up their offense, Thomas got a steal and raced to the other end. He took it hard to the basket and made his layup as he fell to the ground from the contact of the defender. To everyone's surprise, no whistle was blown and SNU was down 63-62 with just 20 seconds remaining.

They were forced to foul after nearly missing another steal attempt in the back court. Rogers State would go to the line to shoot two free throws as they were in the double bonus. They proceeded to miss the first one and make the second one, which set up a chance to tie or win the game. SNU trailed by two, 64 to 62. After a very scary play almost resulted in a turnover, Alexander dove on the floor, secured the ball, and got the timeout. Just 6 seconds remained for SNU to have a chance. Their entire conference season had come down to this moment.

Jon West inbounded the ball to Alexander who drove the baseline and threw up a reverse circus layup, that would bounce around the rim three times and fall through the net, knotting the score at 64-64. With just 3 seconds left, Rogers State threw up a half court shot that was no good, sending the game to overtime.

Rogers State struck first in overtime with a layup. On the following SNU possession, Vladimir Bulut knocked down a contested three point basket that gave the Storm a one point lead. RSU would go to the line on their next possession, but could only hit one free throw, which tied up the game, 67-67.

As SNU got the ball back, it was clear that Alexander would take the shot. He drove to the goal and was fouled while barely missing his shot attempt. He would knock down both free throws, giving SNU the two point lead. After the Hillcats hit one of two free throws again, SNU went scoreless on their next possession, hanging on to a one point lead.

RSU found the basket on their next trip, stealing the one point lead, 70-69. With just 34.9 seconds remaining, SNU called a timeout to set up a play. The play called for a corner three by Bulut, but he was unable to knock it down. Fortunately for SNU, West was there to snatch the rebound and score the basketball. That would give SNU the one point lead with 14 seconds left for RSU to try and win the game.

RSU would miss their first attempt, but they crashed the boards hard and were able to get fouled and go to the line with 2.6 seconds left. The first one fell through to tie the game a 71-71. They also made the second one, to take a one point lead. SNU would have a few chances to inbound the ball as it kept getting knocked out of bounds. With .5 seconds, SNU got a good inbounds to Bulut who let off a deep three which looked very good. It was straight on, but hit the back of the rim and bounced away. The Storm would fall by one in overtime.

 

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm men’s basketball teams picked up a hard-fought 69-65 victory over the Mid-America Christian Evangels late Thursday evening in the first round of the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament. The host school, and second seeded SNU squad struggled to slow down a hungry MACU team late in the first half, and the score was tied at the break. The Storm came out of the locker room struggling once again, but got things going at the 15-minute mark and never let off the gas, picking up the win to improve to 25-6 on the season.

SNU got off to a good start, taking a 4-0 lead early in the game when Daniel White got to the rim and laid in an easy shot, but MACU knotted the game with 17 minutes to play in the half. The Storm began to pick up the pressure defensively and knocked down shots on the other end, gaining a five-point advantage with 15:25 to play when Jon West drained a shot from behind the arc. Continuing to excite the crowd and use the home court setting to their advantage, SNU picked up another bucket in the paint when Xavier Alexander penetrated from the left wing, turned the corner and threw down a one-handed slam.

West mirrored on the next possession for SNU, laying in a bucket over the front of the rim to give the Storm a 13-6 lead with 13:53 to play. On the defensive end, Jeremy Lightfoot blocked a shot and SNU widened the gap to ten with a trey ball from Vladimir Bulut. With 10:37 remaining the Crimson Storm led 24-10 and seemed to have things under control, but MACU refused to give up with their season on the line. The Evangels went on a 7-0 run, cutting the advantage to seven points with 9:24 to play.

SNU finally got things going again when Alexander took a charge and threw down a two-handed dunk on the other end to go ahead by nine. MACU continued to pressure, eventually cutting the Storm lead to two points with 2:30 to play before the break. Trailing 30-32, the Evangels could taste a lead, and drained a three-pointer to gain their first advantage of the half.

Kyle Boen added two points for the Storm when he cut back door on an inbound play and laid in an easy shot with 1:42 remaining, and West widened the gap to three with a make from the free throw line as the clock ticked below a minute. Unfortunately for the Storm, Donell Lewis knocked down a shot from behind the arc as time ran out, knotting the game at 36 after the first half of play.

The first few minutes of the second half did not go the way SNU would have liked them to, with the Evangels jumping out to an early lead, taking a 47-38 lead with less than five minutes ticked off the clock. With 15:16 remaining, head coach Adam Bohac called a timeout in an attempt to regroup his team who was struggling on both ends of the floor, but especially offensively.

SNU came out of the huddle a different team, going on a 15-1 run to regain the lead. The run began when Clement N’Gom knocked down a 15-foot jumper at the 13:25 mark. AJ Thomas, Jeremy Lightfoot, and Xavier Alexander led the remainder of the run to give SNU a 53-48 lead with 8:15 to play in the half. Adrian Hunter also contributed to SNU’s success, grabbing a vital steal in transition in a tough 2-on-1 situation that looked as if it would end in favor of MACU.

With 7:30 remaining, the Evangels finally got on the scoreboard again, but SNU remained on top, 53-51. Vladimir Bulut gave the Storm a little breathing room with a trey ball from the left wing, and AJ Thomas knocked down one on the next SNU possession. MACU didn’t go away, however, knocking down a three of their own the keep the game within two possessions. With 4:40 to play, Alexander went to the free throw line when he was intentionally fouled in the open court. He knocked down 1-of-2 from the line to give the Storm a 60-56.

The Evangels eliminated the lead just :40 seconds later, but Alexander added another bucket when he penetrated down the left side of the lane and laid in a tough shot for SNU. After several minutes passed and neither team was able to score, Lightfoot widened the gap with a second chance bucket in the paint with 1:25 remaining. SNU forced a turnover on the other end, but couldn’t muster anything offensively, giving MACU the chance to cut into the lead with :23 seconds remaining. Charlie Shorter drained a shot from behind the arc, and SNU led by one, 64-63.

AJ Thomas ices the game away from the free throw line, knocking down 5-of-6 from the charity stripe in the final seconds of the game to give SNU a 69-65 win over MACU.

The Storm was led by Xavier Alexander who finished the game with 21 points and eight rebounds. Thomas added 12 points and seven assists for SNU, and Lightfoot scored 10 points in the victory.

For the game, SNU shot 36% from the field (26-of-57), 38% from behind the arc (6-of-16), and 58% from the charity stripe (11-of-19). The Evangels shot just 34% from the field (26-of-77), 28% from three-point range (8-of-29), and 50% from the free throw line (5-of-10).

The Crimson Storm was out-rebounded 46-40, and MACU pulled down 23 offensive rebounds opposed to SNU’s 13. The Storm will be in action again tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. when they play the winner of Oklahoma City and Rogers State.

The All-Sooner Athletic Conference Team was announced on Monday and SNU was well represented. Coach Adam Bohac was named Co-Coach of the year, as he led the Storm to a 24-6 record in the regular season. This is his second year at the helm for SNU and he has an overall record of 44-18. 

Xavier Alexander, a 6'6 junior guard from Forest Park, Okla., was named to the First Team All-SAC as well as Co-Newcomer of the Year. Alexander leads SNU in points per game and rebounds per game with 17.5 and 6.4 respectively. Alexander shared Co-Newcomer of the Year with teammate A.J. Thomas. Thomas, a junior guard from Memphis, Tenn., has been the quarterback of SNU's team, averaging 13.4 points per game to go along with just over 4 assists per game, which leads the team. Thomas was also named Second Team All-SAC

Deonta Black, a senior post from Perris, Calif., was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Black has averaged 10.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game this season. Black is a great shot blocker who makes things very difficult on opposing offenses. 

Black was joined by teammates Jeremy Lightfoot and Jon West as Honorable Mention All-SAC. Lightfoot and West have been very important to this years team. West averages 7.3 points and 5 rebounds per game while Lightfoot averages 8.4 points per game and 5 rebounds.

SNU was also well represented on the Academic All-SAC team. Kyle Boen, Vladimir Bulut, and Clement N'Gom were all given the honor.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---SNU men's basketball team honored their two seniors on Saturday afternoon, Deonta Black and Vladimir Bulut. They also honored team manager Daniel Langston. SNU played with a lot of intensity from the opening tip and they were able to breeze through St. Gregory's. As the final horn sounded, SNU ended up on top, 99-53.

Box Score

Black and Bulut had very solid outings in their last regular season game in the Sawyer Center. Black, lead all scorers with 22 points to go with 6 rebounds. Bulut 7 points and 3 rebounds. Shane Callaghan was the only other Storm player in double-digits with 12 points. Jon West and Daniel White both had 9 points. AJ Thomas had a good all-around day as he had 6 points to go with 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

As a team, SNU shot 53.6% (37-for-69) for the game. Behind the three-point arc, SNU was shot just 25% (3-for-12), but they shot 71% (22-for-31) from the charity stripe. SNU outrebounded the Cavaliers 54 to 34.

 

SNU will return to action this Thursday in the conference tournament. They will know who they play and what time that game will be later this evening. SNU has clinched the #2 seed in the tournament. 

 

(SHAWNEE, Okla.)---The SNU men's basketball team looked to avenge their earlier season loss to Oklahoma Baptist on Thursday night when they traveled to Shawnee, Okla., to face the nationally ranked No. 3 Bison. After a game that bounced back and forth constantly with no team being able to pull away, it came down to the last shot of the night. Unfortunately, SNU was not able to come away with the victory, as they fell to the Bison, 75-77.

Box Score

In what was a battle of two very good teams, SNU seemed to fall behind early in fouls. It was obvious from the early stages of the game that SNU could be headed for foul trouble and that's exactly where they ended up.  After a back and forth first half, SNU headed to the locker room down one point, 39-40.

The second half looked much like the first, except with more free-throws. The refs continued to call a lot of fouls, which made it hard for either team to gain any kind of momentum. As the lead continued to change hands, SNU continued to play hard through the roar of the home crowd. 

In the second half, the foul situation became a problem as SNU had four starters in foul trouble. By the end of the game, three of SNU's starters had fouled out, including: Xavier Alexander, Vladimir Bulut, and Jeremy Lightfoot.

Even with three starters fouled out, SNU found themselves down one-point with 8.8 seconds left to play and the ball in their possession. A.J. Thomas created a very nice shot for himself and it barely rimmed out; OBU secured the rebound. After OBU missed the first free-throw and made the second one, SNU had the ball with 1.4 second left. After a timeout, the Storm came out with a play to get the best shot possible off. Again, Thomas was able to get the ball in his hands, this time for a last second half-court heave. As the ball left Thomas' hands, everyone in the building held their breath. His shot traveled directly to the goal and narrowly bounced off the side of the rim, as the Storm fell, 75-77.

SNU was led in scoring by senior Deonta Black. Black, who was able to avoid foul trouble, scored 19 points and pulled down 8 rebounds. He was followed by Jon West and Jeremy Lightfoot, who had 13 and 11 points, respectively.

For the game, SNU shot 45.8% (27-for-59) from the field and 73.9% (17-for-23) from the free-throw line. SNU was called for 24 fouls in the game, compared to OBU's 16. SNU turned the ball over 12 times, while they forced OBU to turn it over 14 times.

SNU has now clinched the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament and will await their opponent, who will be finalized on Saturday. The Sooner Athletic Conference tournament will begin play on Thursday, March 4, 2010. The Sawyer Center is the host complex for this year's SAC tournament.

SNU will be in action again this Saturday when they host St. Gregory's University. Vladimir Bulut and Deonta Black will be honored at Senior Night ceremonies before the men's game.

 

(OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.)---The 5th-ranked Crimson Storm men’s basketball team suffered a disappointing loss to the 17th-ranked Oklahoma City Stars on Saturday evening at Abe Lemons Arena on the campus of OCU. SNU struggled on both ends of the floor in the first half, and despite coming out strong in the second half, fell to an athletic OCU team that found success from the free throw line late in the game. The 84-73 loss was the first SNU loss since January 5th when the Storm fell to Oklahoma Baptist University. SNU, now 23-5 on the year and 18-2 in the SAC play, will square off for a rematch with OBU on Thursday evening in Shawnee.

Box Score

Despite winning the tip, SNU could not score on their first four possessions of the game, but solid defense kept the Stars off the board until two minutes into the game when OCU picked up a bucket in the paint. The Storm responded on the next possession with 17:40 remaining; AJ Thomas gave the Storm their first lead of the game when he drained a shot from behind the arc.

SNU widened the gap on their next offensive possession when Xavier Alexander tipped in his own missed shot, giving SNU a 5-2 lead. OCU picked up the pressure defensively, forcing a few turnovers on their way to gaining a 7-5 advantage over the Storm with 15:25 remaining. SNU continued to struggle taking care of the ball and OCU went ahead by four points. Deonta Black got in the books for the first time when he knocked down a lay up, cutting into the Stars lead. OCU saw their lead slipping away and began crashing the offensive boards and finishing second chance opportunities. With 13 minutes remaining in the half, the Stars went ahead 11-7.

Cutting the deficit to one possession once again was Alexander, who knocked down a pair of free throws after drawing a foul in transition. The Stars continued to find success on the offensive end, however, responding to each of SNU’s buckets with one of their own. With 12:04 remaining, OCU took a 15-11 lead. The Storm defense came up with stops on the next few possessions and Daniel White cut the Stars lead to just a basket with an up-and-under lay up with 10:43 to play before the half.

SNU continued to struggle boxing out, allowing the Stars to grab several more offensive rebounds and giving them the opportunity to go ahead by six less than a minute later. Jon West got in the paint for SNU on the other end, scoring his first two points of the night after grabbing his own offensive rebound and going up strong from the right block.

Trailing by five with under eight minutes to play in the half, Thomas gave the Storm a lift when he knocked down another trey ball, but OCU responded with a wide open lay up on the other end to maintain a two possession advantage. Frustration began to show on the faces of SNU players as they continued to struggle taking care of the ball and miss shots they typically get to fall. With six minutes remaining SNU trailed 28-18 and the Stars seemed to have all the momentum.

Giving the Storm a lift was West who drained a shot three-pointer from the left wing on an inbound play, and SNU forced an OCU turnover on the other end, giving Alexander an opportunity to knock down a jumper from the free throw line and cut the Stars lead to five with 5:12 remaining. OCU responded, knocking down a shot in the paint, but Adrian Hunter drained a dagger from behind the arc for the Storm, making the deficit four, 26-30, with 4:43 to play before the break.

The Stars continued to run a trapping, zone defense in an attempt to keep the Storm from penetrating the lane and SNU struggled to get in a rhythm offensively, allowing OCU to maintain their lead. What fans have come to expect from the SNU defense was missing in the first half, and the Stars had their way offensively until the break. With 1:52 remaining, SNU trailed by ten, 26-36. Things began to look up for the Storm, as they went on a 4-0 run, but OCU slammed home a dunk and regained momentum as time ticked below a minute, keeping a ten-point lead in their favor. The Stars had a chance to widen the gap as the buzzer sounded, but a dunk from Bryant Williams fell through a second too late, keeping the score 38-28 at the half.

Like so many times this season, SNU came out of the locker room hungry for a lead, going on a run early in the half which began when Jeremy Lightfoot got to the free throw line on the Storm’s first possession. Jon West gave SNU their next five points, draining a shot from three-point range and knocking down a pair of free throws a few possessions later to cut the OCU lead to four points with 17:23 remaining.

The Stars scored their first points of the half on the ensuing possession, knocking down a shot from behind the arc as well, but West drained a slashing jumper for SNU on the other end. Xavier Alexander drew on offensive foul at the elbow on the Stars next possession, and followed with a huge three-point shot to cut the OCU lead to just two points with 15:17 remaining. The Storm held the Stars on the other end once again, and Alexander knotted the game at 41 after pulling down an offensive rebound and getting to the hole, going up against two defenders and finishing a tough shot at the rim for SNU. Alexander drew a foul on the play, but he couldn’t knock down his shot from the line and the score remained 41-41 with 15:16 to play in the game.

With momentum in their favor, SNU continued to perform the way fans have come to expect, taking a 45-43 lead with back-to-back buckets in the paint from Daniel White and Deonta Black. After OCU’s Williams went 1-of-2 from the line, the Storm offense had a chance to make a statement once again. AJ Thomas dribbled the ball around the perimeter and found Vladimir Bulut wide open on the left block, firing a pass his way. Bulut went up to lay in an easy shot, but was fouled hard, sending him to the charity stripe where he knocked down a pair of from throws to give the Storm a 47-44 lead with 13:21 to play.

The Stars remained composed on the offensive end, working hard for the buckets they got on the next few possessions, but for every OCU make, SNU had an answer. Black scored his eighth point of the game with a 15-foot jumper, keeping the lead in the Storm’s favor as the game neared the 12-minute mark. The Stars refused to back down, taking a 50-49 lead with 11:12 on the clock, but West came up with another big bucket in the paint to give the Storm a lead once again.

SNU’s defensive intensity continued to be a difference maker in the physical, fast paced ballgame, and by forcing turnovers the Storm gave themselves an opportunity to take a two-possession lead with 9:34 remaining when White knocked down two shots from the free throw line. Both teams went silent offensively on their next few possessions, but Thomas gave SNU a lift by knocking down his third three-pointer of the game. With 7:55 remaining, the Storm led 57-54.
A 10-foot floater from Thomas just a few possessions later gave SNU a five-point lead, but OCU’s Al Graham drained a three-pointer to cut the deficit to a possession. OCU took a two-point lead shortly after, going ahead 61-59 with 6:15 remaining. They widened the gap to five with an and-one on the next possession, and SNU couldn’t respond on the other end, despite several chances and a few good looks at the basket.

With 4:35 remaining, SNU trailed 64-59 and the Stars were able to widen the gap as the shot clock winded down. Alexander got to the line for the Storm on the other end, but his front end miss on a 1-and-1 opportunity left SNU trailing by seven. Fortunately for the Storm, he pulled down an offensive rebound on the miss and got to the line once again, draining 1-of-2 and cutting the OCU lead to six points with four minutes to play.

The Stars found success on the other end once again however, draining a deep three to go ahead by nine and with 3:55 to play. SNU was unable to get a shot to fall on the other end, and with just over three minutes remaining in the game, the Stars regained possession. Following a timeout, SNU picked up with full court pressure and Deonta Black grabbed a steal at half court and reached the free throw line where he knocked down both shots to cut the deficit to seven.

Again on the next possession, Black grabbed a steal under SNU’s basket and went up strong from the left block, making a lay up and drawing a foul. Another make from the charity stripe from the big man made it a two-possession ballgame with 3:09 remaining. Leading the way for SNU defensively, Black continued to make big plays, grabbing his third steal in a row at the top of the key and making his way back to the free throw line where he cut the Stars lead to three, 69-66 with 2:35 to play.

SNU had another strong defensive stand, but as the shot clock winded down, OCU’s Chris Brown banked in a three-pointer to widen the gap to six once again. The Storm was unable to score on the ensuing possession, and OCU ended up at the free throw line after an SNU foul in the backcourt. The Stars took a 74-66 lead with 1:36 remaining, but a quick bucket in the paint from Alexander gave the Storm a little life with 1:25 to play.

Full court pressure was applied once again, and OCU ended up at the free throw line where Brown knocked down 1-of-2. SNU looked for a quick three-pointer on the other end, but Bulut’s long attempt rimmed out and OCU pulled down the rebound, heading back to the free throw line and going ahead 77-68 with 1:03 to play. A Storm turnover on the other end gave the Stars an opportunity to widen then gap, and they began icing the game away at the free throw line.

With :40 seconds to play, OCU led 81-68, with ten points coming from the line the in previous minute. Alexander knocked down a quick floater off the glass, cutting the lead to 11, but with little time remaining SNU was forced to foul on the inbound and OCU continued to knock down shots from the line. The Stars were able to drain several more free throws and picked up an 84-73 win over top-ranked SNU.

SNU was led by Xavier Alexander who finished with 17 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Four other players finished in double figures for the Storm. Deonta Black scored 15 points, Jon West finished with 14, AJ Thomas added 11, and Daniel White scored 10 for SNU.

The Storm shot 40% from the field (25-of-62), 30% from the three-point range (7-of-23), and just 64% from the free throw line (16-of-25). The Stars shot 44% from the field (24-of-54), 40% from behind the arc (6-of-15), and an outstanding 88% from the charity stripe (30-of-34).

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The SNU Men's basketball team put their first place conference standing on the line Thursday evening against Mid-America Christian University. The first half was a bit scary for the Storm and their fans, but they came out and played very well in the second half to secure their 23rd win of the season. SNU won by a final of 98-76.

Box Score

The first half was very un-typical for an SNU home performance. Normally at home, SNU comes out and puts their opponent away early while dominating on both the defensive and offensive ends. Mid-America was well prepared and was able to match SNU for the entire first half. It was a half with little defense as both teams seemed to score at will.

Although it was close, SNU was able to keep the first half exciting for the fans as they continued to get to the basket for many high-flying dunks. SNU's high scoring half was fueled by Jeremy Lightfoot. Lightfoot seemed to have it all together, as he scored SNU's first six points of the half and finished off the half with SNU's last bucket. He finished the half with 17 points. A.J. Thomas was also in double figures in the half with 10 points.

As the second half started, SNU and MACU exchanged a few buckets over the first couple minutes and it seemed the second half  would resemble the first. Eventually, SNU was able to get things going and it was only a short matter of time before they were able to seperate themselves from the Evangels and show the crowd how they have attained a No. 5 national ranking and are atop the conference standings.

As the score was 53-51 in favor of the Storm, the lackadaisical attitude that the Storm had played with until this point in the game had quickly disappeared and they were playing with a renewed intensity that had not yet been present.

The run started on defense. As SNU was able to get stops, they also began to find their shooting mark. With 16:00 minutes left in the second half, Vladimir Bulut hit the first three-pointer of the half to give the Storm a 56-51 lead. When it rains it pours, and Bulut's three-pointer opened up the flood gates for the Storm.

Just moments later, after a layup by Deonta Black, Thomas hit a three of his own to increase the SNU lead to 61-51. Less than a minute later, Xavier Alexander drained a trey and pushed the SNU lead to 64-53. The barrage of three's was interupted by a couple two-point buckets by SNU, as Daniel White layed in a very nice left hand reverse layup.

Following White's layup, SNU got back to back three-pointers from Bulut and Hunter within thirty seconds of each other; their treys extended SNU's lead to 74-55. This capped of a 21-4 run for the Storm and put the game out of reach for the Evangels. Not to be forgotten in this run was the stingy Crimson Storm defense that created nearly all of their offensive opportunities.

As the game continued, so did SNU's intensity. White put in back-to-back layups after working hard for an offensive board and running the floor on a fast break. Following that possession, Hunter drained another three-pointer, which was SNU's 7th of the half and 9th of the game. That extended the Stom's lead to 89-66.

The rest of the game was a formality. SNU cruised along the as the clock wound down, until it ended with the Storm on top, 98-76.

SNU had 5 players in double figures. The most impressive performance of the night was recorded by A.J. Thomas, who lead the Storm with 18 points and 9 assists. He was followed by Jeremy Lightfoot, who had 17 points, all coming in the first half. Xavier Alexander recorded 15 points and 7 rebounds, while Daniel White and Adrian Hunter chipped in 14 and 10 points, respectively.

SNU will be back in action this weekend when they travel across town to play their cross-town rivals, OCU. The men's game will tip off at 5pm.

 

(LUBBOCK, Texas)---The SNU men's basketball team cruised to their 13th consecutive victory Saturday afternoon in Lubbock, Texas. SNU handled Lubbock Christian fairly easy, winning by a final score of 82-62.

Box Score

SNU played an outstanding game both defensively and offensively. On the game, SNU shot 56% (28-for-50) from the field and 45% (9-for-20) from the three point line. While SNU has struggled from the free-throw line at times this season, they had no problems on Saturday, knocking down 17-of-19 (89.5%).

On the defensive end, SNU held LCU to just 35.7% from the field (20-for-56). At the three point line, LCU shot 32.2% (10-for-31), while knocking down just 63.2% of their free throws (12-for-19). SNU also dominated the boards, outrebounding LCU 41 to 22.

SNU was in scoring by A.J. Thomas who had 22 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. Thomas was followed by Xavier Alexander, who recorded a double-double, scoring 18 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. They were joined in double figures by Jeremy Lightfoot with 11 points.

Lubbock Christian had two players in double figures, Kenny Hewitt with 15 points and Al Duvall with 11.

SNU stands in first place in the Sooner Athletic Conference at 17-1. They will host Mid-America Christian University on Thursday evening at 6pm.

 

(PLAINVIEW, Texas)---The 6th-ranked Crimson Storm men’s basketball team continued a 12 game win streak by defeating Wayland Baptist University on Thursday evening, winning 73-64 over the Pioneers. SNU got off to an incredibly slow start offensively, putting just 21 points on the board in the first half. The second half performance from the Storm was much stronger and the well-known SNU defense went to work, holding the Pioneers 37 second half points to their 52. Giving the Storm a spark in the final 20 minutes were Adrian Hunter and Daniel White, who combined for 24 points. The win improves SNU to 21-4 on the season and 16-1 in SAC play.

Box Score

The slow paced, scrappy first half saw few points on the scoreboard and with 12:07 to play before the break, SNU and WBU were tied 10-10. The Pioneers went on a run and the Storm continued to struggle from the floor. Fortunately for SNU, Wayland struggled quite a bit as well, scoring just four points before Alexander cut the Pioneers lead to two with a bucket in the paint. Trailing 14-12, SNU began to fall behind by even more when Jason Griffin drained a baseline three pointer for the Pioneers.

Alexander was able to get another bucket in the paint for SNU at the 6:26 mark, but WBU went on a run on the ensuing possession and shut down the Storm offense until the clock read 3:20. Battling against a seven-point deficit, Alexander and the Storm attempted to chip away at the Pioneer lead with a second chance bucket in the paint, but WBU continued to battle, going ahead by nine, 25-16 with 2:09 remaining.

AJ Thomas knocked down a deep three-pointer, his second trey ball of the game, to give the Storm a lift as time ticked off the shot clock and the game clock neared a minute, cutting the deficit to six. WBU responded from the free throw line, taking an eight-point lead as halftime approached. Just before the break, Deonta Black laid a shot over the front of the rim for SNU, making it a /six-point game at the break with the Storm trailing 27-21.

SNU came out of the locker room fighting, as they have in several road games this season, cutting the Pioneers lead to a possession with less than three minutes ticked off the clock. Scoring for SNU on the first few possessions of the half was Jeremy Lightfoot who converted a three point play on the Storm’s third possession, cutting the deficit to five before Daniel White sprinted the floor in transition and laid in an easy two for SNU with 17:24 remaining.

The Pioneer advantage was cut to a point a minute later when Alexander drained a pair of free throws, and Jeremy Lightfoot gave SNU their first lead since the 13:44 mark of the first half with a fast break bucket in the paint just 15 seconds later. The Storm dominance began shortly after the bucket from Lightfoot, and SNU took a 33-29 lead with 14:50 remaining in the game after Jon West knocked down two shots from the charity stripe.

SNU continued to build on their momentum, going ahead by five before the Pioneers began to chip away at the lead. With 11:40 to play, WBU knotted the game at 40 with an easy bucket off a Storm turnover, but SNU went to work on the next possession when Vladimir Bulut drained a dagger from the top of the key to give his team a three-point lead once again. Wayland refused to go away, however, battling back within a point as the clock ticked below ten minutes. Bulut knocked down another three-pointer to widen the gap and start a 10-0 run for SNU. With 6:30 remaining, the Storm took a commanding 55-44 lead with a trey ball from Adrian Hunter.

WBU cut the SNU lead to nine once again, but Alexander picked up another bucket in the paint to give the Storm a double-digit lead as the clock ticked below six minutes. Continuing to battle, the Pioneers picked up with full court pressure in an attempt to force SNU turnovers. The Storm took care of the ball and took their largest lead of the game, 61-48 with 3:30 remaining after a deep three from Kyle Boen.

Time continued to tick off the clock and SNU help a double-digit lead until the 1:19 mark when Wayland forced back-to-back turnovers and made the most of their opportunities on the other end. SNU was able to ice to game away at the free throw line, knocking down 6-of-8 from the line in the final minute to escape with a 73-64 win over Wayland Baptist.

Leading the way for SNU was Adrian Hunter who had an outstanding second half, finishing with 17 points and five assists. Xavier Alexander finished in double figures as well, adding 14 points for the Storm.

For the game, SNU shot 47% from the field (24-of-51), 41% from behind the arc (7-of-17), and 72% from the free throw line (18-of-25). The Pioneers shot 48% from the field (22-of-46), just 21% from three-point range (3-of-14), and 90% from the charity stripe (17-of-19).

The Storm will be in action again on Saturday afternoon in Lubbock when they take on conference opponent, Lubbock Christian at 3:00 p.m.

 

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The 6th-ranked Crimson Storm men’s basketball team and the 7th-ranked Oklahoma City Stars tipped off on Monday evening for a rivalry battle that proved to be as exciting as most expected it would be. Coming out on top in the outstanding game was SNU, who trailed only once in 40 minutes of play. The 70-61 victory improved SNU to 20-4 on the season and 15-1 in conference play. The Storm controlled the entire first half, leading by as many as 13 before the break. OCU cut the SNU lead to just a point before the half, but the Storm came out hungry for a win in the second and drained free throws down the stretch to pull out the victory.

Box Score

SNU won the tip, but couldn’t get anything going offensively on their first possession and the end result was a turnover. On the other end, the Storm worked to keep the Stars from taking a lead early in the game and found success when Kyle Boen slid over in help defense and grabbed a steal, dishing to off the Xavier Alexander as they crossed half court. Alexander went straight to the rim and drew a foul, knocking down a pair from the line, he gave the Storm a 2-0 lead with less then a minute ticked off the clock.

Giving SNU the lead once again after an OCU bucket on the other end was Jon West who drained a shot from behind the arc and put the Storm up two with 18:30 to play in the half. SNU continued to work hard on the defensive end and force the Stars to miss shots, giving them an opportunity to take an 8-3 lead with about 16 minutes remaining. Alexander widened the gap even more with a trey ball as the clock ticked below 16, giving SNU an 11-3 advantage over OCU.

Defense proved to be a key factor in the Storm’s success early in the half, and keeping the Stars off the scoreboard resulted in an eight point lead for SNU after a short jumper from West. With 13:09 to play in the half, SNU led 16-7 and seemed to have all the momentum as the Stars continued to struggle offensively. Time after time, the top ranked Storm defense shut down OCU’s attempts to put points on the board, but missed shots on the other end gave the Stars a chance to chip away at the deficit. After allowing OCU within seven, SNU got a bucket from Alexander once again and took a nine-point lead.

Another solid defensive stand resulted in a steal, and Deonta Black ran the floor alongside Alexander, resulting in an easy lay up for the Storm. With 10:16 remaining, SNU led 20-9, but the Stars drained a three-pointer to cut into the lead and carelessness with the ball gave OCU a chance to chip away at the lead a little more. They were unable to take advantage of the opportunity, however, and SNU remained ahead by eight as time ticked below nine minutes.

The Stars cut the lead to six, but Alexander came up with another big bucket in the paint and tacked on a shot from the charity stripe to give the Storm a 23-14 lead with 7:54 to play in the half. Giving the Storm a huge boost offensively as time ticked below seven minutes was Deonta Black who knocked down short jumpers on back-to-back possessions. The next Storm bucket came on a beautiful pass from Jon West to Jeremy Lightfoot, giving SNU a 29-16 lead with just over five minutes to play in the half.

The Stars cut the margin to eight with under four minutes to play and they continued to chip away at the Storm lead, making it a two possession ballgame with 2:40 to play before the break. The SNU lead continued to whither away as the struggled offensively with halftime nearing and the Stars trailed by just two with a minute on the clock. SNU led 29-27 as time ticked away and the Stars had an opportunity to tie the game up with :5 seconds on the clock but Black threw an OCU shot attempt into the stands, helping the Storm maintain their lead. A foul on the in bounds play gave the Stars another chance to knot the game at 29, but a back end miss kept the Storm leading at the break 29-28.

The beginning of the second half looked very familiar. SNU turned the ball over on their first possession, but picked up a stop on the other end. On the second offensive possession of the half, AJ Thomas drained a shot from behind the arc, giving SNU a 32-28 lead.

OCU refused to let the Storm build momentum the way they had in the first few minutes of the first half, however, scoring back-to-back buckets to knot the game at 32 with 18:06 to play. Alexander scored his first point of the half from the free throw line to give SNU a one-point advantage a few seconds later, but the Stars responded with a bucket in the paint to take their first lead of the game, 34-33.

The outstanding SNU defense went to work after OCU’s bucket, giving the Storm an opportunity to take the lead once again. Thomas drained a pull-up jumper to start the run for SNU, and Alexander scored back-to-back buckets, giving the Storm a 39-34 lead with 15:38 to play. The Stars attempted to narrow the gap but SNU refused to let their lead slip away, gaining a four-point lead with 13:48 to play when Daniel White knocked down a shot from the baseline.

OCU responded with a second chance bucket in the paint on the other end, but a 15-foot jump shot from Deonta Black kept SNU two possessions ahead. Extending the lead with another 15-footer was Black from the left wing, but OCU responded with a bucket in the paint again at the 11:56 mark. Leading 46-42, SNU saw their lead cut to a possession before White drained a baseline trey ball to widen the margin to five with 10:45 to play in the second.

SNU and OCU exchanged a few buckets and with 8:29 on the clock the Storm led 50-48. Giving his team a little breathing room, Thomas knocked down another dagger from the perimeter to give SNU a five-point lead. The Stars cut the lead to three with a pair of free throws, but Alexander picked up a bucket in the paint for SNU to widen the gap again.

A strong defensive possession resulted in another steal for the Storm and Alexander hooked up with Black for a fast break pull-up jumper in the paint to give SNU a 57-50 lead with 6:45 remaining. The Storm grabbed another steal seconds later and Black finished a tough lay up, resulting in a nine-point advantage with just under six minutes to play.

OCU refused to go away, cutting the deficit to six with four minutes to play and forcing SNU to call a timeout. After the break, the Stars tacked on two more points with makes from the free throw line following an SNU turnover. The Storm continued to have trouble taking care of the ball, turning it over on their next possession as well. With 3:11 remaining, the Stars cut SNU’s lead to three with another pair of free throws and had an opportunity to eliminate the deficit on their next possession with 1:57 to play.

Deonta Black nearly picked up a steal, tipping the ball away from OCU’s Kavon Lytch and hustling down the floor diving to save the ball as it was rolling out of bounds. He was unable to keep the ball in play, despite an outstanding effort, and the Stars regained possession. OCU picked up a bucket in the paint on the other end, making the score 60-59 with 1:18 remaining in the game.

Following a timeout, SNU took a three four point lead when Alexander penetrated from the left wing and knocked down a jumper from the middle of the lane as he was thrown to the ground. Draining his shot from the free throw line, Alexander gave the Storm a 63-59 advantage with about a minute to play.

SNU’s Jeremy Lightfoot tipped a defensive rebound to Alexander following an OCU miss on the other end, and Alexander launched a pass to Black who was sprinting to floor. As Black went up to throw down a dunk, he was intentionally and brutally fouled by OCU’s Chris Brown. Black knocked down 1-of-2 from the line to give the Storm a 64-59 lead with :45 seconds to play, and the Stars were forced to foul Thomas on the in bounds. Adding two more for the Storm, Thomas widened the gap to seven with time ticking away.

With no other option, the Stars began to play the fouling game, sending Thomas to the line again with :34 second on the clock where he would knock down another pair of free throws. OCU scored a quick bucket, but SNU remained ahead by seven with :24 seconds to play with Adrian Hunter went to the line and knocked down both shots. With the free throws, SNU picked up the 70-61 win over the Stars.

Leading the way for SNU was Xavier Alexander who finished with 28 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Also finishing the night in double figures was Deonta Black with 16 points and seven rebounds, and AJ Thomas with 11 points and six assists.

For the game, SNU shot 46% from the field (24-of-52), 36% from behind the arc (5-of-15), and 65% from the free throw line (17-of-26). The Stars finished 44% from the field (24-of-54), only 8% from three point range (1-of-12), and 55% from the charity stripe (12-of-22).

SNU will be in action again on Thursday evening when they travel to Texas for a game against Wayland Baptist. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m.

 

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The 6th-ranked Crimson Storm men’s basketball team picked up a hard-fought win over the Oklahoma Christian Eagles on Saturday night in the Sawyer Center. SNU downed OC 64-54 despite a strong second half run by the Eagles. The win improves SNU to 19-4 on the season and 14-1 in Sooner Athletic Conference play.

Box Score

On their second possession of the game, SNU used quick ball movement around the perimeter to open up Xavier Alexander for a baseline three-pointer that he drained to give the Storm an early 3-0 lead. OC picked up a bucket on the other end to narrow the margin to a point, and both teams went silent offensively on their next few possessions. The Eagles took a 5-3 lead with under 17 minutes to play in the half, but SNU tied the game on the ensuing possession with a bucket in the paint from Deonta Black.

OC took a three point lead seconds later, but SNU knotted the game at 8 with 15:35 to play when Kyle Boen drained a baseline three of his own. The next Storm bucket came from behind the arc as well. Vladimir Bulut, who led the way for SNU against the Rangers on Thursday night, drained a jumper from three-point range to give the Storm a little momentum.

Following the bucket from Bulut, SNU went silent offensively for a few minutes, but solid defense kept the lead in favor of the Storm. AJ Thomas and Black hooked up for SNU’s next two points when Thomas found Black open behind the Eagles zone and dished a pass inside. Black made a strong move in the paint and finished an easy lay up to give the Storm a little breathing room.

SNU’s next possession looked a little different, as they lit the Eagles up from behind the arc with a trey ball from Bulut once again. With about seven minutes to play, Alexander added a fast break lay up that gave the Storm an 18-15 lead. The Eagles tried to cut into the lead, but they were unable to do so as SNU continued to perform defensively. Alexander hooked up with Jeremy Lightfoot second later, and Lightfoot went up strong in the paint, drawing a foul and getting to the line where he knocked down both freebies to give SNU a 20-17 lead with 6:14 remaining before the break.

Continuing to control the pace of the game and take advantage of their athleticism, SNU used outstanding inside-outside ball movement to take a six-point lead with under four minutes to play. Alexander dished a great bounce pass from the high post to the low post where Black finished a shot from the paint.

The remainder of the half would be led by Alexander on both ends of the floor as he picked up several steals and went coast-to-coast for two easy buckets. In addition to points in transition, Alexander knocked down two shots from the free throw line. With 2:30 remaining in the half, SNU led 27-18. The lead would be extended when Adrian Hunter made a beautiful lob pass to Black and Black tipped it in, and Alexander added another bucket with an up and under move as time ticked away in the half, giving the Storm a 33-21 advantage at the half.

SNU came out of the break with just as much fire as they left the court with at halftime, picking up the pace a little in an attempt to wear down the Eagles. With 17:32 to play, the Storm led 37-24. The Eagles began to chip away at the lead, narrowing the margin to four with 15:06 to play in the game. Head coach, Adam Bohac, called a timeout in an attempt to regroup his team.

The Storm got things going after the break and widened their lead once again. Vladimir Bulut gave SNU the spark they needed, draining a shot from behind the arc with 13:32 to play, giving the Storm a 40-33 lead. Jeremy Lightfoot gave SNU another lift with a strong post move that forced the Eagles to foul. Knocking down both shots from the line, Lightfoot gave SNU a 42-33 advantage. The Eagles began struggling offensively as SNU got back into the swing of things on the defensive end as well, forcing Eagle turnovers and knocking down shots from the line on the other end to maintain a nine-point, 44-35 lead with 9:50 to play.

The Eagles got a few good looks on their next few possessions but couldn’t finish shots around the rim, giving the Storm an opportunity to widen the gap. Working the ball around the perimeter, SNU got the Eagles zone defense spread out enough to find a gap in the middle of the floor, opening up a lane for an easy Storm bucket in the paint. The lay up gave SNU a double-digit lead once again, but the margin was narrowed to seven just seconds later. The Eagles cut the Storm lead to five, scoring on their next few possessions to steal momentum away from SNU.

With less than seven minutes to play in the half, SNU lead just 46-41. Jon West went to work for the Storm offensively, however, knocking down a shot from behind the arc and picking up a bucket in the paint to give SNU a nine-point lead with 5:33 to play. On top 51-43, the Storm continued to widen the gap by knocking down shots from the free throw line.

Defensively, SNU performed the way fans are used to seeing, forcing OC to turn the ball over down the stretch. With 4:41 to play in the game, the Storm led 54-43 thanks to a pair of free throws from AJ Thomas. Oklahoma Christian looked to use their All-American on the next few possessions, getting the ball inside the Jason Taylor in an attempt to cut into the Storm lead. Taylor found the bottom of the net with a strong post move, cutting the lead to nine, but Thomas responded with a 10-foot jumper on the other end.

Leading by 11 with 2:33 to play in the game, SNU had to pick up the intensity on defense after a technical foul was called on the Storm bench and the Eagles used two free throws to get the game in single digits once again. OC picked up with full court pressure on their next possession, but SNU wasn’t rattled, getting the ball inside to Lightfoot who finished a shot at the rim to give the Storm a 58-47 lead with 1:30 remaining on the clock.

The Eagles refused to back down, however, continuing to battle and knock down shots from the line and behind the arc as time ticked below a minute. OC picked up with full court pressure and forced SNU to make shots from the free throw line as time ticked away. Struggling to do so, the Storm gave the Eagles a chance to make a late comeback, but with under :30 seconds to play, Bulut drained two shots from the line and gave the Storm a 62-54 advantage. OC would not be able to make up the difference, and SNU got escaped with a 64-54 victory.

SNU was led by Xavier Alexander who finished the game with 18 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Vladimir Bulut finished in double figures as well, scoring 11 points in the Storm win.

For the game SNU shot 45% from the field, 35% from three-point range, and just 57% from the free throw line. The Eagles sot 35% from the field, 25% from behind the arc, and 64% from the charity stripe.

SNU will be in action again on Monday evening when they host rival, Oklahoma City for a top 25 battle at 8:00 p.m.

 

(ALVA, Okla.)---The 6th-ranked Crimson Storm men’s basketball team picked up a thrilling victory over the Northwestern Rangers on Thursday evening in Alva, Oklahoma, SNU came from behind, after trailing by eight, and by as many as 15 in the second half, the Storm finally got things going with the end of the game nearing. With the 67-63 victory, SNU improved to 18-4 on the season and 13-1 in SAC play. Leading the second half run for the Storm was AJ Thomas who lit the Rangers defense up in the second half, scoring 16 points in the final 20 minutes of the game.

Box Score

SNU got off to a slow start, but kept the game close early despite several tough offensive possessions. The perimeter jumper was the only thing that kept the Storm close in the first five minutes of the half, and with 13:46 remaining in the half SNU trailed 11-6. Vladimir Bulut came in off the bench and gave the Storm a spark offensively, knocking down a three-pointer the first time he touched the ball. Bulut would prove to be the only SNU player to find success offensively in the first half, and he carried the Storm until the break.

Even with Bulut finding his shot in the opening minutes of the half, SNU struggled the keep the deficit minimal, trailing by seven with 11:17 to play before the break. Another trey ball from Bulut narrowed the gap, and SNU trailed just 16-12 a few seconds later. Once again, the Rangers responded, but the Storm was able to chip away at the lead on the next few possessions, getting two more buckets from Bulut at the clock ticked below ten minutes.

With 7:34 to play in the game, SNU knotted the game at 20 with a third three-pointer from Bulut. Looking to build some momentum, Adrian Hunter grabbed a steal, but SNU was unable to take advantage of the possession and the Rangers regained the lead with 5:53 to play. The Storm offense went silent after that, failing to score for almost three minutes. A 15-foot jumper from Deonta Black cut the deficit to seven, but SNU continued to trail for the remainder of the half. At the break, the Storm trailed 34-26 and the Rangers held on the momentum.

After being in the situation in their previous two games, SNU knew how to come out in the second half and eliminate a deficit quickly, and take the lead as well. The second half in Alva was much different, as the Storm continued to struggle to find the bottom of the net, and the Rangers continued to knock down the majority of their shots. With less than three minutes gone in the second half, NWOSU went head by 13, 39-26. Less than a minute later, the Rangers took a commanding, 41-26 lead and it looked as if SNU may pick up their second loss in conference play.

Head coach, Adam Bohac, called a timeout and regrouped his team. After the brief break, Deonta Black knocked down a 15-foot jumper to cut the Ranger lead to 13. With 16:40 to play, SNU began to pick things up defensively, keeping NWOSU off the board for over a minute. But the Rangers widened the gap to 15 once again with a three-pointer bucket that could have shifted the momentum once again.

AJ Thomas stepped up and began his outstanding second half performance on the Storm’s next possession, draining a shot from behind the arc. SNU was able to cut to deficit to 11, but the Rangers continued to shoot lights out and went ahead 46-32 with 14:16 to play.

Finally, SNU got things going offensively. Thomas knocked down another shot from behind the arc and hit the front end of two free throws, making the Rangers lead just seven with under 13 minutes to play. A few minutes later, SNU go within two possessions with a free throw from Xavier Alexander, but NWOSU responded with a bucket on the other end to widen the gap to six.

NWOSU and SNU continue to exchange buckets for the next few minutes, and with 9:46 to play the Storm trailed 52-47. Again, Thomas came up with a big three-pointer to cut the Rangers lead to just a possession, and he tied the game at 52 with 7:29 remaining. SNU took their first lead since the first half on the next possession with Bulut drained another shot from behind the arc to give the Storm a three-point advantage.

The Rangers eliminated the deficit a few minutes later, but SNU refused to let up, even with NWOSU took a three point, 60-57 lead with 3:47 to play. The Storm had not been in a situation like this before, but they proved to be a great team down the stretch, finding bucked from several different players with time winding down. With 2:34 to play, the Storm remained behind by three, but Bulut knocked down two shots from the free throw line to cut the lead to one.

NWOSU hit one shot from the charity stripe to take a 63-61 lead with 1:22 to play, but Jon West came up with a huge make from behind the arc with a minute to play, giving the Storm a one point lead. Black blocked a shot on the other end and gave SNU possession of the ball with :41 seconds to play, and the difference in the game clock and the shot clock was just :6 seconds.

Time ticked off the clock quickly, and with :07 to play, Kyle Boen knocked down his first shot of the night. The three-pointer proved to be the biggest bucket of the night, as SNU to a four-point lead with very little time remaining. The Storm was able to ice the game away, winning 67-63 in a thrilling battle.

SNU was led by Vladimir Bulut who scored 19 points and shot 5-of-7 from behind the arc. AJ Thomas finished the night with 16 points and five assists. Also finishing in double figures was Deonta Black who scored 10 points, and Xavier Alexander who added 10 points to go along with eight rebounds.

For the game, SNU shot 50% from the field (23-of-46), an outstanding 52% from three-point range (11-of-21), and just 50% from the free throw line (10-of-20). The Rangers finished the night shooting 42% from the field (25-of-60), 29% from behind the arc (7-of-24), and 50% from the charity stripe (6-of-12).

(BETHANY, Okla.)---Southern Nazarene junior Xavier Alexander has been named Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 25-31.

Alexander, a 6-6 junior from Forest Park, Okla., scored 32 points, had eight rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots while shooting 64 percent in a 100-95 win at Mid-America Christian University.

This is the 2nd time in three weeks that Alexander has been named Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Week. He is currently averaging 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game this season. 

SNU, ranked 6th in the most recent ratings, will travel to Alva, Okla. to face Northwestern Oklahoma State University before returning home for a Saturday showdown with Oklahoma Christian. SNU currently stands alone in 1st place in the SAC standings.

(Oklahoma City, Okla.)---SNU Men's basketball team traveled across the ice and snow to Moore, Oklahoma, to face Mid-America Christian University. This game matched up conference leading SNU and the Sooner Athletic Conference's 4th place team, MACU. SNU found themselves playing from behind for much of the first 24 minutes of the game, but after they gained the lead, they never relinquished it again, winning by a final score of 100-95. SNU had five players in double digits, with Xavier Alexander leading the way with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. The win improves SNU to 17-4 on the year and 12-1 in SAC play.

Box Score

From the opening tip, it was obvious that this game would be a very physical battle. Mid-America came as close as anyone this year in being able to match SNU's athleticism. The first few minutes of the game were back and forth until SNU gained their largest first half lead, 11-6, with 16:19 left to play in the first half.

At that point, MACU went on a 19-8 run to pull ahead of the Storm, 25-19. The rest of the first half was a battle and MACU saw their lead stretched out to 9 points behind the rowdy home crowd. With just 1:39 to play in the first half, SNU found themselves down 44-35, and without any momentum.

Just as it seemed that SNU would possibly be heading into the locker room down by double-digits, Jeremy Lightfoot made sure that wasn't the case. Lightfoot threw down and emphatic, posterizing slam and drew a foul. He would hit the free-throw and condense MACU's lead to five points. The half ended with SNU trailing by four, 44-48. 

Much like in their previous road game against John Brown, SNU came out in the second half and looked like a different team. They made sure that they held on to their top spot in the conference and #6 national ranking.

The first few minutes of the half were back and forth until SNU kicked into high gear. With 17:45 to play in the second half, SNU trailed 54-47. This was the turning point in the game for the Crimson Storm. After back-to-back buckets by Jon West and Xavier Alexander, A.J. Thomas then hit a three that knotted the score at 54.

SNU proceeded to go on a 14-0 run capped off by baskets from Alexander and Deonta Black. After Alexander scored his basket, he came up with a great defensive block, that started the possession that ended in Black's bucket.

SNU continued their great second half play and held nearly a ten point lead for the rest of the half until the final minute. MACU was able to claw their way back from down eight with just under 0:45 to play, and narrow SNU's lead to just four. SNU was able to make their free-throws and finish the game off with the win, 100-95.

SNU was led in scoring by Xavier Alexander. Alexander had an amazing day all-around as he had 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. The other four Crimson Storm players in double digits were: Black with 18 points along with 7 rebounds, Thomas with 15 points, Lightfoot with 13 points and 8 rebounds, and Jon West with 13 points to go with 6 rebounds.

As a team, SNU shot 57% from the field (30-of-53) and 77% from the free-throw line (37-of-48). They shot 48 free-throws, which was 28 more than their opponents. MACU shot 43% from the field (32-74) and 95% from the free-throw line (19-of-20). SNU leads the nation in defensive field goal percentage. 

SNU will travel to Alva, Okla., on Thursday night to face Northwestern Oklahoma State University on Thursday evening.

Statistics will follow soon...

 

(SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark.)---The 6th-ranked Crimson Storm men’s basketball team picked up a hard fought win over John Brown University on Saturday night in Arkansas. The Golden Eagles put up a tough fight, dominating on both ends in the first half, but SNU came up hungry for a lead in the second and was able to pick up the 73-67 victory on the shoulders of AJ Thomas and Xavier Alexander who led the way offensively.

Box Score

With the win, the Storm improves to 16-4 on the season and 11-1 in SAC play. Oklahoma Baptist, who had been the top runner in SAC standings all season fell to Oklahoma City on Saturday evening, which moved SNU to first place in conference as they prepare to take on OCU Thursday evening.

John Brown jumped out to a quick lead, knocking down a shot from behind the arc and giving the large student section reason to get excited on the first possession of the game. SNU was able to get on the board on the other end when Xavier Alexander finished and easy bucket in the paint, but the Golden Eagles responded, going ahead 5-2. Again, the Storm found the bottom of the net on a three-pointer from Kyle Boen, tying things up once again.

The first ten minutes of the half mirrored, which SNU and JBU exchanging buckets every few possessions. The Crimson Storm took an 11-8 lead with under 16 minutes to play when Deonta Black and Jon West hooked up across the court for an easy two points, but John Brown narrowed the gap at took a 12-11 lead with 14:35 on the clock. Giving the Storm the lead once again was Alexander who drained a dagger from behind the arc and followed with a tough baseline lay in on the next possession.

The Golden Eagles refused to let SNU gain momentum though, going ahead by one with 13:11 to play in the half. The Storm looked to regain a lead following a big shot block by Alexander that gave SNU possession, but the Black was called for an offensive foul on the other end and the Golden Eagles made the most of their opportunity to widen the gap, going ahead 26-17 before SNU got on the board again.

AJ Thomas gave the Storm a little life, knocking down a shot from behind the arc. Grabbing a steal on the other end was Alexander who hooked up with Boen for an easy two point, cutting the JBU lead to six, 22-28, with 7:05 to play. Thomas cut into the lead a little more with a runner from the right block less than a minute later, but both teams went silent offensively after the bucket. JBU responded after a few minutes, jumping ahead 33-24 with 2:18 to play in the half. Another bucket just before the half gave the Golden Eagles a 35-24 lead at the half.

The difference in the first half was 11 points, and JBU scored that number of points off of SNU turnovers in the first 20 minutes. Coming out of the locker room after the break, the Storm was focused on taking care of the ball and holding strong defensively the way they have been all season.

Much like in the women’s game, SNU came out of the locker room with a fire under them, scoring five straight points before JBU got on the board again. Jeremy Lightfoot, who had a career high 22 points and 16 rebounds against Rogers State on Thursday, knocked down two shots from the line on SNU’s next possession, cutting the deficit to six, 31-37, with 16:52 to play in the game. The Golden Eagles and the Crimson Storm exchanged points on the next possessions, with Thomas going coast to coast to put two more on the board for SNU.

With 15:40 to play, JBU led 40-33, but the margin was narrowed quickly, ad SNU scored seven straight points in less than two minutes. The run began when Deonta Black pulled down and offensive rebound and finished a put back, cutting the lead to five. Xavier Alexander gave SNU two more when he knocked down a tough floater over JBU star Davaughn Jackson, and Daniel White converted on a three point play to tie knot the game at 40 with 13:16 remaining.

SNU jumped out to a four point lead shorting after, and when JBU attempted to respond, AJ Thomas drained a deep three-pointer on a beautiful pass from Jon West to give the Storm a five point lead with under 11 minutes to play. Alexander knocked down two shorts from the charity stripe to widen the gap a little more, but the Golden Eagles knocked down a trey on their next possession.

The electric crowd was silenced seconds later when Thomas drained another dagger from behind the arc, giving the Storm their largest lead of the half, 52-45 with nine minutes to play. But John Brown went on a 9-0 run and rook the lead with 7:19 remaining. Alexander knotted the game at 54 with a turnover jumper off the glass, but JBU responded. Again, Alexander was the go-to man for SNU and he used a power post move to get in the paint and put two more points on the board.

With six minutes to play, SNU and JBU were tied at 56. The excitement continued as the teams exchanged buckets, but back-to-back three pointers for SNU from Vladimir Bulut and Jon West gave the Storm a 62-60 lead as the clock ticked below five minutes. West came up with a big play on the other end as well, grabbing a steal and hitting Thomas up court. Thomas went up to lay the ball in but was fouled. He went to the line for two and proved how clutch he was from the charity stripe, knocking down both shots to give the Storm a four-point lead.

The Golden Eagles would never close the gap, as SNU held strong defensively and finished their opportunities around the rim and from the line in the final three minutes of the game. AJ Thomas knocked down five free throws in the final minute of the game to ice the win away for SNU. The Crimson Storm came out on top, 73-67.

SNU was led by Thomas’ 20 points and he finished the night 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Xavier Alexander added 19 points for SNU, knocking down big shots from the Storm in the second half.

For the game, SNU shot 53% from the field (23-of-43), an outstanding 50% from behind the arc (8-of-16), and an impressive 90% from the free throw line (19-of-21). The Storm’s success from the line proved to be a difference maker in the game. The Golden Eagles shot 49% from the field (24-of-49), 35% from three-point range (6-of-17), and 81% from the charity stripe (13-of-16).

SNU will be in action again on Thursday night at home when they host conference rival, Oklahoma City University at 8:00 p.m.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The 6th-ranked Crimson Storm men’s basketball team fed off the excitement off the packed student section on Thursday night, picking up a 80-54 victory over the Rogers State Hillcats. Jeremy Lightfoot proved too much to handle for RSU, dominating inside and leading the Storm to a 26-point victory. With the win SNU improves to 15-4 on the season and 10-1 in conference play.

Box Score

SNU got off to a quick start, shutting down the Hillcats on their first possession and taking a 3-0 lead on a Kyle Boen jumper from behind the arc. Another defensive stop gave the Storm a chance to take a two-possession lead, and they took advantage of the opportunity. Xavier Alexander, who averages 18 points a game, knocked down another three-pointer to give SNU a 6-0 lead with less than two minutes ticked off the clock.

The Storm continued to cause chaos with pressure defense, keeping the Hillcats off the scoreboard until the 15:25 mark of the first half. SNU tacked on two more buckets prior to the RSU lay up, giving the Storm a 10-0 lead before the Hillcats could put a single shot through the bottom of the net. Adrian Hunter gave the Storm a double-digit lead once again with a step back jumper on the left wing, and with 13:11 remaining in the half SNU maintained a 12-2 lead.

After a two-minute offensive drought, the Storm’s Vladimir Bulut widened the gap a little more with a three-point play, making the advantage 13 for SNU. The Hillcats continued to struggle on the offensive end as a result of SNU’s solid defense. Deonta Black swatted two RSU shot attempts away to lead the Storm defense in the first ten minutes of the half, keeping the Hillcats from scoring their second bucket until the 10:41 mark.

RSU’s frustration began to show on the sidelines as well, and head coach Lloyd Williams was T’ed up seconds after the Hillcats three-point bucket, giving the Storm a chance to widen the gap even more. A pair of free throws from AJ Thomas and the back end of two from Black gave the Storm an 18-5 lead with 10:22 to play in the half. Great defense continued to carry the Storm and keep momentum in their favor even with leading scorer, Alexander, on the bench with two fouls.

Jeremy Lightfoot stepped up on the offensive end for SNU, going to work inside and throwing down a huge dunk on an assist from Thomas with 8:29 to play in the half. The versatility of SNU continued to keep the Hillcats on their heels, as Bulut drained a shot from behind the arc to give the Storm a 27-9 lead on the next possession. RSU attempted to chip away at the lead with a few buckets in the paint and a dagger from behind the arc, but SNU didn’t let the pressure phase them, maintaining a large lead by getting things done on the defensive end.

The Hillcats were able to get a few freebies from the line, narrowing the Storm lead to 13 with less than five minutes to play. SNU began to struggle offensively, and RSU was able to cut into the lead a little more with a bucket in the paint from Theo Davis, forcing head coach Adam Bohac to call a timeout and regroup the Storm. With 4:11 to play before the break, SNU lead 29-18.

Both teams continued to struggle dealing with pressure defense, but SNU was finally able to get on the board again with 2:13 remaining. Thomas got off a long shot from behind the arc as the shot clock expired, but he came up short. Jon West crashed the board, pulling down an offensive rebound and finishing the put back to give the Storm a 31-18 lead. Lightfoot and West knocked down a few shots from the line to widen the gap to 16 for SNU as the clock ticked below two minutes. The Hillcats narrowed the gap to 14, but Lightfoot gave the Storm a lift as time expired in the first half, throwing down his second dunk of the game to give SNU a 36-20 advantage going into the locker room.

The Storm came out strong in the second half, scoring five straight points in the first minute of the half with a lay up from Jeremy Lightfoot and a baseline three-pointer from AJ Thomas. On SNU’s next possession, Thomas created a three-point opportunity for Jon West, who drained his shot from behind the arc to give SNU a 44-20 lead with a minute and a half ticked off the clock.

 

SNU continued to find weaknesses in the RSU defense and exploit them with quick ball movement. West knocked down two shots from the line, and Thomas finished a tough lay up as he was knocked to the floor. Thomas added a free throw, giving the Storm a 49-22 lead with 17:54 to play in the game.

Xavier Alexander, who spent most of the first half on the bench in foul trouble, gave the Storm a spark early in the first half as well, getting a tough jumper to fall in the paint on SNU’s next possession. Thomas and Alexander continued to lead the Storm offense in the first five minutes of the half, knocking down jumpers on the next two offensive possessions to widen the gap to 29 with 15:55 remaining.

The excitement of the large lead began to show. SNU began to rush things on the offensive end, resulting in several turnovers that gave the Hillcats an opportunity to narrow the gap. Strong defense kept the margin large, however, as RSU was only able to put two points on the board as a result of SNU turnovers.

Lightfoot scored his 15th point of the night with 13:02 to play, making the score 57-30, SNU. RSU tacked on five points before Lightfoot went to work again. With ten minutes to play, SNU held a 63-36 lead, thanks to 21 points and 13 rebounds from the big man, who proved to be too much for the Hillcats to handle inside.

Time continued to tick away, and SNU continued to dominate. Thomas, West, and Vladimir Bulut scored the Storm’s next nine points, which came as a result of steals from Alexander and Black. It was inevitable that the Hillcats would get a few buckets as well, but the Storm kept the margin large by knocking down shots from the free throw line and shutting down the RSU offense on several possessions.

With 5:39 to play, SNU led 73-48. The Hillcats continued to try and slow down the Storm offense by applying full court pressure like they had for the majority of the second half, but SNU handled the pressure well and continued to get to the rim and draw fouls.

Less than four minutes remained in the game and the Storm’s starters took a seat, giving the bench players an opportunity to impact the game. Shane Callaghan threw down a dunk with under two minutes to play, widening the lead to 25 for SNU, and Daniel White tacked on the back end of two shots from the line with 1:35 to play.

Shawn Seymour also go in the books for the Storm, knocking down a 10-foot jumper with under a minute to play. SNU iced the game away, adding a lay up from Robert Brewer as time ticked down. The Storm picked up a 26-point, 80-54 win over the Hillcats to improve to 10-1 in SAC play.

Jeremy Lightfoot led the way for the Storm with a double-double, scoring 22 points and snatching 13 rebounds. AJ Thomas added 14 points and six assists for the Storm, and Jon West finished with 13 points and four assists.

For the game, SNU shot 50% from the field (27-of-54), 35% from three-point range (6-of-17), and 57% from the line (20-35). The Hillcats shot 38% from the field (18-of-48), 30% from behind the arc (6-of-20), and 60% from the charity stripe (12-of-20).

SNU will be in action again on Saturday evening when they travel to Arkansas to face John Brown at 8:00 p.m.

(http://www.soonerathletic.org)--- 

Southern Nazarene guard Xavier Alexander has been named Sooner Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for Jan. 11-17.

Alexander, a 6-6 junior from Forest Park, Okla., averaged 20.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals in leading the Crimson Storm to three wins on the week. After scoring 18 on USAO and 19 on Lubbock Christian, he capped off the week with a 25-point day against Wayland Baptist. Alexander shot 70 percent from the field for the week.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The 9th-ranked Crimson Storm men’s basketball team picked up a 74-59 win over the Wayland Baptist Pioneers thanks to a strong first half performance. The win improves SNU to 14-4 on the season and 9-1 in SAC play. SNU had a solid first half on Saturday afternoon, but struggled to protect the ball in the second. Xavier Alexander’s 14-point second half performance gave SNU the lift they needed to defeat the Pioneers.

Box Score

SNU’s Jeremy Lightfoot picked up two big plays early in the game, finishing a shot at the rim and blocking a shot on the other end to give the Storm an opportunity to widen their lead to six with back-to-back buckets from Xavier Alexander. The Pioneers finally got on the board with 17:04 to play in the half, but AJ Thomas knocked down a trey to give the Storm a 9-2 lead on the next possession.

SNU then struggled to maintain possession, turning the ball over twice before Alexander knocked down the back end of two free throws to give the Storm a 10-2 lead with 15:43 on the clock. The Storm lead increased with a baseline three-pointer from Alexander on the next possession, and pressure defense prevented WBU from narrowing the gap. SNU forced several missed shots by the Pioneers in the first seven minutes of the half. WBU had an opportunity for two freebies from the line with 12:57 to play in the half, but couldn’t convert, keeping the Storm led at 13.

Vladimir Bulut came in off the bench and gave SNU a spark, draining a shot from behind the arc. The Pioneers began to chip away at the lead with two three-pointers of their own, but Lightfoot threw down a dunk and was fouled on the other end. Lightfoot’s free throw gave the Storm a 21-8 lead with 10:34 to play. Wayland Baptist continued to find success from behind the arc, but Lightfoot controlled the paint for SNU and helped them maintain a large lead with four more points and a blocked shot.

SNU point guard, AJ Thomas, excited the crowd on SNU’s next scoring possessions. Thomas faked a three-point shot from the baseline and forced a defender to leave his feet. Penetrating the lane, Thomas elevated over another defender and drained a floater to give the Storm two more. On the other end, Thomas grabbed a steal and hooked up with Adrian Hunter for a fast break bucket, giving the Storm a 29-12 lead. Kyle Boen was the next player to get in the books for SNU with a trey that widened the Storm lead to 18 with 6:24 to play before halftime.

The next two offensive possessions were a little sloppy for SNU, but tough defense kept the lead in double-digits. Thomas and Alexander were able to give the Storm a lift when they hooked up for an alley oop with just under five minutes to play in the half. Deonta Black picked up his first bucket of the game on the next possession to widen the margin to 19.

SNU and WBU got a little sloppy with the ball in the final few minutes of the half and turnovers were the result. The Storm also allowed the Pioneers second chances near the end of the half, allowing several offensive rebounds. As the clocked ticked below a minute, SNU started taking care of the ball. The Storm moved the ball around well before Jon West knocked down his first three of the night, giving the Storm a 43-21 lead with :58 seconds remaining. West added a jumper from just inside the three-point line with :07 seconds remaining, giving the Storm a 42-23 lead at the half.

Picking up where they left off in the first half, SNU came out hungry for a larger lead in the second. Jeremy Lightfoot reached double-digits with a bucket at the rim on the Storm’s first possession. The Pioneers cut into the lead, but Xavier Alexander got to the rim on a fast break with 17:16 remaining to give his team a 46-27 lead. AJ Thomas picked up his 7th assist of the game with the dish to Alexander.

The Pioneers put up a tough fight following the bucket from Alexander, chipping away at the Storm lead little by little. Kyle Boen gave the Storm a lift with a baseline three-pointer, making the lead 17 for the Storm in spite of a four-minute scoring drought. Wayland Baptist then cut SNU’s lead to 11 and forced a Storm turnover with 11:09 remaining in the game. With an opportunity to narrow the margin to single digits, the Pioneers could not convert, picking up a player control foul in the paint to give the Storm possession once again.

Again, SNU struggled offensively and WBU took advantage, cutting the lead to nine with 9:14 to play. Leading 51-42, the Storm desperately needed to regain momentum. WBU’s pressure defense forced SNU to alter their offense, but Deonta Black gave the Storm their 10th and 11th points of the half from the free throw line to widen the margin to double-digits once again.

SNU picked up with full court pressure following the free throws and they were able to force a Pioneers turnover. With an opportunity to increase their lead, the Storm got the ball to Alexander who was leading the way with 15 points. Alexander penetrated, finishing a contested shot while getting fouled. He added a free throw to give SNU a 14-point, 56-42 lead with 8:20 to play. Jon West got to the rim for a lay up on the Storm’s next possession, and Alexander mirrored a moment later, scoring his 20th point of the night in the paint.

With 6:12 remaining SNU led 60-45 and Alexander continued to give the Storm the points they needed to keep WBU trailing by double digits. The Pioneers struggled to contain Alexander’s penetration and he was sent to the line on the Storm’s next two possessions. He knocked down 3-of-4 from the line, giving SNU a 16-point lead with a little more than five minutes to play.

Wayland Baptist refused to back down, cutting the Storm lead to 11 before Alexander went to work again, putting a tough finger roll through the bottom of the net to give SNU a 65-52 lead with 3:30 remaining. Daniel White gave the Storm a spark with a fast break slam following a lay up from the Pioneers, but a trey on the other end from WBU’s Tommie Sanders narrowed the margin to ten.

Shane Callaghan scored his first two points of the night, tipping in a Clement N’Gom shot that rimmed out with under two minutes to play to give SNU a 69-57 lead. The Pioneers didn’t let up, but the Storm defense held strong and SNU iced the game away at the free throw line, picking up a 74-59 victory.

The Storm was led by Xavier Alexander’s 25-point performance. Jeremy Lightfoot added 14 points and 7 rebounds for SNU, and AJ Thomas finished with nine points and seven assists.

For the game, SNU shot 57% from the field (26-of-46), 43% from behind the arc (6-of-14), and 70% from the free throw line (16-of-23). The Pioneers finished the day 32% from the field (21-of-66), 27% from three-point range (6-of-22), and 61% from the charity stripe (11-of-18).

SNU will be in action again January 21st at 8:00 p.m. when they host Rogers State.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---After getting ranked in the top ten earlier this week, and defeating conference opponent USAO, the 9th-ranked Crimson Storm men’s basketball team continued their winning streak with a 28-point win over Lubbock Christian on Thursday night at home. SNU finished the game with 11 players scoring, defeating the Chaps 88-60 to improve to 13-4 on the season and 8-1 in SAC play.

Box Score

The Chaps won the tip but their first possession was short lived due to SNU’s intense pressure defense that forced a turnover early on. Unfortunately, LCU got on the board first a few possessions later, draining a three to take their first lead of the game. Xavier Alexander got the Storm offense going on the other end, backing his defender down and knocking down a hook shot with 18:07 to play in the half.

LCU and SNU exchanged a few free throws before Alexander went to work again, throwing down back-to-back dunks to give the Storm the momentum. The first dunk came on an assist from Jon West, who hit Alexander in stride. With a defender on his tail, Alexander dribbled toward the center of the floor and threw down a one handed beauty to tie the game at five. SNU went ahead by two with the next slam, but the Chaps responded on the other end. Just one possession later, Deonta Black picked up his first basket of the game and was fouled. He took advantage of the three-point play opportunity, giving the Storm a 10-7 lead with 16:04 to play in the half.

The Chaps closed the gap after SNU went ahead by five, knotting the game at 12, then again at 14 following a jumper from Black. AJ Thomas gave the Storm the advantage once again with a second chance bucket in the paint after a nice steal by teammate Daniel White. With 12;54 to play in the half, SNU lead 16-14. Widening the gap for the Storm, Adrian Hunter draining a shot from behind the arc.

SNU continued to apply pressure on the defensive end, keeping LCU off the scoreboard until the 10:29 mark when they narrowed the gap to three. The Chaps closed the gap a few possessions later, but Jeremy Lightfoot gave the Storm a lead again with his first bucket in the paint, and White extended the advantage with two makes from the line on the next possession. With 8:51 to play in the half, SNU had a 23-19 lead over LCU.

The Chaps tried to gain momentum with a dunk on the ensuing possession, but Jon West made a beautiful spin move and knocked down a jumper in the lane on the other end. After forcing a turnover, Alexander scored his eighth point of the half when he drove the lane and laid it in to give SNU a 27-21 lead with 6:53 remaining in the half.

The battle continued and SNU was able to maintain their lead by crashing the offensive glass and finishing their second chance opportunities and their chances from the charity stripe. With four minutes to play before the break, West hooked up with Lightfoot on a pretty no-look pass from the top of the key and Lightfoot threw down a dunk to give SNU their first double-digit lead of the night.

Quick ball movement on the offensive end resulted in several players getting in the books, and strong defense kept the advantage in the Storm’s favor at the half, with SNU leading by eight, 41-33.

The Storm got off to a solid start in the second half, finding the bottom of the net after pulling down two offensive rebounds. Xavier Alexander reached double-digits with the third chance basket and SNU took a ten-point lead. Much like the first half, Alexander got his team and the crowd excited early on. Following his bucket in the paint, he threw down his third dunk of the night on a fast break. Jeremy Lightfoot tipped a pass out of the lane to AJ Thomas who hit Alexander up the floor. SNU continued their run with two free throws from Alexander and a dunk from Lightfoot, widening the gap to 16 after eight unanswered points in the first four minutes of the half.

After falling behind by 18, the Chaps were finally able to get on the scoreboard in the second half with a trey ball from Al Duvall. Deonta Black, who led the way for SNU in the first half with ten points, picked up his first bucket of the half with 14:25 to play in the game, giving SNU a 53-36 lead over LCU. The Chaps made every attempt to chip away at the Storm lead, but SNU refused to left up offensively, responded to nearly every LCU bucket in the first six minutes of the half.

Alexander and Black continued to be the story for the SNU offense. With 12:50 to play in the half, Alexander threw a beautiful pass towards the rim and Black elevated, tipping it in with one hand to give the Storm a 16-point, 56-40 lead. The very deep Storm team proved just how big of a threat they could be as the second half progressed. With ten minutes before the conclusion of the game, SNU led by 15 and eight of the ten players who had stepped on the floor had gotten in the books with points. Of those eight scorers, three players were in double-digits for the Storm.

SNU’s defense began to weaken as they became more comfortable with the large lead, resulting in a few easy buckets from the Chaps. With the gap narrowed to 13, LCU looked to build on momentum and cut the lead to single digits. But SNU got a trey ball from their ninth scorer, Kyle Boen, and the Storm remained in control, leading 68-50 with 7:05 to play.

The domination continued for SNU, and with less than five minutes to play, Vladimir Bulut gave the Storm a 23-point lead with a dagger from behind the arc. Thomas widened the gap a little more on the next possession with a 15-foot jumper that put the Chaps on their heels for good. After forcing another LCU miss, Thomas drained a three-pointer, and SNU took a 28-point lead with 3:46 to play. Bulut mirrored, knocking down another trey of his own.

Time ticked away in the game, and several other players got in the books with points. Shane Callaghan knocked put a lay up through to extend the Storm lead to 29, and followed with one-of-two from the line in the next possession. Callaghan’s miss on the back end from the line resulted in a bucket from Brady Toone, who tipped in the miss. SNU led 87-55 with 2:02 to play in the game, and the Chaps has no chance to come back.

The Storm picked up an 88-60 win over Lubbock Christian and improved to 8-1 in SAC play. SNU was led by Xavier Alexander who finished with 19-points and six assists, shooting 7-of-8 from the field and 5-of-7 from the free throw line. Deonta Black added 14 points and eight rebounds. Daniel White finished with 12 points, and Jeremy Lightfoot added 10. AJ Thomas also had six assists on the night.

For the game, SNU shot 54% from the field (33-of-61), 39% from behind the arc (5-of-13), and 77% from the free throw line (17-of-22). Lubbock Christian shot 33% from the field (18-of-55), 19% from three-point range (5-of-26), and 79% from the line (19-of-24).

SNU will be in action again on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. when they host Wayland Baptist.

Monday was a good day for the SNU Men's basketball program as they jumped up into the top ten in the national rankings to number nine. Then, they traveled to Chickasha to face the USAO Drovers. After somewhat of a slow start, SNU controlled the rest of the first half and took a 14 point lead into the locker room. The game was a bit closer in the second half, but the Drovers were never able to get closer than 12 points. SNU won by a final score of 72-54.

Box Score

The game started out with SNU and USAO trading baskets for the first four minutes before USAO gained a quick five point lead at 6-11 with 15:31 to play in the first half. On the following possesion, Xavier Alexander knocked down a three-pointer, which sparked an SNU run.

The Storm proceeded to go on a 14-0 run capped off by Vladimir Bulut's two-point basket with 11:13 left to play in the half. At this point, the game was virtually over as USAO was never able to get closer than six points the rest of the game.

SNU's biggest lead of the first half was sixteen after Deonta Black got a steal and finished off the exciting two-point basket with 3:17 to play in the half. The Storm were led in scoring in the first half by Jon West who had nine points.

The second half was a bit closer than the first half, but SNU had the game in hand and it wouldn't take much for them to finish the game with the win. They outscored USAO 30-26 in the second half.

The Storm shot 47.5% from the field on the night (29-of-61) and 31.8% from the three-point line (7-of-22). Luckily, they didn't have to rely on their free-throw shooting, as they were just 50% on the night (7-of-14).

SNU had three players in double figures as Xavier Alexander, A.J. Thomas, and Jon West scored 18, 16, and 14 respectively. Alexander also led the team with eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals.

#9 SNU will host Lubbock Christian University this Thursday evening at home at 8p.m.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm men’s basketball team improved to 10-4 on the season and 5-1 in Sooner Athletic Conference play with a 22-point victory over the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers on Friday night at home. Coming off a big win over undefeated Oklahoma Christian, SNU struggled to get things going until the end of the first half. At the break, the Storm led by 14 and they continued to widen the gap throughout the second half with several fast break buckets, walking away with an 82-60 win.

Box Score

SNU got off to a slow start in the game and NWOSU took a 13-4 lead with 15:20 to play in the half. Having struggled the first five minutes, the Storm looked to get things going offensively with a fast break dunk from Xavier Alexander. Vladimir Bulut narrowed the NWOSU lead to six with a jumper in the paint, but the Rangers continued to hit shots, going ahead 17-9 with 11:23 to play in the half.

Alexander cut into the NWOSU lead a little, knocking down two shots from the charity stripe, and Deonta Black stripped the ball away from a Rangers player at the top of the key, throwing down a dunk on the other end to narrow the gap to four. Another three-pointer from NWOSU widened the gap again, however, and SNU continued to trail with less than ten minutes to play in the half.

Getting in the books for SNU was Daniel White a few possessions later when he put a reverse lay up through the net to cut the deficit to three. White drained two shots from the charity stripe on the next possession and with 8:13 to play in the half, SNU trailed 21-22.

The Storm picked up the pressure defensively and forced Rangers mistakes, capitalizing on fast break opportunities. Alexander threw another dunk on a beautiful cross court pass from AJ Thomas, and Jon West tied knotted the game at 25 with 5:49 remaining by knocking down a jumper. SNU and NWOSU exchanged buckets on the following possessions, but the Rangers were able to take the lead once again with another three-pointer.

With time winding down in the half, Jeremy Lightfoot elevated over a defender in the paint and knocked down a shot to cut the deficit to one, giving to Storm an opportunity to take the lead on the next possession with a baseline jumper from Clement N’Gom. With 2:57 to play in the half, Lightfoot gave the Storm a 33-30 lead over the Rangers. Extending the Storm lead, N’Gom knocked down the front end of two free throws and SNU continued to hold strong on the defensive end, giving them the opportunity to go ahead by seven with a three from Thomas.

The closer it got to halftime, the wider the Storm lead became, and with under a minute to play, SNU scored nine unanswered points, giving them a 44-30 lead at the break.

The Storm came out ready in the second half, forcing a turnover on the first Rangers possession and finding the bottom of the net with a Jon West jumper on the other end. SNU continued to control the game, and with 15:32 to play, Alexander widened the margin to 14 once again with a beautiful finger roll lay up. Leading 50-36, the Storm refused to let up even when the Rangers attempted to chip away at the lead.

After a two-minute offensive drought, SNU finally got on the board again with another big bucket in the paint from Alexander. The next defensive series for SNU resulted in a fast break bucket from Alexander after Deonta Black swatted a Rangers shot attempt up the floor and Daniel White grabbed the loose ball, firing a pass down court.
On the next SNU possession, Adrian Hunter drained a step back jumper, giving the Storm a 56-39 lead with 10:49 to play. West knocked down his first three-pointer of the game shortly after and SNU led by 20. Things looked as if they may turn the other way when several fouls were called on the Storm, but AJ Thomas gave his team momentum once again, knocking down a shot from behind the arc with 8:28 to play.

Kyle Boen got in the books for SNU a few possessions later, draining a three-pointer of his own to give the Storm a 67-49 lead. The Rangers were able to score on several of their next possessions, but SNU answered nearly every time, maintaining a 20-point lead with five minutes to play.

Much like the first half, SNU built on their lead as time ticked away. Jeremy Lightfoot put a tough lay up in, and AJ Thomas followed on the next possession with his third trey of the night. Alexander added to the lead, converting on a three-point play to give the Storm a 79-51 lead with 3:39 to play.

SNU closed out the game with a 22-point, 82-60 win over the NWOSU Rangers.

Individually, SNU was led by Xavier Alexander’s 19 points. Jon West and Jeremy Lightfoot were the other two players in double figures for the Storm, with 11 and 10 points respectively. AJ Thomas added nine points and dished out six assists in the win.

For the game, SNU shot 58% from the field (30-of-52), 32% from behind the arc (6-of-19), and 73% from the free throw line (16-of-22). The Rangers had a tough night shooting, finishing just 38% from the field (22-of-58), 30% from three-point range (6-of-20), and 71% from the line (10-of-14).

SNU will be in action again on Monday night when they travel to Chickasaw for a game against USAO. Tip off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.

 (EDMOND, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm men’s basketball team rebounded from a loss to Oklahoma Baptist earlier in the week and handed the 4th-ranked Oklahoma Christian Eagles their first loss of the season on Thursday evening at the Eagles’ Nest. SNU defeated OC 85-70 to improve to 4-1 in SAC play and 9-4 on the season. The Storm had four players in double figures, propelling them over All-American Jason Taylor and the Eagles.

Box Score

SNU was led by AJ Thomas and Deonta Black. Thomas went 3-of-4 from behind the arc, and 4-of-7 from the field to score 18 points, and Black added another 18. Xavier Alexander wasn’t far behind, finishing the night with 17 points and eight rebounds. Vladimir Bulut was the fourth player in double figures for the Storm, scoring 10 points.

The Crimson Storm had an outstanding night shooting, and their success from the field and behind the arc proved to be the difference maker. For the game, SNU shot 52% from the field (28-of-54), an incredible 57% from three-point range (8-of-14), and 78% from the line (21-of-27). The Eagles shot 41% from the field (26-of-63), 44% from behind the arc (10-of-23), and just 57% from the charity stripe (8-of-14).

More information to follow…

(Edmond, Okla.) --- The #14 ranked Crimson Storm were unable to hold on to a nine point second half lead on Monday night against undefeated and #3 ranked opponent Oklahoma Baptist, losing 73-83. Despite the loss, SNU showed that do belong in the top 25 and that they can play with any team in the nation.

SNU was led in scoring by A.J. Thomas, who had 23 points. He was followed by Deonta Black and Xavier Alexander who had 15 and 14 points respectively. Alexander also recorded 9 rebounds to lead the team.

The Crimson Storm were able to hold OBU scoreless from behind the three-point line. OBU was 0-for-9 from behind the arc. The difference in the game was OBU's ability to get to the free-throw line. They shot 21 free throws in the second half alone and 31 in the entire game.

SNU is now 9-4 on the season and 4-1 in the Sooner Athletic Conference. Even after the loss against OBU, SNU is still tied for 3rd in the SAC with Mid America Christian. Tonight, they will have a chance to knock off another undefeated team in Oklahoma Christian University.

SNU will travel across town to face the Eagles, who are ranked 1st in the conference and 4th in the nation. Oklahoma Christian currently has one of the longest win streaks in the country.  They are led by a reigning first team All-American center and last week's SAC player of the week, Jason Taylor. Taylor is averaging nearly 19 points and 11 rebounds per game.

SNU and Oklahoma Christian have split the last two seasons, going 2-2 against each other during that span.

Tonight's game will tip off at 8p.m. at the Eagles' Nest on the campus of Oklahoma Christian.

 

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm men’s basketball team hosted the undefeated, 3rd-ranked Oklahoma Baptist Bison on Monday evening in the Sawyer Center. SNU started the game strong, holding a five-point lead at the half, but the Bison came up hungry in the second and walked away with an 83-73 win over the Storm. The loss moves SNU to 4-1 in SAC play and 9-4 on the season.

Box Score

The Bison jumped out to a quick lead in the first half, but SNU’s Xavier Alexander worked hard to keep his team within just a few points, scoring six of the team’s first ten points. The Storm fed the ball inside to their big men often, and Deonta Black and Jeremy Lightfoot combined for the teams’ other four points in the first six minutes of the game.

Both SNU and OBU looked sloppy early on, struggling to take care of the ball and finish opportunities around the rim. Mistakes by the Bison gave the Storm an opportunity to knot the game at 13 with 13:23 remain in the half when AJ Thomas buried a shot from behind the arc. OBU widened their lead following Thomas’ bucket, gaining a four-point advantage before the next three ball from the SNU point guard.

Trailing 18-16 with just under 11 minutes remaining in the half, SNU tied the game up once again. Adrian Hunter pulled down a board and hit Alexander who was running the floor. Alexander continued to push and dished a nice pass off to Black who laid it in to knot the game at 18. On the following possession Alexander gave the Storm a one-point lead, draining a shot from behind the arc. Hunter mirrored on the next SNU possession, and the Storm gained a two-point advantage over the number three team in the country.

Leading 24-22, SNU maintained their lead by responding to OBU’s buckets on the next three possessions. Alexander threw down a dunk for the Storm to maintain a two-point advantage and Thomas followed with back-to-back jumpers giving SNU a 30-26 lead over the Bison with 4:41 remaining in the half.

OBU attempted to eliminate the Storm lead, but strong defense and successful offensive possessions by SNU prevented the Bison from doing so. Black tacked on two free throws to give the Storm their largest lead of the half, a five point, 32-27 advantage with 3:11 to play before the break. Following an OBU bucket, Thomas scored his 12th point of the night with a jumper from just outside the paint. SNU took a seven-point lead with a bucket from Black as the clock ticked below a minute. A final bucket from OBU narrowed the lead to five, and SNU was on top 36-31 at the break.

SNU came out hungry for a larger lead early in the second half, pushing the ball up the floor on their first three possessions. Jeremy Lightfoot was SNU’s go-to guy and he found the bottom of the net with a fast break lay-up and a bucket in the paint, giving SNU a nine-point lead in the first two minutes of the half. The Bison responded on their next two possessions, but Lightfoot came up with his eighth point of the second half and SNU led 42-34 with 17:43 to play.

The Bison began to chip away at the Storm lead, however, narrowing the gap to three by forcing poor shot selection and turnovers by the SNU offense. Alexander gave SNU momentum on the other end, throwing an OBU shot into the stands. The Storm regained possession by forcing a missed shot, and Daniel White hit his first shot of the game.

With 14:57 remaining in the game, SNU held a 46-42 lead, but the Bison refused to let up, as they knotted the game at 46. OBU applied high-pressure defense, but AJ Thomas blew by his defender on the following possession and gave the Storm a lead once again. Several SNU turnovers gave the Bison an opportunity to take the lead, and they took advantage, going ahead 52-48.

SNU began to chip away at the OBU lead, narrowing the gap to one with a jumper from Black, but the Bison offense continued to find success, regaining a five-point lead with 10:23 remaining. Both SNU and OBU then went silent offensively until Alexander drove to the hole and was fouled. His two makes from the charity stripe cut the OBU lead to three.

The Bison got things going again offensively, and SNU struggled to find the bottom of the net, falling behind by six points with 6:37 to play. Then, Thomas knocked down his third three-pointer of the night to cut the lead to three. Turnovers and fouls plagued the Storm once again, and the Bison went ahead by eight with under five minutes to play. 

With four minutes to play in the half, OBU tacked on two free throws and took their first double-digit lead of the game, going ahead 70-60. Jon West put a shot in the paint through the net to cut the lead to nine, but the Storm defense gave up a bucket on the other end a

nd the Bison led by 11 with under three minutes to play. Thomas came up with his fourth trey ball of the game to narrow the margin to eight, but OBU’s Tim Bowman continued to get to the bucket and tack on points for the Bison, keeping the Storm behind by double-digits.

Trailing by 12 with under a minute to play, it looked as if the Storm would pick up their first conference loss of the season. Back-to-back threes from West and Thomas gave the Storm a chance to get back in it, but OBU proved clutch at the free throw line and SNU trailed by nine with :43 seconds to play. The Bison iced the game away, picking up a 83-73 win over SNU.

For the game, Snu shot 40% from the field (27-of-68), 38% from three-point range (8-of-21), and 69% from the line (11-of-16). The Bison finished the game 49% from the field (32-of-66), and 61% from the line (19-of-31).

AJ Thomas led the way for SNU with 23 points, and Deonta Black finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. Xavier Alexander added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Storm.

SNU will be in action again on Thursday night when they travel to Oklahoma Christian for another battle with an undefeated SAC rival. The 4th-ranked OC Eagles and the 14th-ranked SNU Storm are set to tip off at 8:00 p.m.

(Shawnee, Okla.) --- The 14th ranked Crimson Storm Men's Basketball team started the semester off with an impressive road win versus St. Gregory's University from Shawnee, Oklahoma. SNU improves to 9-3 on the season with the win.

Box Score

The first half was a little rough for SNU as they ended the half trailing by 3, 29-26. In the second half, SNU had more success finding opportunities to score as they proved too much for St. Gregory's down the stretch. The final score was SNU 62, St. Gregory's, 57.

SNU shot 41% (24-for-58) from the field for the game, while they held St. Gregory's to just 35% (20-for-57). SNU struggled from both the free throw line and the three point line as they shot just 50% (10-for-20) from the free throw line and 20% (4-for-20) from the three point line.

SNU was led in scoring by Xavier Alexander who posted 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting. He was followed by Deonta Black who was the only other SNU player in double figures with 10 points. He also led the team in rebounding with 8 rebounds.

St. Gregory's was led in scoring by Fayzon Richey with 16 points. He was followed by Dominique Johnson who had 12 points.

SNU will return to action on Monday night as they have a very important conference team against Oklahoma Baptist University.

(BETHANY, Okla.)----The Crimson Storm men’s basketball team closed out first semester play on Friday night with an 83-61 win over Haskell Indian Nations in non-conference play. With the victory, SNU improves to 8-3 on the year.

Box Score

Despite a closely contested first 12 minutes of play in the first half in which SNU held a two-point lead of 22-20 with 8:17 to play before half, SNU still went into halftime with a comfortable 13-point lead. The Crimson Storm closed out the final eight minutes of the first period by out-scoring the Indians 20-9 to take a 42-29 halftime lead.

In the second half, SNU out-scored Haskell 42-32 to take the 83-61 victory.

For the game, SNU connected on 43% of their shots from the floor (27-of-63), 39% from three (10-of-26) and 54% (19-of-35) from the free throw line. Haskell struggled from the floor, hitting only 33% from the field (20-for-60), 26% from three (5-of-19) and 73% from the free throw line (16-of-22). On the glass, SNU out-rebounded Haskell 48-41 and the Storm forced 24 Indian turnovers.

Individually, SNU was led by Xavier Alexander’s double-double of 17 points and ten rebounds. Alexander had a huge night, finishing with five assists, three blocks and three steals. A.J. Thomas added 18 points and five steals, Vladimir Bulut scored 12 and Daniel White finished with ten points. Kyle Boen added nine points for SNU.

Haskell Indian Nations was led by D.J. Fish’s 19 points. Tyler Cooper added 17 and Marcellous Hill scored ten.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm cruised to 3-0 in Sooner Athletic Conference play with a dominating 94-60 win over USAO on Tuesday night in the Sawyer Center. With the win, SNU also improved to 7-3 overall.

On Tuesday night, SNU shot a blistering 66% from the floor, their best field goal percentage of the season, to the crush the Drovers.

SNU’s attack was balanced, led by Xavier Alexander’s 18 points. The Storm had four players in double figures offensively. Jeremy Lightfoot added 14 points, Jon West finished with 12 and A.J. Thomas posted ten.

Second year head coach Adam Bohac could not have asked for a better start to conference play as SNU sits firmly in second place, a half game back of Oklahoma Christian.

Obviously, there are still plenty of games to play on the SAC slate with 19 conference games awaiting second semester, but a strong start cannot be underestimated.

Tonight, SNU will look to close out first semester play on a high note before finals week begins next week.

After this evenings game, SNU will be off for close to a month before restarting SAC play on January 2nd at St. Gregory’s.

Tonight, SNU welcomes Haskell Indian Nations to the Sawyer Center. Haskell is 2-10 on the year. All-time, SNU leads this series 6-0.

These two teams met last year twice, with SNU winning a close one in Lawrence, 76-74, and then cruising at home against HINU, 97-48.

To view a statistical comparison of the two teams, click here...

SNU vs. Haskell Indian Nations

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Game Day Program

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Live Audio

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Live Stats

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm carried over the momentum from their victory over Rogers State on Saturday night to pick up a 34-point victory over the USAO Drovers on Tuesday night in the Sawyer Center. SNU dominated from the tip, shooting 66% from the field and 47% from three-point range to keep the Drovers at bay. With the win, SNU improves to 7-3 on the season and 3-0 in SAC play.

Box Score

SNU got off to a great start, taking a 11-0 lead with 16:20 to play in the first half. AJ Thomas who scored five of SNU’s first 11 points led the Storm offense. Jeremy Lightfoot added to buckets of his own to give the Storm a large lead early in the game. The Drovers got on the board for the first time with a fast break lay up at with 15:43 on the clock.

Continuing to widen the gap, SNU find the bottom of the net on their next four possessions, topping off the 6-0 drive with a dunk from Xavier Alexander. After allowing USAO to add one-of-two from the free throw line with a foul in the paint, SNU’s Thomas forced the Drover defense to collapse, kicking the ball out to Kyle Boen who knocked down a jumper from behind the arc and gave the Storm a 20-3 lead with 14-minutes remaining in the half. Thomas picked up an assist on the next drive as well, floating a pass into Deonta Black who drained a jumper in the paint.

The Drovers refused to give up, chipping away at the Storm lead and narrowing the gap to 16 with less than 12 minutes remaining in the first. But SNU continued to work on the defensive end and draw fouls by getting in the paint on the offensive end. Alexander and Lightfoot combined for four free throws, and Boen added another trey ball, increasing the Storm lead to 21 with 9:06 to play in the half.

Leading 32-11, SNU continued to widen the margin crashing the board on both ends and pushing the ball up the floor. The Storm took their largest lead of the half, 36-11, at the 7:40 mark after a board and put-back from Lightfoot. After the Drovers added a few buckets, Thomas reached double figures on the night with a jump shot that gave SNU a 38-14 lead.

Alexander gave a the Storm a 43-18 lead with 2:13 to play in the half, jumping the passing lane and breaking away down the court before slamming it down to give SNU even more momentum with the break nearing. The Drovers chipped away at the lead in the last few minutes, but the Storm remained in control, on top 44-27 at the half.

USAO came out fighting in the second half, putting points on the board and picking up the intensity on the defensive end as well. SNU held strong when facing the pressure, however, continuing to find the bottom of the net. Jon West gave the Storm a 21-point lead with 16:50 remaining in the game, knocking down a three-pointer to put SNU ahead 54-33.

The Drovers attempting to cut into the Storm lead, but the margin was too large and every time USAO knocked down a shot, SNU responded with a bucket of their own. With less than 11 minutes to play in the half, the Storm led by 22, despite a trey ball from USAO’s Mike Randle.

Deonta Black gave SNU another two-points with a jumper 10-foot jumper, and Xavier Alexander added a lay up. Just a few minutes later, Black finished another bucket in the paint to give the Storm a 28-point advantage with 8:53 to play. SNU continued to widen the gap, going ahead by 30 at one point in the final ten minutes of the half.

With all the momentum on their side, the Storm continued to find the bottom of the net. Several different players got in the books for SNU with buckets coming from Daniel White, Vladimir Bulut, Shane Callaghan, and Clement N’Gom. All of the offensive success resulted in a 34-point lead for the Storm, 90-56.

With just over two minutes to play, coach Adam Bohac gave his bench players a chance to get on the floor and make an impact as well. SNU’s Brent Frantz came in and knocked down a trey to give the Storm their final points of the night, finishing with a 94-60 victory over the Drovers to remain undefeated in conference play.

SNU shot an impressive 66% from the line (36-of-55), 47% from three-point range (8-of-17), and 70% from the free throw line (14-0f-20). The Drovers were much less successful shooting on the night, due to a strong defensive performance from SNU. USAO shot 38% from the field (24-of-64), 19% from behind the arc (3-of-16), and 64% from the line (9-of-14).

Xavier Alexander 18 points and 6 assists led the Storm. Jeremy Lightfoot added 14 points and 7 rebounds, and Jon West finished with 12 points of his own. Also finishing in double figures was AJ Thomas with 10 points and 6 assists.

SNU will be in action again on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. when they host Haskell-Indian Nations.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---SNU has made a strong statement in their first two conference games, routing previously unbeaten John Brown 78-55 at home and upsetting 6th-ranked Rogers State on the road on Saturday night, 70-62.

In SNU’s win on Saturday night in Claremore, the Storm controlled the game, leading by 16 at halftime and going up by as many as 17 points in the second half.

With the wins, SNU sits at 2-0 in SAC play, tied for second place with Oklahoma Baptist. Oklahoma Christian is a half game ahead of the Storm and Bison at 3-0 in conference play.

Tonight, SNU will round out first semester conference play against USAO. Starting the SAC 3-0 would be a huge advantage for the Crimson Storm heading into the second semester of play that will feature 19 grueling conference games.

SNU’s opponent tonight, USAO, has struggled thus far, coming into tonight’s game with a 2-4 overall record and an 0-1 mark in SAC play.

The Drovers played their first conference game of the year on Saturday night, falling to John Brown 85-65 in Chickasha.

All-time, SNU has controlled this series, leading the meetings 46-27. Last year, SNU won in the Sawyer Center while USAO clipped the Storm by two points in Chickasha.

After tonight, SNU will have one more game this semester as the Crimson Storm hosts Haskell Indian Nations on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. After that game, SNU will be off for the Christmas break before lacing it up again on January 2nd at St. Gregory’s.

To view a statistical comparison of the two teams, click here...

SNU vs. USAO

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Game Day Program

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Live Audio

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Live Stats

(CLAREMORE, Okla.)---- The Crimson Storm men's basketball team improved to 6-3 on the year and 2-0 in Sooner Athletic Conference play with a 70-62 upset of 6th-ranked Rogers State University on Saturday night in Claremore. With the win, SNU moves into a two-way tie with Oklahoma Baptist at 2-0 for second place in the SAC conference. Oklahoma Christian currently leads the SAC with a 3-0 record.

Box Score

On Saturday night, the Crimson Storm dominated the Hillcats throughout the game, taking a commanding 16-point halftime lead and leading by as many as 17 points in the second half. RSU mounted a late comeback to make the game close, but the Storm hung on for the eight point win.

In the first half, the Crimson Storm grabbed a 37-21 halftime advantage after shooting 48% (15-of-31) from the floor and 3-of-8 from beyond the arc. The difference was the SNU defense which held the Hillcats to a dismal 26% shooting performance from the field.

The second half was much of the same early on as the Crimson Storm continued to hold a double figure advantage before RSU drew within four points at 66-62 late. SNU scored the games final four points to finish up the victory 70-62.

For the game, the Crimson Storm hit 45% of their shots from the floor (25-of-56), 40% from three (6-of-15) and 56% from the free throw line (14-of-25). The Crimson Storm defense held the Hillcats to 32% shooting from the floor for the evening (19-of-60), 29% from three (6-of-21) and 69% from the free throw line (18-of-26).

On the glass, SNU and RSU each grabbed 40 rebounds apiece. Each team also finished with 14 turnovers.

Individually, Southern Nazarene was led by A.J. Thomas’ 19 points. Thomas was 7-of-12 from the floor and 2-of-5 from three. Deonta Black added 15 points and six boards on 6-of-7 shooting from the floor. Xavier Alexander followed with ten points and eight rebounds and Daniel White added eight points for the Storm.

Rogers State was paced by Lance Sullivan’s 18 points. Reggie Burnett finished with 15, Chris Francis added 14 and Sylvester Spicer added eleven for the Hillcats.

SNU will finish up first semester conference play on Tuesday night, hosting USAO in the Sawyer Center at 8:00 p.m.

(BETHANY, OKLA.)---The Crimson Storm men’s basketball team opened their conference season on Thursday night with a win over John Brown in the Sawyer Center. After trailing early in the game, SNU gained momentum and took control late in the first half and led by 11 at the half. Dominating the second half, the Storm closed out their first conference game with a 23-point victory, winning 78-55. With the win, SNU improves to 5-4 on the season and 1-0 on Sooner Athletic Conference play.

Box Score

JBU got on the board first, with a jumper on their second possession of the game, but SNU responded with a trey ball from A.J. Thomas and took control early in the game, going ahead 7-4 with 15 minutes to play in the half. Both teams were silent offensively for the next few minutes until the Golden Eagles knotted the score at seven with a three-pointer from Coleson Rakestraw.

SNU took advantage of their next opportunity to regain the lead as Deonta Black knocked down one-of-two from the line to give the Storm an 8-7 lead with just over ten minutes remaining in the half. Once again JBU took the lead, draining back-to-back jumpers to take an 11-8 lead over SNU.

The Storm continued to struggle from the field, and John Brown continued to widen the gap, taking a 16-12 lead with 8:37 to play before the break. After giving up another bucket SNU began to regain momentum, closing the gap with a layup from Jon West followed by two free throws from Kyle Boen. The Storm kept the defensive pressure on the Golden Eagles but came up short on an opportunity to tie the game at 18. Xavier Alexander with one-of-two from the line and SNU trailed by just one, 17-18 with 5:29 to play in the half.
Taking their first lead since early in the half, SNU went ahead 21-18 with free throws from Jon West and a fast break layup from Thomas, forcing JBU to call a time out in an attempt to end the Storm momentum. Following the break, SNU continue maintain control. Jeremy Lightfoot look for an opening in the lane, forcing JBU to collapse and opening up Thomas in the corner. Without hesitation, Thomas left a shot fly, draining a three-pointer to give the Storm a 24-18 lead with 3:44 remaining.

Once again, Thomas gave SNU points on their next possession, drawing a foul on a three-point attempt and knocking down two-of-three from the line to give the Storm a 26-19 lead. Strong defense resulted in SNU’s next bucket when Alexander stripped a JBU player of the ball and went coast-to-coast, beating one defender and laying the ball in. Black added a jumper on the next possession to give the Storm a 30-19 lead going into halftime.

With an 11-point lead in their favor, SNU came out in the second half looking to carry over the momentum they gained late in the first half. Jon West gave the Storm their first bucket of the half with a tough layup that fell through to put SNU ahead 32-20. The Golden Eagles began to chip away at the Storm lead, but Kyle Boen widened the gap once again with a trey ball on an assist from Alexander.

Leading 39-28, SNU began to struggle offensively and JBU went on a 5-0 run, cutting the Storm lead in half. Refusing to let their lead slip away, Vladimir Bulut knocked down a long three-pointer from the left side of the floor to put SNU ahead by nine. Thomas came up with a steal on the defensive end for the Storm, dishing it off the Black who threw down a dunk in the open court, giving SNU a 44-33 lead with 13:56 remaining in the half.

Once again, the Golden Eagles attempted to narrow the gap, closing it to four before SNU was able to get on the board again with two free throws from Thomas and a fast break layup from Alexander. Leading 49-40 with exactly ten minutes remaining in the game, the Storm looked to force JBU to make mistakes on the offensive end, applying high-pressure defense.

Giving SNU a 12-point lead with less than ten minutes to play was Alexander. Daniel White held the ball at the top of the key, finding Alexander open on the left block and firing a pass his way. Alexander elevated and slammed the ball home.

SNU continued to maintain the cushion of a double-digit lead until there were just under seven minutes to play and JBU knocked down two shots from the charity stripe to close the gap to nine. Once again, the Storm made their offensive possession count, crashing the board on a missed jumper from Alexander, Black tipped the ball in to regain an 11-point lead with 6:12 remaining.

Continuing to widen the gap, SNU used a bucket in the paint from Alexander and a trey ball from Thomas to take a commanding 68-52 lead with 4:43 to play in the game. Just a few possessions later, Thomas stole the ball and hit Kyle Boen who ran the floor and finished a layup while drawing the foul. Boen’s attempt from the line was unsuccessful, but the Storm remained in control, leading by 17 with less than four minutes to play. SNU continued to pull away, going ahead by 23 before the final buzzer. The 78-55 win moved the Storm to 1-0 on conference play.

Leading the way for SNU was A.J. Thomas who finished with 19 points, shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 3-of-6 from behind the arc. Xavier Alexander assed 16 points for the Storm, dishing out four assists, and Deonta Black finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds. Jon West also finished in double figures for SNU, scoring 11 points and pulling down 8 boards.

SNU shot 49% from the field (25-of-51), 35% from three-point range (6-of-17) and 70% from the free throw line (22-of-32). The Golden Eagles finished the night at 32% from the field (19-of-59), 17% from behind the arc (4-of-23) and 68% from the charity stripe (11-of-28).

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm has had an up-and-down start to the 2009-10 season thus far. SNU comes into tonight’s Sooner Athletic Conference opener with John Brown with a 4-3 record after having to forfeit their win over Kansas Wesleyan on November 6th due to an eligibility issue.

Aside from the forfeit loss, SNU has also struggled with injuries throughout the first seven games. It wasn’t until this past weekend that the Crimson Storm got several key players into the rotation for the first time, so it is still taking SNU some time to get back up to speed.

SNU went 1-1 at the Nazarene Classic this past weekend. The Crimson Storm upset 25th-ranked Olivet Nazarene, 62-52, in their first game of the tournament, but surrendered a tough one point loss to host Trevecca Nazarene on Saturday, 71-70.

In that loss to TNU, SNU shot a dismal 34% from the floor, but nearly pulled off the win, losing by way of a free throw with seven seconds left to play.

Tonight, SNU will welcome SAC unbeaten, John Brown, to the Sawyer Center. JBU has been impressive so far in ‘09-’10. The Golden Eagles are 1-0 in conference play after upsetting 6th-ranked Rogers State at home over a week ago, 85-75.

JBU is led by 6’5 senior forward, Davaughn Jackson, who is averaging a team high 17.3 points per game along with an SAC high 9.5 rebounds per game.

The SNU-John Brown series has been highly competitive over the years with the Crimson Storm holding a slight 33-31 advantage. SNU has won four straight meetings.

To view a statistical comparison of the two teams, click here...

SNU vs. John Brown

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Game Day Program

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Live Audio

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Live Stats

(BETHANY, Okla.)---Southern Nazarene University’s men’s basketball team has forfeited an earlier season game as of Monday, November 30th. SNU’s game against Kansas Wesleyan, played on November 6th, will count as a forfeit loss due to the participation of an ineligible player. SNU had originally won the game 73-58, but the game will now count as a 2-0 loss, dropping SNU’s record to 4-3 on the year.

“We noticed a discrepancy in the eligibility of one of our players after the conclusion of our game with Kansas Wesleyan,” said SNU Director of Athletics Bobby Martin. “After researching the issue, we discovered that one of our players was indeed not eligible, and therefore we have forfeited the lone game the player participated in.”

The eligibility issue will not affect any other previous games, nor will it affect any future games for the 2009-10 season.

SNU opens up Sooner Athletic Conference play on Thursday night against John Brown University of Arkansas at 8:00 p.m. in the Sawyer Center.

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.)---The Crimson Storm men’s basketball team fell to Trevecca Nazarene, 71-70, on the final day of play at the Trevecca Nazarene Classic in Nashville. SNU trailed 70-67 with 1:30 to play when A.J. Thomas tied the game on a three. The game remained tied until the last seven seconds when TNU’s J.P. Nyadaro hit one of two free throws to seal the win for the Trojans. SNU falls to 5-2 on the year with the loss.

Box Score

SNU trailed the entire first half of the game as Trevecca grabbed a 35-29 halftime lead. The Storm’s biggest deficit of the first half was 12 points, trailing 32-20 with 4:19 to play before the half. SNU used a 9-3 run to close out the half trailing by only six points.

In the second half, SNU faced their biggest deficit of the ball game at 13 points, trailing 48-35 with 15:08 to play in the game.

SNU fought back again, scoring ten of the next 12 points, cutting the Trojans lead to 50-45 with 11:33 to play thanks to two made free throws from Daniel White.

Trevecca responded with a run of their own, going back up 61-52 with 8:04 to play in the game.

This time, SNU responded with a run that would tighten the game up for the stretch run. Thomas drilled a three with 7:31 to play, cutting the TNU lead to 61-55.

Clement N’Gom cut the Trevecca lead to 61-57 with 7:09 to play after hitting two free throws and Xavier Alexander pulled SNU within two points at 61-59 with a made basket at the 6:04 mark of the second half.

The Trojans continued to hold SNU off the next three minutes, holding a slight lead before SNU tied the game with 3:18 to play after Alexander hit one of two free throws to knot the game at 62-62.

Trevecca responded back by scoring four straight points to pull ahead 66-62 with 2:12 to play and the Trojans continued to hang onto the lead, holding a 68-64 advantage with 2:11 to play.

Deonta Black cut the Trojans lead to 68-66 with a big basket at the 2:07 mark of the second period. Black was fouled on the play and converted the conventional three-point play to pull SNU within one point at 68-67.

Trevecca added a basket with 1:47 to play, increasing their lead to 70-67, but SNU would tie the game for only the second time as Thomas drained a three-pointer with a minute and a half left to play.

With the Trojans reeling, SNU forced a miss from TNU and had a shot to take their first lead of the ball game, but Thomas’ shot with :39 seconds to play was blocked.

The Trojans grabbed the loose ball and ran the clock down and with :07 seconds left, TNU’s Nyadaro was fouled. Nyadaro hit one-of-two free throws to put Trevecca up 71-70.

SNU came down the floor with the game on the line, but the Storm turned the ball over and Trevecca snagged the 71-70 victory.

For the game, SNU struggled from the floor, hitting only 34% of their shots (22-of-64) while TNU was 46% from the floor for the game (22-of-48). SNU hit 7-of-20 from three and 19-of-28 from the free throw line. Trevecca finished 10-of-15 from three and 17-of-29 from the line. The Storm destroyed the Trojans on the boards, out-rebounding TNU 51-27.

Individually, SNU was led by A.J. Thomas’ 14 points and five assists. Xavier Alexander added another double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds. Vladimir Bulut and Daniel White each finished with 12 points. Deonta Black added eight rebounds.

Trevecca was led by Nyadaro’s 17 points. Matthew Elliott added 15 points and Jeremy Dixon finished with 13.

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.)---The Crimson Storm men’s basketball team kicked off the Trevecca Nazarene Classic on Friday afternoon with a 62-52 win over Nazarene rival, Olivet Nazarene. With the win, SNU improves to 5-1 on the year.

Box Score

SNU held a 27-26 halftime advantage before outscoring the Tiger 35-26 in the second half to pull away for the victory.

Neither team shot the ball particularly well as SNU hit only 42% of their shots from the floor while ONU struggled much more, connecting on 36% of their shots. Neither team faired well from three as SNU hit only 3-of-12 from beyond the arc while the Tiger were 3-of-15.

SNU was also dismal from the free throw line, hitting 49% on 15-of-31 shooting from the line. ONU finished 11-of-18. SNU out-rebounded Olivet 40-33.

Individually, SNU was led by Deonta Black. Black saw his first action of the 2009-10 season on Friday and wasted little time in having an immediate impact for the Storm. Black, who was SNU’s second leading scorer a year ago, pumped in a team high 15 points, adding five rebounds. Xavier Alexander followed with 13 points and A.J. Thomas added 12 for the Storm. Alexander finished with an impressive double-double, adding 11 rebounds to his 13 points. Jeremy Lightfoot followed with eight points.

Olivet was led by Tyler Wallenfang’s 12 points. Rashad Mitchell finished with 11 points for the Tigers.

SNU will take on host team, Trevecca Nazarene, tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 p.m.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm welcomed the Central Bible College Spartans to Bethany this evening, where they defeated them 72-43. This victory moved SNU to 4-1 on the season.

Box Score

The first points of the game were put up by SNU’s Vladimir Bulut, who made a layup on a baseline drive. He was immediately followed by A.J. Thomas, who hit a three pointer to put the Crimson Storm up 5-0.

The very next SNU possession came on a steal by Thomas, who threw an alley-oop to Xavier Alexander, who threw it down for the first dunk of the night. Thomas would steal the ball again on the Spartans’ next possession, keeping it this time for an uncontested layup. Adrian Hunter would hit his first shot attempt of the night for 3 more points, putting the score at 11-3 before CBC could respond with anything consequential.

But respond they did, despite being out-sized and out-brawned in every position, the Spartans went on an 8-0 run to tie the game up.

Thereafter the extended runs by each team disappeared as each team sought to play to its strengths. With the referees calling the game very tightly, both teams found themselves struggling to gain advantage underneath the basket without drawing a whistle. Nevertheless, the Crimson Storm faithful were treated to another dunk, this one from Jeremy Lightfoot, who received a pass from Alexander has he came from the baseline.

Several of the Spartans’ points in the first half came from the foul line, a place they visited often at the demand of the referee’s whistle.

It was good to see Jon West back on the floor hitting 3-pointers, returning from his injury.  With 3:40 remaining in the half Alexander found the ball tipped to him off a steal, and the open court in front of him, his dunk was thrown down at such a steep angle that the ball bounced off his shoulders as he flew beneath the hoop. After twenty minutes of play, the score sat at 44-25.

Play was slow as the teams came out in the second half. SNU had scored only 4 points in the same number of minutes before Lightfoot put down his second dunk of the evening, this one over the top of a Spartans defender.

As the half continued, the margin of SNU’s lead increased bit by bit. With only 6:00 remaining, SNU had only scored 18 points since the half, but they were up 30 points as opposed to the 19 points they led by after the first half. Strong defense kept the Spartans from scoring much except at the foul line, which the refs continued to send them to. After attaining that lead, however, the Crimson Storm ceased to pull away, so that, with 3 minutes left in the game the score sat at 68-38.

Those last three minutes passed slowly, though the pace with which the ball was moved up and down the court sped up. Strong play off the bench maintained the SNU lead and the game ended with a score of 72-43.

Jeremy Lightfoot led the team in scoring with 16 points, followed closely by A.J. Thomas and Xavier Alexander who each had 12. Kyle Boen and Clement N’Gom led with four rebounds apiece.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm men’s basketball team fell 69-74 to Davenport University on Saturday evening on day two of the men’s basketball classic. SNU battled until the end, but the Panthers came out on top, capitalizing on their sound fast break throughout the game. The loss was SNU’s first of the season, dropping them to 3-1.

Box Score

Both Southern Nazarene and Davenport got off to a slow start offensively, and both teams struggled to reach double digits before the ten-minute mark of the half. The defensive battle early on left SNU trailing midway through the half.

With the chance to get into double digits just before the clocked ticked below ten minutes, SNU’s Xavier Alexander could not find the bottom of the net, going 0-for-2 from the line. The Panthers led 15-9 with nine minutes to play in the half, and the Storm continued to struggle on the offensive end, committing player control fouls and missing several shots.

Fortunately for SNU, the Panthers struggled as well, turning the ball over several times. With momentum on their side, the Storm looked to chip away at Davenports lead little by little. AJ Thomas knocked down two free throws to give SNU a little life, and after the Panthers responded with a short jumper, Thomas drained a shot from behind the arc to narrow the Davenport lead a little more. Trailing 14-17 with 7:31 to play in the half, the Storm looked to get stops on the defensive end in order to take a lead.

The Panthers continued to find the bottom of the net, however, and cushioned their lead by responding to most of SNU’s buckets. With 4:17 in the half, Davenport found an easy bucket in the paint and went ahead 25-18. But the Storm refused to back down, outscoring the Panthers eight to six in the final four minutes of the half. The effort left the Storm trailing by just five at the half, 26-31.

SNU came out hungry for a lead in the second half, and Vladimir Bulut knocked down a trey ball to cut the Panthers lead to just two points on the first Storm possession of the night. Davenport responded with a three of their own to regain a five-point lead, but Thomas knocked down a jumper on the other end for SNU to narrow the gap. Picking up a stop on the defensive end, the Storm gave themselves an opportunity to get the game within a point, and Bulut knocked down a jumper with 18:07 to play, making the score 34-33.

SNU continued to chip away at Davenport’s lead, eventually tying the game at 40 with 14:54 to play in the game following a buck from Jeremy Lightfoot in the paint. The Panthers took control again, however, regaining a four-point lead.

Xavier Alexander tied the game up once again for the Storm, knocking down to free throws on one possession and scoring a fast break bucket a few possessions later. With the game knotted at 44 with 12:46 remaining, the Panthers refused to let SNU take the lead, going back up by five before SNU would respond. Again, it was Alexander who got to the hole for the Storm, driving down the lane and hitting a jumper on the run to cut the Davenport lead to three, making the score 49-46 with 11:54 to play.

Like so many times before, the Panthers widened the gap one again, going on a 7-0 run to take their first double digit lead of the second half. With 7:44 to play in the game, Crimson Storm head coach, Adam Bohac, called a timeout to regroup his team who was now trailing 46-58. SNU finally got on the board again after the break with two free throws from Adrian Hunter. But the Panthers continued to use speed to their advantage pushing the ball up the floor and turning nearly every missed shot and Storm turnover into a fast break. With six minutes remaining, SNU trailed 50-63 and Davenport continued to pull further and further away. The Storm didn’t let up, battling for buckets on the offensive end and attempting to hold their ground defensively, but for every bucket the Panthers had an answer, and with less than four minutes to play, Davenport led 71-55.

SNU applied a high pressure defense in an attempt to claw their way back into the gave late, and the Panthers committed an offensive foul right away, putting the ball back in the hands of the Storm offense. Alexander knocked down a shot from behind the arc, making the score 58-71 with 2:54 remaining in the game.

The Storm continued to battle, forcing several Panther turnovers, and capitalizing on their opportunities by putting the ball in the bucket from the field, and from the free throw line late in the game.

SNU narrowed the gap four with 17 seconds remaining in the game with a long three from AJ Thomas, but the run started too late and Davenport picked up a 74-69 win over the Storm.

Xavier Alexander led the way for the Storm, finishing with 25 points. Thomas added 15 for SNU, and Jeremy Lightfoot finished the night with a double-double, scoring 12 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.

The Storm shot a mere 40% from the field (24-of-60), 20% from behind the arc (5-of-24), and 57% from the free throw line (16-of-27). The Panthers shot 50% from the field, 13% from three point range, and 72% from the charity stripe.

(Bethany, Okla.)---The Bethel College Threshers came to town this evening to play our very own Southern Nazarene University Crimson Storm. SNU triumphed in a 89-50 win that moved them to 3-0 on the season.

Box Score

The Crimson Storm started the game off right, with Xavier Alexander completing a three-point play. He was joined on the board by A.J. Thomas only a moment later. The Bethel visitors had failed to score in the first few minutes, but responded eventually, narrowing SNU’s slowly growing lead to 5-4, then 7-5 before the Storm found their stride. And stride they did, ahead to a 14-5 lead in the space of a single minute. After a remarkably slow start, SNU scored as many points in the sixth minute of the game than they had thus far. That being said, the Storm’s offense cooled immediately after their short run and, in the next five minutes, only scored occasionally.

Runs appeared to be the way scoring was to proceed, with lengthy lulls in between each. About the 10-minute mark the Storm went on another run, with Kyle Boen and Thomas hitting threes from outside, Jeremy Lightfoot and Shane Callaghan battling inside, and Alexander excelling everywhere in between. After another of these runs, with 3:40 remaining in the half, SNU was up 40-18. Slow but solid play over these last four minutes boosted the score to 48-28 before the Storm headed to the locker room for the break.

The second half started off slowly for both teams, but much more slowly for the Bethel Threshers. In eight minutes, while the Crimson Storm had only scored 9, the Threshers had only 5 points to show for their efforts. The game did not seem to have escalated physically, but both teams spent a much greater amount of time at the foul line than they had in the first half.

Momentum was never much of an issue in the second half. The Storm remained on top of the game throughout. So routine did the play seem, that it came as something of a shock when, with 7:15 left in the game, SNU went up by 40 points, 75-35.

The last 7 minutes of the passed smoothly, with strong play off the bench from Bradley Toone, Shawn Seymour, and Robert Brewer, all freshmen. The Storm threatened a 50 point lead a couple of times, but ended up winning 89-50, a 39 point margin.

Xavier Alexander led the Crimson Storm in scoring this evening with 18 points, closely followed by Vladimir Bulut who had 14. Jeremy Lightfoot led on defense with 2 blocks. Tonight’s win moves SNU to 3-0 on the season.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm men's basketball classic is underway from the Sawyer Center with game one in the books.  Davenport University of Michigan defeated Dallas Christian in the first game of the day, 95-64.  Southern Nazarene's women's basketball team follows next against Southwestern Chrsitian and the SNU men's basketball team is up at 8:00 p.m., hosting Bethel College of Kansas.

Day One Results

Davenport, Mich. def. Dallas Christian, 95-64, Box Score

(BETHANY, Okla.)---SNU is 2-0 on the year with three straight home games on the slate. The Crimson Storm did suffer a loss at the University of Tulsa on Monday night, 82-47, in an exhibition game, but the loss does not count against the regular season record, nor do the stats count towards individual averages.

While the loss to TU was a tough one, it should give the Crimson Storm plenty to build on for the remainder of the season.

SNU struggled at times the last time we saw the Storm on Homecoming. The Crimson Storm did manage a 73-58 win over Kansas Wesleyan, but struggled at times before pulling away late in the game.

SNU has been led thus far by Xavier Alexander, who is pumping in an average of 28.5 points per game. A.J. Thomas follows with a 14.5 points per game averaged and Kyle Boen is next up, scoring 13.0 points per game.

SNU’s opponent tonight, Bethel College, is 0-1 on the year after a 66-51 loss to Hastings College in their season opener on Wednesday night.

In that game, the Threshers were led by Justin Schneider and Brody Grove’s ten points apiece. Bethel struggled, shooting only 33% from the floor for the game.

All-time, SNU leads this series 3-1. The two teams last met back in the 2004-05 season in North Newton, Kansas. SNU won that game 70-62.

This weekend, SNU will also welcome Davenport College of Michigan and Dallas Christian College for other half of the SNU Classic.

To view a statistical comparison of the two teams, click here...

SNU vs. Bethel

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Game Day Program

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Live Audio

(TULSA, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm men’s basketball lost to the University of Tulsa on Monday night in Tulsa in an exhibition game, 82-47. The game will not count towards the season record, nor will any of the stats count for the year.

After an introduction that would have been at home in the Ford Center, the teams approached the center of the court. The Golden Hurricane 7 foot center All-American Candidate center Jerome Jordan tipped the ball out for his team.

The first Tulsa possession amounted to little, as the ball was almost immediately thrown out of bounds. The Storm’s first trip down the floor amounted to little as well, and missed shots for both teams left the game scoreless for the first few possessions.

SNU gained a place on the board first, as Xavier Alexander drove to the hole and laid the ball in. The Tulsa squad responded with alacrity, however, going up 7-2 over their next few trips down the floor. The Storm narrowed the margin slightly when Kyle Boen hit his first shot of the night for three points. SNU would not score again before the first scheduled time out where the teams went to the bench with the score 9-5.

Coming out of the break, the Golden Hurricane offense turned it on. And a scarce two minutes had passed before Tulsa had moved up 17-7. The Hurricane superior size presented the largest obstacle for the SNU players, as they were outclassed in size in every position, but gained no advantage in speed or quickness. Nevertheless, by the next scheduled break, the Storm had managed to cut the lead to 8 points, while the Tulsa squad went scoreless.

The flurry of Tulsa’s first few minutes slowed, but did not stop as the game reached the half-way point of the first half. Despite passionate, strong play by the Storm, the Hurricane moved up to 24-10 with 9 minutes still on the clock. A resurgence of SNU scoring came with good efforts from Alexander and Marchello Vealy, cutting the Tulsa lead to 10 points.

Momentarily frustrated beneath the basket by the SNU play, the Hurricane’s simply moved outside, shooting over the undersized SNU guards. With 5:37 remaining in the half, the score had reached 32-17.

The game progressed in this manner, with the Storm striving admirably against an opponent that was simply bigger and stronger. Only Alexander seemed capable of matching up in size with his defender, and he took a noticeable portion of the SNU offensive effort on his shoulders.

However, it was Vealy and Jeremy Lightfoot, with 7 points each who led the Storm in scoring as the teams went to the locker room at the half. The score at half time was 42-25.

The beginning of the second half saw the Hurricane immediately move down the court and score. SNU responded when Alexander went to the free-throw line after being fouled by Tulsa’s Jordan. Some of the first spirit of the night from the Tulsa student’s section sprang to life as Vladimir Bulut went to the line himself on the next SNU possession. He sank them both.

The Storm were on a streak, as three points from foul shots, plus a three from SNU point guard A.J. Thomas narrowed the score to 44-31. The high level of SNU play continued as Lightfoot soared into the air on the defensive end of the court to deny Jordan a dunk. The Storm continued to chip away at the Hurricane lead, reaching 46-34, the closest they’d been since early in the first half.

The Golden Hurricane reasserted their dominance quickly, however, and by the next scheduled timeout had moved ahead 57-36. The Storm played hard, very hard, but the Golden Hurricane size could not be overcome. Lightfoot, who had spent all game battling hard underneath the basket against an All-American candidate that had 3 inches on him, fouled out with 8:28 left in the game.

The Crimson Storm, tired from contending with opponents much larger than them, began to tire, and as they tired, they began to fall further and further behind. With 2:26 remaining the score sat at 78-39. Some light-heartedness remained in the exhausted SNU: As Vealy walked towards the bench after fouling out, the Golden Hurricane fans began the well-known chant of “left, right, left, right” corresponding to Vealy’s steps. As you all know, this chant culminates in a shouted “sit down!” once the player reaches the bench and sits. Vealy endured the jeers of the Tulsa fans as he reached the bench and as he bent to sit, the Golden Hurricane fans yelled as one “sit down!” But Vealy was not sitting. Straightening from his crouch quickly, he stood shaking his finger at the surprised, but amused fans. A good laugh circled the arena, and Vealy took his place with a smile.

Tulsa went on to win 82-47 in the exhibition game.

Marchello Vealy led with 9 points, for the Crimson Storm, followed closely by Kyle Boen who had 8. Vealy was also joined by Xavier Alexander as the blocks leader, each with 5.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---Sawyer is never so full for a basketball game than it is on Homecoming Weekend. The Crimson Storm welcomed the Coyotes of Kansas Wesleyan University to the Sawyer Center this Friday night, winning the physical game 73-58 to improve to 2-0 on the year.

Box Score

The game started with empty efforts for both teams before Xavier Alexander put SNU on the board with an athletic one-on-one move down low. The Coyotes responded by sinking three as the shot clock expired. That shot was to give them their only points till eight minutes of the game had passed as the Crimson Storm stepped up their defense to a smothering swarm. SNU’s Kyle Boen responded in kind, and the Storm was off to the races, quickly putting up a double-digit lead on KWU. The energy in the gym was palpable, as a very full student section served up a healthy portion of chants and just plain noise. SNU surged ahead to a 14-3 lead.

The feverish pace of the first five minutes cooled, and with it, SNU’s offense. The game settled into a physical grind with each team working from a half-court set, no longer pushing the ball up the floor. This new rate of play did not suit the Storm, and the Coyotes slowly clawed their way back into the game. With 3 minutes left in the first half, SNU found themselves only up, 29-27. A margin which the attacking Coyotes quickly negated, tying it at first at 29, then at 31.

A strong defensive stop, ending in a steal and a fast-break led to the decibel maximum for the evening thus far, as Marchello Vealy threw down the first dunk of the game. However, KWU responded with a 3-pointer with 0:34 seconds left in the half. Finding themselves unable to get a good look at the basket in the remaining time, the Crimson Storm went into the locker-room at half-time down 33-34.

The second half began as the first half ended. KWU hit another three. However, the Storm fought back into it, and on another fast break, this one by Alexander, took the lead with a high-flying dunk. A few minutes later, Vladimir Bulut increased the spread with his first three of the night. More strong play from by the Storm and another dunk from Alexander put SNU up 47-37.

The teams battled back and forth, with SNU remaining ever on top. The physicality escalated, and threatened to spill over as little pushes turned, momentarily, into a confrontation under the goal in front of the SNU student section.

The grind of the first half returned, and the Coyotes again began to eat into the SNU lead. With 5 minutes remaining in the game, the Storm was only up 4 points. However, a loss during Homecoming was not going to happen, and the Storm began to turn it on again, with a big three by Boen and two big shots in the paint by Alexander.

The redoubled effort began to pay off, as SNU pulled away to another 10-point lead. As the game entered its final minute, the Coyotes began to put a full-court press on the Storm. It was too little, too late, as the Storm continued to pull away, aided by several trips to the foul line, and ended the game up 73-58.

Offensively, the team was led by Xavier Alexander who had 29 on the night, shooting 11 of 15 from the floor. Also breaking double digits in points, A.J. Thomas put 18 on the board. Vladimir Bulut and Xavier Alexander had 8 and 9 rebounds respectively.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm got off to a strong start on Tuesday night in their season opener, crushing cross-town Bethany school, Southwestern Christian, 109-64 in the Sawyer Center.

Storm fans got a sneak peek at what could be a very good year for SNU basketball on Tuesday evening. Despite having four players who will see significant minutes this year in street clothes, SNU had little trouble dispatching the Eagles.

Much hyped newcomer, Xavier Alexander, did not disappoint in his SNU debut, pumping in 28 points on a blistering 71% shooting night (12-of-17). Alexander was 3-of-4 from three. Junior Kyle Boen also scored the nets for SNU on Tuesday, lighting up the Eagles defense with six three’s on the night. Boen hit 6-of-7 from beyond the arc on his way to a career high 20-point night.

Jeremy Lightfoot followed with 13 points and A.J. Thomas added 11.

Tonight, SNU will welcome Kansas Wesleyan to the Sawyer Center for Homecoming.

KWU is 1-1 on the year after downing Peru State of Nebraska in their season opener, 76-71. The Coyotes lost to York College of Nebraska on Halloween night, 80-72.

All-time, SNU and Kansas Wesleyan have met four times, with SNU holding a 3-1 advantage in the series. The Storm and Coyotes met last year here in the Sawyer Center with SNU winning 80-64.

To view a statistical comparison of the two teams, click here...

SNU vs. KWU

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Game Day Program

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Live Broadcast

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Live Stats

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm men’s basketball team opened up the 2009-10 season with a 109-64 rout of fellow Bethany college, Southwestern Christian University, on Tuesday night in the Sawyer Center. SNU improves to 1-0 on the year with the win.

Box Score

Tuesday nights season opener was never in doubt for the Storm as SNU cruised to a 54-38 halftime lead thanks to 55% shooting from the floor in the first half and 7-of-14 shooting from three. Despite not having four players who will either start or see significant action this year in the lineup, SNU had little trouble with the Eagles.

In the second half, SNU continued to pull away, out-scoring SCU 55-26 on a blistering 62% shooting performance from the floor.

Individually, SNU was led by Xavier Alexander’s 28 points. Alexander was 12-of-17 from the floor and 3-of-4 from three. Kyle Boen followed with 20 points on the night, hitting lights out from three, connecting on 6-of-7 from downtown. Boen only missed two shots on the night, finishing 6-of-8 from the floor. Jeremy Lightfoot followed with 13 points and 7 rebounds while A.J. Thomas added 11 points and 7 assists.

SNU will be in action again on Friday night against Kansas Wesleyan on Homecoming. Game time is set for 8:00 p.m. from the Sawyer Center.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---A new season of Crimson Storm men’s basketball is upon us as SNU opens the 2009-10 campaign tonight. Second year head coach, Adam Bohac, had a very successful debut last year, leading the Storm to a 20-12 record and a respectable 6th place finish in the 12-team Sooner Athletic Conference.

Expectations have risen for the ‘09-’10 season as Southern Nazarene is picked 4th in the pre-season Sooner Athletic Conference Coaches Poll released a couple of weeks ago. SNU is also receiving 20 votes in the pre-season NAIA rankings.

Much of the expectation comes from the highly anticipated debut of a strong recruiting class by Bohac and his staff. SNU added George Washington University transfer, Xavier Alexander, along with Walters State transfer, A.J. Thomas, Holmes C.C. transfer, Jeremy Lightfoot, and Oral Roberts transfer Marchello Vealy. These four, along with a host of other new recruits make SNU an intriguing team as the season starts up tonight.

The Crimson Storm also has a wealth of talent returning from their 20-win season a year ago. The Storm’s second leading scorer, Deonta Black, is back after averaging 11.0 points per game. SNU also returns Vlad Bulut (7.4 ppg), Daniel White (8.5 ppg), and starters Clement N’Gom, Shane Callaghan and Jon West.

It should be a fun one tonight as the Storm host fellow Bethany college, Southwestern Christian, to the Sawyer Center. SNU and SCU have met twice with the Storm winning both meetings. Their last meeting was in 2004-05, a game SNU won 112-46.

To view tonight's game day program, click here...

Game Day Program

To listen to the game live, click here...

Live Broadcast

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm men’s basketball team is picked to finish 4th in the pre-season Sooner Athletic Conference Coaches Poll released on Tuesday. SNU received 83 total points in the poll.

Oklahoma Baptist is picked to finish first in the poll, receiving 120 points with ten first place votes. Rogers State, the 2008-09 regular season champion, is picked second with 106 total votes. Oklahoma Christian is picked third with 99 votes and two first place votes.

SNU finished 12-10 in Sooner Athletic Conference play a year ago, finishing 6th in the SAC final standings in the 12-team league. SNU posted a 20-12 record under first year head coach Adam Bohac.

To view the complete coaches poll, click here…
2009-10 SAC Pre-Season Coaches Poll

The Adam Bohac era got off to a good start in 2008-09 as SNU posted the program’s 23rd and third straight 20-win season. SNU finished off the 08-09 season with a 20-12 mark and a 6th place finish (12-10) in the brutal Sooner Athletic Conference.

SNU has plenty of optimism heading into the 2009-10 season, as the Crimson Storm will look to repeat their 20-win season and attempt to compete for a conference crown and return to the NAIA National Tournament.

First off though, the bad news for SNU is the Crimson Storm graduated do-everything point guard, Brandon Durham. Durham finished his illustrious career as the program’s 16th all-time leading scorer with 1,370 points and left SNU as the schools all-time steals leader with 292 career swipes.

The good news is that SNU looks to have replaced Durham with a host of talented recruits.

Guard
The guard position will see the return of 6’3 sophomore Daniel White, 6’4 junior Clement N’Gom, and 6’2 junior Kyle Boen.

White had a solid freshman campaign, appearing in all of SNU’s 32 games and averaging 8.5 points per contest. White was SNU’s third leading scorer a year ago and added 4.8 rebounds per game as a guard, which was second best on the team.

N’Gom arrived late to campus last fall, but was solid in his first year at SNU, starting 19 games and averaging 4.5 points per game.

Boen appeared in 30 games for SNU a year ago and connected on 32% of his three-point attempts, averaging 3.2 points per game.

6’6 junior Xavier Alexander and 6’0 junior A.J. Thomas will highlight the newcomers at the guard position.

Alexander is a transfer from George Washington University where he averaged 21 minutes a game last year, scoring 3.5 points per game. Alexander is local high school legend from Midwest City High School, where he scored 23.0 points per game as a senior, earning First Team All-State honors and leading Midwest City to the Class 6A State Championship and a 27-1 record as a senior.

Thomas is a transfer from Walters State Junior College, where was a Freshman Third Team All-American and earned Player of the Year honors for the TJCCAA conference.

SNU will also look to Central Michigan transfer, Adrian Hunter, to have an immediate impact. Hunter averaged 3.2 points per game last year for the Chippewa’s, hitting 36% from three.

The Storm will also rely on freshmen Robert Brewer, Shawn Seymour, Bradley Toone, and sophomore Malcolm McCarty for added depth at the guard position. All four had outstanding high school careers.

Forward
Returnees Vladimir Bulut and Jon West will man the forward position. Bulut, a 6’7 senior, appeared in 31 games last year, scoring 7.4 points per game and hitting a team high 43.5% from three (57-of-131).

West, a 6’6 sophomore started 12 games a year ago and averaged 5.1 points per game with 3.5 rebounds per contest as a freshman.

SNU has also added Oral Roberts University transfer, Marchello Vealy, to the mix on the front line. Vealy appeared in 27 games last year for ORU, averaging 4.6 points per game. As a sophomore, Marchello averaged 8.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and earned the Mid-Continent Conference’s Sixth Man of the Year Award.

The Crimson Storm will also look to 6’4 freshman, Brett Frantz, for depth at the forward spot. Frantz had an outstanding career at Balko High School in Oklahoma.

Center
The post position will return two players from a year ago, second leading scorer, Deonta Black, and sophomore starter, Shane Callaghan.

Black scored 11.0 points per game a year ago and grabbed a team high 5.0 rebounds per game. For his efforts, Deonta earned Honorable Mention All-SAC honors.

Callaghan, a 6’8 sophomore, had a solid freshman year, starting 22 of 32 games, scoring 5.0 points per game and grabbing 3.7 rebounds per contest.

SNU will also add Holmes Community College transfer, Jeremy Lightfoot, to the post position. Lightfoot, a 6’9 junior, averaged 14.3 points per game and had 7.5 rebounds per game last year for Holmes and earned First Team All-State honors and was the Region XXIII Offensive Player of the Year.

Wrap-Up
Nothing is ever for sure until the season officially tips off, but on paper, Southern Nazarene looks to have loaded up on talent in the off-season under second year head coach, Adam Bohac. After posting an impressive 20-win campaign in his first year at the helm last season, Bohac is looking to guide SNU to the next level in 09-10, and if things play out on the court like they look on paper, SNU should be highly competitive in the SAC this season.

To view the 2009-10 men's basketball media guide, click here...

2009-10 Media Guide

(KANSAS CITY, MO.)---Southern Nazarene University senior guard, Brandon Durham, was named an Honorable Mention All-American by the NAIA on Tuesday evening.  Durham, a 6'0 senior from Oklahoma City, was a Third Team All-American as a junior.

 

(Bethany, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm played the Oklahoma City Stars for the third time this season today in the first round of the SAC tournament. In their previous 2 meetings the Storm had played well all game before loosing both games in the last minutes. Alas, this theme proved true as the Storm lost 74-75 to the Stars in the last seconds of the game. This loss ends SNU’s season.

Box Score

The Stars scored 8 unanswered to openthe game, pushing the ball down the court as SNU struggled to keep up. It tookalmost two full minutes before the Crimson Storm could answer in any fashion,with Logan Martin hitting a jumper from the paint. Two shots from Lana Keithand a lay-up from Sharmeda Johnson gave the Storm 6 points after 3 minutes ofplay. Meanwhile OCU had moved their score to 15 points.

A three-pointer from Keith narrowed themargin, but was answered by a Star lay-up. Two more foul shots from Keithnarrowed the gap back to 6, and another jumper later cut the score deficit to 4.

With 13:19 on the clock, Martin drove tothe hole for two points and a foul, making the score 15-17 after missing thefoul shot. Both teams hit 3-pointers, so that with 11:30 left in the game thescore was 18-20. An OCU lay-up was answered quickly by Abbey Marra, fightinghard beneath the basket to put the ball in despite the hard foul.

Despite all the Crimson Storm could putup, the Stars managed to remain ahead by a small margin. The points from Marrathreatened the lead, but were quickly answered by an OCU jumper. However, aftertheir 4-point lead was reestablished, they remained scoreless for a full 3minutes.
That 3 minutes stretched into 4 as Johnsonhit to tie the game at 24-24. OCU responded with two points on the other end,breaking their scoreless run. Keith immediately hit from outside to give theStorm their first lead of the game at 27-26. The Stars countered with a 3 oftheir own and retook the lead with 5 minutes remaining in the first half.

Those last five minutes saw the scoremove to 28-30, and then 30-30, and eventually 34-30 as the Crimson Stormfinally began to hit their stride.

With less than a minute remaining in thefirst half the OCU coach received a technical foul that allowed the CrimsonStorm, who made one foul shot and a bucket on the in-bounds, to spread theirlead to 37-30 going into half-time.

The opening of the second half saw SNUdefend their lead and maintain the 7-point gap as the OCU Stars attacked. After3 minutes of play the score sat at 41-34. OCU put the ball in for two pointsand were answered by a 3-point shot by Keith.

As the 5-minute mark passed the Stormseemed to lose some of their momentum. Sitting at 46 points, they remainedstatic as OCU chipped away at the lead, reaching as close as 5 points beforeKeith broke SNU’s scoring drought with a jumper for 2 points. Still the Starsattacked, and with 11 minutes remaining in the game, had narrowed the score to48-46. The Storm could not seem to make a play on the ball without fouling, andas the half-way point in the second half approached, OCU tied the game at48-48. A bucket from beneath the basket by Marra regained a tenuous lead forSNU. Tenuous proved to be temporary as the Stars matched the SNU bucket, 50-50.On the other end of the floor it was Marra again, getting fouled on her shotand sinking both of her free-throws. However, the Stars quickly responded with2 points of their own. Johnson got back in on the action, adding 2 more for theStorm, making the score at 8:47 54-52.

A minute had passed when OCU took thelead by one point. Keith refused to let that stand, and drained a 3 immediatelyfollowing to put the Storm back up 2. This provided SNU with some measure ofmomentum and they proceeded to pull ahead. With 5:30 left in the game the Stormled by 6 points. 6 points turned into 4 rather quickly, but the Crimson Stormmanaged to keep the lead and spread it back to 6 points with 2 foul shots fromLogan Martin. Lauren Langston made her experience felt with a 3-point play,making it a 9 point game.

With 4 minutes remaining in the game,the Stars pushed yet again, narrowing the gap to 4 points, and then to 2 as thescore became 70-68.

As the last 2 minutes of the game beganto tick away, the Stars narrowed the game first to 70-69, and then 70-70 beforegoing ahead 70-71. It seemed that, once again, the Crimson Storm were going toloose the game in the last few minutes. The last minute of the game began withthe Storm down a single point. Langston stole the ball and took it all the wayfor 2 points, giving the Storm a 1 point lead. The Stars responded immediatelyhowever, reclaiming the lead. With 2.3 seconds remaining SNU inbounded theball, throwing it away to the Stars. But the OCU player immediately fell out ofbounds! It Was SNU ball with 1 second left! The next inbounds went wide and wasrecovered by the Stars to end the game, 74-75. Lana Keith led the team in scoring with33 points. Abbey Marra led in rebounds with 12.

When the All-Sooner Athletic Conference Teams were announced on Monday, the SNU women were well represented. Lana Keith, a 5'10 senior guard from Washington, Okla., led the way for the Storm, receiving First Team All-SAC honors. Keith leads the conference in scoring at 18.1 points per game to go with 4.6 rebounds. Keith recently became SNU's all time three point field goal leader. 

Lauren Langston, a 5'10 guard from Tulsa, Okla., won the Sportsmanship Award for the entire conference. Langston averages 6.8 points. She was given the award because of her tenacity and attitude on the court. Langston was also named Academic All-Conference.

Logan Martin, a 5'9 sophomore guard from Bethany, Okla., was named Second Team All-SAC. Martin leads the conference in assists per game. She averages 11.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. 

Abbey Marra, a sophomore post from Olathe, Kan., received Honorable Mention All-SAC honors. Marra averages 8.4 points and 7.1 rebounds. She leads the conference in blocks per game with 1.8.  

Two other Storm players joined Langston on the Academic All-Conference Team. Jacque Farrar, and 5'10 junior from Kingfisher, Okla., and Katie Novack, a 5'9 junior from Lakin, Kan., also received the honor.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---Southern Nazarene University's women's basketball team honored seniors Lana Keith and Lauren Langston on Saturday after their game with St. Gregory's University. SNU put together a great game to build on going into the conference tournament and downed the Cavaliers, 101-55.

Box Score

SNU had no problems disposing of St. Greg's in this game as they jumped out to a 21-point half-time lead before winning the second half by a score of 52-47. SNU had four players in double digits and saw every player score at three points. Every player except for one recorded at least one rebound. It was a great team victory for SNU all around. After their recent struggles, SNU is happy to get a big win headed into the conference tournament. 

Keith, as she had numerous times this year, led the way for the Storm. She had 24 points  on 8-for-12 shooting. In the game, Keith became SNU's all-time leading three-point shooter. Keith was followed by Abbey Marra with 16 points, Logan Martin with 12 points, and Sharmeda Johnson with 10 points. Martin recorded a double-double, also dishing out 11 assists, pulling down 3 rebounds, and snatching 5 steals.

For the game, SNU had 29 assists to only 12 turnovers. They shot the ball much better today than their last game at 62.1% (41-for-66). They also shot 43.5% (10-for-23) from the three-point line and 75% (9-for-12) from the free throw line. 

SNU will return to action this Thursday when the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament tips off. SNU's opponent will not be known for sure until later tonight. Times will be released on SNU's website as soon as they become available.

(SHAWNEE, Okla.)---The SNU women's basketball team traveled to Shawnee, Okla., to take on nationally ranked No. 4, Oklahoma Baptist. Both teams had a rough night shooting, but SNU had a bit tougher time finding the bucket as they fell to OBU, 41-57.

Box Score

SNU put together a first half that they would like to forget. From the start of the game, it was evident that it was not going to be a high scoring game as both teams struggled to knock down their shots. SNU shot just 23% (6-for-26) in the first half, missing all four three-pointers they attempted, and the lone free-throw they had. Luckily, OBU also had shooting woes in the half, shooting 32% (10-for-31). SNU found themselves trailing at half-time, 25-12.

In the second half, things got a little better. While SNU was able to more than double their first half point output, they still struggled to knock down their shots. In the second half, they shot 33% (10-for-30), but they only knocked down one out of eleven second-half three-point attempts. OBU also shot 33% (12-for-36) in the second half.

For the game, SNU shot 28.6% (16-for-56) and just 6.7% (1-for-15) from three-point range. OBU only shot 32.8% (22-for-67) from the field and 25% (6-for-24) from long distance. Their slightly better field goal percentage and twenty-two offensive rebounds were enough for them to come away with the victory.

SNU was led by Lana Keith, the only SNU player in double figures. She had 11 points and 5 rebounds. Abbey Marra recorded 6 blocked shots in the game to go with her 7 points.

SNU will be in action again on Saturday night when they host St. Gregory's University at the Sawyer Center. Lana Keith and Lauren Langston will be honored during Senior Night festivities after the women's game.

(Oklahoma City, Okla.)---“Enemy territory” might not be an entirely accurate way to describe Abe Lemons Arena on the campus of Oklahoma City University, but it wouldn’t be particularly inaccurate either. Considering the long-standing enmity between our two schools, the group of students who ventured across town to support our women’s basketball team felt decidedly like a sortie into forbidden lands.

Box Score

This sortie, or whatever you wish to call it, was a chance for redemption. The last time these two teams met, at the Sawyer Center, the Crimson Storm led for the majority of the game before allowing the Stars to tie the game in the last minute. Overtime in that game did not favor SNU, as they ended up loosing 69-79. Alas, redemption was not to be found, as the Crimson Storm fell 61-69, moving to 16-12 on the season and 10-10 in SAC play.

Winning the tip, the Storm missed their first shot, but the rebound was corralled by Abbey Marra who kicked the ball out before getting it right back again to put it in for the first 2 points of the game. OCU responded in kind to tie the game up at 2-2. The next SNU possession resulted in a jump ball as Marra was mobbed after grabbing yet another rebound. Strong defense from the Storm forced an OCU turnover, and it was Marra again at the other end, tying the game at 4-4. 4 minutes into the game, the rest of the SNU team began to get involved as Lauren Langston hit from three-range, quickly followed by an off-balance shot from Logan Martin. The Crimson Storm enjoyed their 9-4 lead only momentarily, as the Stars replicated their efforts, tying the game again at 9-9. 13:00 showed on the clock before the next score, as Martin hit a fade-away jumper. Sharmeda Johnson floated a lay-up for two more, and Oumoul Thiam buried a three of her own to boost SNU into a 16-9 lead.

The Stars failed to score until 11:15 flashed across the game clock, and even then it was a single foul shot, moving the score to 16-10. A minute later Lana Keith found the hoop on a fast break three-pointer that spread the SNU lead to 9 points. Foul shots allowed the Stars to cut that lead to 7, and then to 5 points. Another lay-in from Johnson was quickly negated by yet another trip to the line for the OCU Stars. With 8 minutes remaining in the first half the Crimson Storm had been called for 10 fouls, while the Stars remained at an absurdly low 3 fouls. Considerable consternation could be heard from the stands as to the ridiculous nature of that reality. Keith sunk another three from her customary left wing spot to give the Storm 24 points. Moments later it was Langston and Ashley Mantooth who each had lay-ups to put the score at 28-20 before yet another foul was called on SNU. 4 minutes remained in the first half when a series of failed offensive possessions for the Storm culminated in the narrowing of the score to 27-28. Johnson, on a rare trip to the foul-line for SNU, hit one of her two attempts to make the Storm lead 2 points.

The last minute of the half saw a three-point play from Mantooth, making the score 32-27. The final seconds of the half ran out without either team scoring further.

OCU came out of halftime swinging, stealing the ball from the Crimson Storm and hitting three quick lay-ups to take the lead for the first time since the very beginning of the first half. Keith quickly remedied this aberration, hitting a three to put SNU back up by 2. Another OCU lay-up tied the game, but only until Kieth could get her hands back on the ball. She and Johnson both added 2 points to the score, answered only once by the Stars to make the score 39-37. Immediately following, Johnson put up a lay-up, scoring despite a hard foul. Mantooth added another 2 points from the foul line only seconds later, moving the score to 43-37. The Stars threatened again, but Keith responded as she is want to do, hitting a long three to make the score 46-41.

Half way through the second half OCU managed to tie the game at 46-46, but Marra immediately took the ball down low and put the ball in, getting fouled hard and making her free-throw for a 3-point play. The Stars responded with a shot from outside, tying it again at 49-49. The teams traded the lead back and forth, and with 5 minutes remaining in the game OCU led 56-59. A bucket from down low by Mantooth narrowed the gap to a single point, but the Storm failed to capitalize on their position, falling back behind 58-62. Johnson cut the gap to 2 from the foul line and the score was 60-62 heading into the last two minutes of play.
That lead was spread 3 points by an OCU foul shot, and it remained there as the last minute of the game began to tick away. A slashing lay-up from OCU spread it to 5 points, and a foul was called. SNU coach Lori Carter, in protesting the injustice of such a horrible call, was called for a technical foul. The score after all the foul shots were served sat at 60-67, with 56 seconds remaining in the game. Forced to foul out of desperation, the Storm fell behind by another 2 points. Logan Martin was sent to the line in the last 15 seconds, hitting one of two to make it 61-69. This score survived the last seconds of play to become final.

Lana Keith and Sharmeda Johnson led the team in scoring, with 18 and 13 points respectively. Johnson and Abbey Marra led in rebounds, with 8 and 7 respectively.

 

 

(Bethany, Okla.)---It’s been a while since the Southern Nazarene University women’s basketball team treated their home crowd, such as it is, to a game here in the Sawyer Center. The Mid-America Christian University Evangels came to town only to loose 97-63. The victory moves the Storm to 16-11 on the season, and 10-9 in SAC play.

Box Score

The Storm fell behind momentarily as the Evangels won the tip and quickly converted a three-point play on an early SNU foul. Their lead did not last, however, as Sharmeda Johnson scored off a steal on the Evangel’s next inbounds and Lana Keith hit from outside on the Storm’s next possession. Both teams then scored buckets down low moving the score to 7-5. After two and a half minutes of play, and another Johnson bucket, the MACU coach called a timeout.
The resumption of play saw a scoreless Evangel possession, and a slashing lay-up from SNU’s Logan Martin. The next trip down the floor for the Storm led to Abbey Marra getting fouled beneath the basket and her subsequent sinking of two free-throws to make the new score 13-5. Johnson scored her fifth and sixth points of the night on an eight foot jumper before the Evangels could manage to score again-this time from back at the foul-line. Strong defense continued to be the norm for the Storm as Marra blocked the next MACU shot. Two three-pointers in quick succession boosted the score to 23-8.

Suddenly, the SNU dominance that had flavored the first 9 minutes of play seemed to disappear. The Evangels went on a 7-0 run, fueled in large part by a series of offensive mistakes by the Crimson Storm. Finding their comfortable lead cut nearly in half, SNU regrouped to put up 9 unanswered points of their own, including two three-pointers from Jacque Farrar. There followed an extended period of scoring back and forth, with the score reaching 40-23. Highlights included Jamie Bottger putting up four quick points, and Oumoul Thiam adding two more on a short-range jumper.

The last 5 minutes of the game contained little in the way of change in the established norm of the game. The teams continued to trade buckets with little fluctuation in SNU’s lead. The first half ended with two points from the foul-line from Marra and a steal for two points for the Evangels. At half the score sat at 49-37.

The second half began on a less than perfect note for SNU, as they immediately turned the ball over. However, the Crimson Storm quickly rebounded and surged ahead to go up by first 22, and then 25 points. A few buckets exchanged between teams moved the score to 74-51. A three point play from Marra pushed it to 77-51.

The over-whelming play of the Crimson Storm continued to spread the gap between the two teams. As the clock read 9:00 the Storm reached a lead of 29 points. The Crimson Storm continued to play with strength, with their lead never falling before 25 points after that 9-minute mark. Consistent scoring from Marra, Keith, Thiam, and Bottger pushed the lead past 30 points. As the last seconds of the game ticked off the clock, the Crimson Storm went up 97-63, which proved to be the final score of the game.

Lana Keith, Abbey Marra, and Sharmeda Johnson led the Storm in scoring, with 18, 15, and 15 respectively. On defense, Abbey Marra had a smothering 15 rebounds, followed by Sharmeda Johnson again, who had 10 rebounds.

(LUBBOCK, Texas)---The Crimson Storm women's basketball team fell in a disappoining game at Lubbock Christian on Saturday afternoon in Texas, losing 72-62. SNU struggled from the free throw line, missing 10 shots from the charity stripe while the Lady Chaparrals missed just two shots from the line in the game. With the loss, the Storm falls to 15-11 on the seasond and 9-9 in SAC play.

Box Score

 More to follow later this evening...

 

(PLAINVIEW, Texas)---The Crimson Storm women’s basketball team lost a tough game to Wayland Baptist University on Thursday evening in Plainview, falling 69-79 to the Flying Queens in a back and forth game that ended in favor of the home team. The loss drops SNU to 15-10 on the season and 9-8 in SAC play. The Storm led several times in the first half but trailed by four at the break after allowing WBU to go on a run toward the end of the half. The second half saw SNU struggle on both ends of the floor and the Flying Queens were able to maintain their advantage for the final 20 minutes of the game, leading by as many as 13.

Box Score

Wayland took the first lead of the game with a bucket from the perimeter on their first possession, but SNU responded, taking a one-point advantage shortly after with back-to-back buckets in the paint from leading scorer, Lana Keith. SNU and WBU exchanged several baskets in the next few minutes of the half, and with 16:41 remaining before the break, Keith gave the Storm a two-point lead with a dagger from behind the arc.

Leading 9-7 early in the half, SNU hoped to establish some momentum on the road, but the Flying Queens wouldn’t allow that the happen, knotting the game and nine with a pair from the free throw line. WBU went up two seconds later, but Abbey Marra picked up a bucket in the paint for the Storm and Logan Martin put a fast break lay up through the net to give SNU a 13-11 lead with 14:07 to play before the half.

SNU cushioned their lead, going ahead by five before allowing the Flying Queens on the board again. With 12:42 remaining, WBU knotted the game for the third time of the half, with each team having 16 points. The Storm went on another offensive run which began when Lana Keith drained a shot from behind the arc and ended with Jacque Farrar did the same.

With a 27-20 lead in their favor, SNU attempted to build momentum and slow down WBU’s fast paced offense. The next several minutes were successful for the Storm, and with 8:51 remaining they maintained a five point advantage, but the Flying Queens refused to back down, chipping away at the Storm lead and getting the game within a point with 6:07 to play. SNU lead 29-28 and Lauren Langston gave her team a little breathing room when she knocked down a trey ball, but WBU battled back and knotted the game at 34 with 3:08 remaining in the half.

SNU would not score in the final three minutes of the half and the Flying Queens tacked on two more buckets to gain a 38-34 advantage going into the locker room.

In the second half, the Storm came out battling and cut the WBU lead to a point with a second chance bucket from Lauren Langston and a three-pointer from Keith, but the Flying Queens wouldn’t let SNU any closer, taking a four point lead once again with 16:20 remaining in the game.

Trailing 39-43, Farrar gave the Storm a boost with a trey ball, but WBU responded with back-to-back buckets in the paint and went up by five. SNU continued to fight back, but WBU refused to let the Storm rally, going on a 10-0 run to take a 58-45 lead with 9:12 to play in the game.

SNU would never be able to make up the deficit, despite an outstanding effort on both ends of the floor. Wayland Baptist began hitting shots from every spot on the floor and controlled the final eight minutes of the game, only allowing the Storm within five when Lana Keith drained a shot from behind the arc with 2:46 to play. Keith’s dagger came too late as the Flying Queens iced the game away at the free throw line and picked up a 79-69 victory over the Storm.

Leading the way for SNU in the loss was Keith who finished with 22 points, knocking down 5-of-7 from behind the arc. Logan Martin added 15 points, six rebounds, and eight assists for SNU, despite spending time on the bench in foul trouble. Also finishing in double figures for the Storm was Lauren Langston with 10 points.

For the game, SNU shot 48% from the field (28-of-59), an outstanding 47% from behind the arc (9-of-19), and just 44% from the free throw line (4-of-9). The Flying Queens shot 49% from the field (28-of-57), 25% from three-point range (1-of-8), and 88% from the charity stripe (21-of-24).

SNU will be in action again on Saturday afternoon when they face Lubbock Christian on the road. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m.

 

(Bethany, Okla.)---The Southern Nazarene University women’s basketball team fell 69-79 in a painful overtime loss. The Crimson Storm move to 15-9 on the season and 9-7 in SAC play.

Box Score

A full two minutes had expired from the clock before any points graced the scoreboard. Happily for the Crimson Storm they came from Logan Martin as she fired the ball from deep for 3 points. The Stars promptly replied, and so began a period of intermittent basket trading, with the score after 5 minutes of play sitting at 9-9. In OCU the Storm found a team to match them in speed and skill. Both teams pushed the ball up the court with relentless pace.

The equity of the night’s match-up became increasingly apparent as, after 9 minutes of play, the game was still tied. That did not last, as Jacque Farrar received the ball alone on the three-point line, from whence she promptly drained a shot. The Stars failed to respond on their next possession, and Ashley Mantooth spread the Storm’s lead to 5 on the next trip down the floor. 

SNU’s lead did not change for more than a moment until the last 6 minutes of the first half, when several passing errors allowed the Stars to move within a single point of the Crimson Storm. Only a well timed 3-pointer from Lauren Langston kept SNU in the lead as OCU continued to attack. A free throw from Abbey Marra moved the score to 22-19 before the Stars scored thrice in quick succession to seize the lead. Both teams had by this time implemented a full-court press. Oumoul Thiam hit a shot from 3-point range tied the game at 25-25, and Mantooth put one in from down low to regain the lead for the Storm. The Stars made a 3-pointer with 24 seconds on the clock. SNU failed to score and the half expired with the Storm down 27-28. 

Two quick buckets for each team marked the opening of the second half, with the result that after two minutes, the Crimson Storm still trailed by a point. Audra Skimbo changed that from the foul line, sinking both of her shots to put SNU up. Seconds later Marra put the ball back in after a strong offensive rebound. The Storm were up by 3 points.

Five minutes into the second half, SNU still led, though only by a single point. Then, in a single minute, the Stars jumped ahead by 3, with the Crimson Storm’s shooting finding nothing but iron. As 13:00 showed on the clock, it was Keith who responded on behalf of the home team, scoring 4 points with two mid-range jumpers to regain the lead for SNU. The Storm continued to struggle against the Stars’ full-court press, giving up the ball more than once. Farrar hit from deep once again to make the SNU lead 4 points, which OCU immediately cut back to 1, with the score 44-43. Two free-throws from Sharmeeda Johnson widened the gap once more as the clock flashed past 10 minutes. 

A jumper from Martin, who had fallen silent in the second half, put the Storm up by 5 before a 3 from OCU cut the lead back down. The gap between the two teams fluctuated between 2 and 5 points for the next several minutes, until a 3 pointer from the Stars tied the game up at 52-52. Johnson answered immediately with a bucket and then a steal that she then passed on to Martin, who put the ball in for two more points. The score sat at 56-52 for four minutes before Marra received the ball down in the post, pivoted with the defender on her hip to find an open goal, and put it in to boost the Storm lead to 6. A minute later, it was pushed to 9 by a Keith 3 pointer, though the Stars responded in kind immediately. As the last minute of the game approached, Marsha Durr buried two free-throws to make the game 63-55. A flurry of freae-throws and lay-ups left the score at 64-60 with only 27 seconds remaining in the game. An error on their in-bounds pass put the ball back into the hands of the Stars and then promptly into the basket to narrow the game to 64-62. While OCU could not seem to miss, SNU could not seem to make, and the buzzer sounded on a suddenly tied game at 64-64. 

OCU won the tip to open overtime, and quickly put up 6 points. SNU, on the other hand, managed only 2 points. While the Storm mis-communicated and turned the ball over, the Stars hit a 3 pointer and the SNU squad found themselves down 7 points with only a minute remaining in overtime. 7 points became 9 as OCU hit two foul shots. Keith cut the lead to 6, but it was not enough. Forced to foul, the Storm fell further behind as the Stars continued to hit from the line. With 19 seconds remaining SNU found themselves down by 10 points. Unable to score in the time remaining, the buzzer sounded on a bitter 69-79 defeat for the Crimson Storm. 

Offensively, Logan Martin led the Storm with 13 points. Abbey Marra and Sharmeda Johnson led with 7 rebounds.

 

(Bethany, Okla.)---The Southern Nazarene University women’s basketball team welcomed the Oklahoma Christian Eagles to the Sawyer Center this evening. Their 70-53 win moved them to 15-8 on the season and 9-6 in SAC play.

Box Score

It was good to see Jamie Bottger back on the floor at the start of these evening’s game, and even better to see the Crimson Storm win the tip and capitalize on their first possession. Over the first few minutes SNU would jump up by 2 points and the Eagles would respond. Passing was good as Logan Martin, Abbey Marra, and Lana Keith each scored in the first minutes of the game. With 16:00 minutes remaining a 3-pointer from Keith, and another immediately following from Lauren Langston put the Storm up 14-8. When it rains it pours, and it certainly began to pour as Keith hit another 3-pointer to make it three in a row, all from the same spot in the left corner. The new score: 17-10. The OC coach called a timeout in hopes of slowing the offensive onslaught.

Her hopes went unfulfilled, as Keith and Marra both scored immediately upon the resumption of play, pushing the SNU lead to 11 points. Tenacious defense on the other end of the court continued to deny the Eagles a chance to respond. After the first furious six minutes of the game, play began to settle down, and the score moved only slightly, to 22-15 as the first half reached its midpoint.

It was a full two minutes before the next score, as OC managed to put one in down low, moving to within 5 points, before Marra responded in kind for the Storm. A minute later it was Marra again, executing a picture-perfect give-and-go with Martin as the Eagle defense foundered out of position. Martin herself showed her stuff, feinting to the left before pulling up and draining a jumper from 15 feet. With 5 minutes remaining in the first half the Crimson Storm was up 28-19 and executing on both ends of the court.

The last three minutes of the first half saw a brief resurgence in the OC offense, with the Eagles narrowing the lead to as little as 4 points. However, strong efforts around the hoop from Kieth and Marra reasserted Crimson Storm dominance. A 3-pointer from Keith with 20 seconds on the clock put SNU up by 11 before a last second shot from OC cut the lead back to 9. The teams went to the locker room at half with a score of 35-26.

The second half opened with 2 points for Oklahoma Christian, and 3 for SNU, as Langston hit from outside. The Storm offense lagged over the next several minutes, allowing the Eagles to close the gap somewhat, with the score reaching 42-39 at one point.

Martin and the Storm responded in time, however, and with 8:41 remaining in the game, had regained a 10-point lead. That lead quickly moved to 13 as another Langston 3-pointer found the bottom of the net. Jacque Farrar added another 3 seconds later. The floodgates had been opened, over the next five minutes the Crimson Storm spread their lead to 16 points despite consistent scoring from the OC squad. With 2:30 left on the clock SNU led 67-51.
Those last few minutes wound away without much in the way scoring from either team. The Eagles would score from the floor, and the Storm would respond from the free-throw line. The score-board read 70-53 as the buzzer sounded, gaining SNU the victory.

Lana Keith led offensively, shooting 6-15 from the floor and 4-9 from behind the arc. Abbey Marra led with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks.

(ALVA, Okla.)---SNU faced a tough road test when they traveled to NWOSU on Thursday night. After a back-and-forth first half, SNU could not get it going in the second half, falling 99-81.

Box Score

The first half was a battle as SNU and NWOSU exchanged the lead multiple times. In all there were thirteen lead changes on the night. Despite shooting just 37.8% from the field in the first half (14-of-37), SNU found themselves down by only one point at half-time.

The second half was one that SNU will want to forget quickly, learn from, and move on. SNU could never find the mark in the second half as they shot worse than they did in the first half, at 35.5% (11-of-31). NWOSU shot the ball well in the second half knocking down over 50% of their shots (14-of-27).

The big story of the second half was the free-throw shooting discrepancy between the two teams. SNU shot 23 free-throws after the break, but they were only able to knock down 14 (60.9%). Their opponent was able to knock down 25 free-throws on 30 attempts (83.3%). SNU was also out-rebounded by a large margin in the game. NWOSU pulled down 47 rebounds in the game to SNU's 35.

SNU was led in scoring by Lauren Langston. Langston had 20 points to go with 6 rebounds and 3 steals. She was followed by three other Crimson Storm players in double digits: Keith (15), Novack (13), Mantooth (10).

The Storm will have to bounce back quickly as they host Oklahoma Christian on Saturday night at the Sawyer Center. They will tip off at 6pm.

(OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm women’s basketball team picked up a hard fought victory over the Mid-America Christian Lady Evangels on Saturday afternoon at MACU. SNU built off momentum from a come behind victory over John Brown last weekend, and improved to 14-7 on the season and 8-5 in SAC play with the 83-79 win over MACU. For the Storm, four players finished in double figures and Abbey Marra recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Box Score

The Lady Evangels got off to a solid start in the first half, scoring five straight points to take a lead early in the game. After struggling offensively on their first few possessions, SNU finally got things going on the shoulders of Abbey Marra who scored the Storm’s first six points. The Lady Evangels maintained a lead, however, knocking down shots from the perimeter to gain a 12-6 advantage over the Storm with 15:20 to play in the half.

SNU got things going offensively though, scoring ten straight points to go ahead 18-12 with ten minutes to play. The run started at the free throw line when Logan Martin drained two shots to narrow the gap to four. Marra got on the board again when she cut to the basket and laid in an easy two for SNU. Next to score for the Storm was Lana Keith, who knocked down a jumper from behind the arc with 13:00 on the clock. Jamie Bottger mirrored, draining a dagger from deep as well to give the Storm a 16-12 lead.

The run ended with a bucket in the paint from Ashley Mantooth, but the Lady Evangels got things going again offensively shortly after, knotting the game at 18 with ten minutes to play in the half. Back-to-back threes from SNU gave the Storm a lead once again, with Keith and Lauren Langston nailing shots from the perimeter. MACU attempted to close the gap, but SNU continued to thrive offensively and refused to let the Lady Evangels within a possession.

With 4:21 to play, SNU led 28-21 and they continued to widen the gap as Langston used a nice live ball fake to create space between herself and defender. Driving the lane, she knocked down a shot from the free throw line and gave the Storm a 30-21 advantage. Martin and Keith led the way for the Storm for the remainder of the half, combining for 12 more points to give SNU a 42-31 lead at the break.

The Storm got off to a great start in the second half as well, but MACU mirrored, draining shot from behind the arc much like they did in the first half. With just three minutes ticked off the clock, SNU led 51-39 following a trey ball from Martin and an offensive rebound and put back from Marra.

Jamie Bottger, who came off the bench and gave the Storm a big spark in the first half, continued to be a key for the Storm in the second. On the possession after Marra’s put back, Bottger grabbed a steal and knocked down two attempts from the line after being fouled, widening the gap to 13 for the Storm. Lana Keith knocked down a baseline jumper for SNU shortly after, and Bottger drained a jumper from behind the arc to give SNU a 59-45 lead with about 12 minutes to play.

MACU responded with a three of their own and begin to chip away at the lead, but the Storm continued to knock down shots, maintaining a ten point, 61-51 lead with 11:15 to play. The Lady Evangels narrowed the gap to nine with under ten minutes to play, but Keith hit her fourth three of the night to give the Storm a 67-55 lead. Marra gave SNU a little breathing room with a left handed hook shot that found the bottom of the net, but MACU went on another run shortly after, cutting the Storm lead to nine with 7:34 to play.

Katie Novack came in off the bench for SNU and gave them their final field goal of the game, draining a shot from behind the arc with seven minutes to play. The Storm would ice the game away at the free throw line, scoring their next ten points after being fouled. With their success from the line, SNU picked up an 83-79 victory over MACU.

Statistics will follow later today…

(SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark)--- The 25th-ranked Crimson Storm women’s basketball team picked up a huge comeback victory over John Brown University on Saturday evening in Arkansas. After struggling to get things going in the first half, SNU came out battling in the second and got shots to fall from every spot on the floor, picking up a 78-66 win over the Golden Eagles. With the win, SNU improves to 13-7 on the season and 7-5 in SAC play.

Box Score

SNU got off to a good start in the first half, keeping the Golden Eagles from scoring on their first possession and going ahead 2-0 with a 10-foot baseline jumper from Lauren Langston. The lead was short lived, as JBU closed the gap on the next possession. SNU remained patient on the offensive end, however, getting a bucket in the paint from Abbey Marra less than a minute later after moving the ball around well. The Golden Eagles went on a run shortly after, taking a 15-8 lead before SNU could get a shot to fall again.

Sharmeda Johnson came in off the bench for the Storm and scored back-to-back buckets on offensive rebounds to narrow the gap to three, but JBU knocked down a shot from behind the arc to take a six-point lead once again. With 11 minutes remaining in the half, Oumoul Thiam knocked down her first shot of the half, cutting the Golden Eagles lead to two possessions. JBU responded with a bucket on the other end, but Jamie Bottger knocked down a trey for the Storm to narrow the gap to three.

John Brown’s Ashley Taylor took control of the paint, leading the Golden Eagles in a 10-0 run that left SNU trailing by 13 with under six minutes to play in the half. Jacque Farrar ended the offensive drought for the Storm, splitting two defenders and laying in a shot with 5:55 to play. The struggle continued for SNU following the bucket as shots rimmed out and bounced off the back iron and into the hands of John Brown players again and again. With 3:05 to play in the half, the Golden Eagles led 37-21.

Logan Martin and Langston narrowed the gap to 11, scoring on the Storm’s next two possessions, but another three-pointer from JBU extended the lead again for the Golden Eagles as the clock ticked below a minute. Lana Keith put a 15-foot jump shot through the bottom of the net as time expired, but SNU trailed 28-40 at the break and JBU held all the momentum.

The second half was a different story as the Storm came out with a fire underneath them. Senior guard, Lana Keith, who has struggled to find her shot in the last few games, scored seven straight points and the Golden Eagles had no answer for her, or the rest of the Storm offense as the half progressed. SNU was able to take the lead with Keith’s second three-pointer of the half, going ahead 42-40 less than five minutes into the half.

John Brown regained the lead momentarily, knocking down a trey of their own on the next possession, but Logan Martin put SNU back on top with a tough lay up that gave the Storm a 44-43 lead with 14 minutes to play. The Golden Eagles would never lead again, and SNU began to widen the gap by picking up steals and finishing shots on the other end.

Lauren Langston and Keith grabbed steals on JBU’s next two possessions, and both rips resulted in lay-ups for the Storm. Marsha Durr gave SNU a spark off the bench in the second half, knocking down a pair of running jumpers to give the Storm a 61-48 lead as the clock ticked below ten minutes.

The Golden Eagles attempted to chip away at the deficit, scoring two straight buckets, but Logan Martin and Jamie Bottger hooked up for a lay up to give the Storm a 64-55 lead. Martin pulled down and offensive rebound on the left block and saw Bottger alone on the right blocking, dishing a pass underneath for this assist. One again, Durr came up with a basket for the Storm, knocking down a trey to increase the lead to ten for SNU.

On top 67-57 with time winding down, the Storm refused to setting, going ahead 71-59 just a few minutes later. Again, JBU attempted to close the gap with a bucket inside from Taylor, but Audra Skimbo knocked down two free throws on the other end for the Storm to cushion the lead as the clock ticked below five minutes. SNU iced the game away with a few free throws, and a steal followed by a lay up, all of which came from Martin in the final few minutes. The Storm picked up the 78-66 hard fought win and improved to 7-5 in SAC play following a heartbreaking home loss to Rogers State earlier in the week.

Lana Keith had a solid second half performance for the Storm, leading the way with 21 points and nine rebounds. Logan Martin was close behind, putting 16 points and on the board and snagging eight boards.

SNU finished the night shooting 51% from the field (33-of-65), 25% from three-point range (5-of-20), and 64% from the free throw line (7-of-11). The Golden Eagles shot 46% from the field (27-of-59), 43% from behind the arc (9-of-21), and 50% from the free throw line (3-of-6)

(Bethany, Okla.)---The warmth of this January weather was reciprocated in the Sawyer Center this evening as the Southern Nazarene University women’s basketball team fought the Rogers State Hillcats to a dramatic finish, losing 62-63 in the final seconds of the game. The loss moved The Crimson Storm to 12-7 on the season and 6-5 in SAC play.

Box Score

Excellent SNU defense denied the Hillcats points on their first possession after winning the toss. In contrast, the first two Crimson Storm possessions resulted in two points each as Logan Martin and Lana Keith both scored layups. Rodgers State quickly tied it back up at 4-4 before going ahead after a SNU turnover. After these first few exchanges the game seemed to explode, with both teams seeming to score at will, after 5 minutes of the game had been played the Crimson Storm found themselves back on top with a score of 14-11. At the 15 minute mark play began to slow slightly, with each team scoring only 3 points over the next 3 minutes. Tenacious defense in the next minutes allowed SNU to push their lead to 6 points, an endeavor aided by a few Hillcat fouls.

An offensive dry-spell for the Crimson Storm allowed RSU the chance to climb back into the game, but the SNU defense remained staunch, fending the attacking Hillcats off and even forcing a shot-clock violation. As the last 5 minutes of the half began the teams found themselves trading the lead back and forth with each bucket. With increasing physicality both teams battled in an attempt to wrest a convincing lead from the clutches of the other, but neither was successful. After the last three minutes, each filled with players sent sprawling by fouls left uncalled, the half ended with a score of 33-34, the Hillcats gaining their lead as the buzzer sounded.

The second half began slowly for both teams, though more slowly for SNU than for their Rogers State opponents, with the result that the Hillcats pulled away slightly in the first three minutes. However, a foul shot from Abbey Marra and a slashing lay-up from Martin quickly brought the Crimson Storm within a point.

Too many ineffective offensive possessions for SNU kept them from taking advantage of their proximity to the lead. Further, a series of defensive breakdowns found the Crimson Storm down 38-45, the biggest deficit of the game. A well placed pass from Martin to Marra in the transition was resulted in two points that brought the home crowd out of their silence. The Hillcats paid them back with interest, however, going up by 10 points and staying there until another bucket from Marra cut their lead to a single digit at 44-52. Unfortunately, it was not long before RSU regained a ten point lead.

It was not until the clock read 8 minutes that the Crimson Storm managed to shake themselves and attack that lead, with Oumoul Thiam making a strong run down the court to cut the lead to 6. As has been the case for the entire second half, this run was only met by another from Rogers State. Hope springs eternal and, as the last five minutes of the game began, the Storm attacked the Hillcat lead and managed to cut it first to 4 points and then to 2, lead by good outside shooting from Martin. With 3 minutes remaining, Martin drove to the bucket to tie it up at 59-59. RSU responded, going up by 2 briefly before Keith hit two foul shots to even it up again.

The last two minutes of the game promised to be exciting, and they did not disappoint. Coming out of an SNU timeout, the Hillcats jumped up by 2, and the Storm failed to score on their resulting possession. With 50 seconds remaining, Martin stole the ball and took it the other way, drawing the foul even though her lay-up bounced out of the cylinder. At the line, Martin’s first shot missed, but her second was good, making the score 62-63. The defensive stop the Storm needed was produced immediately following and SNU brought the ball across half court with the shot clock turned off. The nearly unbearable tension was drawn out further by the subsequent time out. The in-bounds came in cleanly and the Storm worked the ball around the perimeter, confronted by determined Hillcat defenders at every point. The extent of SNU’s offensive frustration was realized when, only down by one, the only shot they could find was a three-pointer from the left wing that sailed over the hoop, no good. All Rogers State needed to do was in-bounds the ball, which they did, and the game ended with SNU falling to the Hillcats 62-63.

Logan Martin led the Crimson Storm throughout, falling just short of a triple double, putting up 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists.

(Bethany, Okla.)---The Sawyer Center seemed almost cozy in comparison to the dreary weather outside this afternoon as the Southern Nazarene University women’s basketball team welcomed the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens to Bethany for conference play. The Crimson Storm won in a last second thriller, hanging on to a 59-56 lead to move to 12-6 on the season, and 6-4 in SAC play.

Box Score

Solid SNU defense prevented any WBU scoring in the first minute of the game, but the Flying Queens dominated the boards on the offensive end, keeping the Storm equally point-less. The next few minutes saw the visiting WBU squad go up 4-3 before a jumper from Logan Martin gave SNU their first lead of the game. WBU elected to put a full-court press on the Storm, which the girls broke consistently. The lead was handed back and forth between the teams as each 2-point-bucket put them up by 1. In the seventh minute of the game the Crimson Storm managed to climb atop a wave of momentum, as a big rebound and put-back by Abbey Marra and a contested shot by Martin pushed the SNU lead to 4, with the score at 12-8. All waves must break sooner or later, and this one broke sooner, as a series of mistakes by the Storm allowed the Flying Queens to regain their balance. Regained balance or not, SNU continued to pull ahead, forcing the WBU coach to call for time after a fast-break lay-up from Lana Keith put the Storm up 16-10.

Play began to level out into a pattern of intermittent scoring from both teams, with SNU scoring more frequently than WBU. With 7:30 left on the clock the score sat at 20-11. The next two minutes saw a resurgence of WBU scoring, and the SNU lead was cut to 4 points. This was unfortunate, but quickly remedied, as the Storm responded with a 6-0 run to put the score at 26-16. A minute later two foul shots from Lauren Langston put it at 28-17.

As the last minutes of the first half wound down another jumper from Keith put the Storm up 30-17 as they headed to the locker room for half-time. At that point, the Crimson Storm were shooting only 35 percent from the floor and were only barely out-rebounding the Flying Queens (SNU had 28, WBU – 27.) The difference in the score was found in the WBU field goal percentage, battered down to an abysmal 20 percent by the ever-present SNU defense (9 blocks at the half).

The Flying Queens came out quick and strong in the second half, forcing SNU turnovers and going on a 7-0 run before Marra put up the first Storm points of the half. Keith followed with two foul shots that put the score at 34-24. The dominance that the Storm had displayed in the first half was strangely absent during the first 10 minutes of the second half, and the WBU visitors chipped away at the SNU lead until the score sat at 38-33. Tempers began to fray slightly as play became increasingly physical. However, the Crimson Storm managed to maintain a lead, and with 7:30 left in the game the score was 47-38.

While the game jerked along, frequently interrupted by the ref’s whistle, the Crimson Storm remained ahead of the Flying Queens by a fluctuating lead of about 10 points. With only two minutes of the game remaining, the score was 56-48 and the Flying Queens were attacking. Increasingly physical, they had moved to double-teaming Martin as she brought the ball up the court. A streak of three-pointers from WBU narrowed the score to an uneasy 59-56 with 14 seconds remaining in the half. A missed opportunity by the Storm to make in a two possession game led to Wayland Baptist having the ball in the last 8 seconds of the game, only down by 3 points. Those 8 seconds ticked away as two missed shots from Wayland Baptist sealed the SNU victory with the final score of 59-56.

Logan Martin led the team in scoring with 14 points, closely followed by Lana Keith who had 12. Abbey Marra led the team with 10 rebounds and 5 blocks.

 

 

 

 

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson

 Storm women’s basketball team tipped off against the Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals tonight on the first day back from the holidays for the SNU student body. The game ended disappointingly in a last minute loss with a score of 55-57. The loss moves the SNU to 11-6 on the season and 5-4 in SAC play.

Box Score

SNU came out in their zone defense like they have in every game since Christmas, forcing a Lady Chaps turnover on the first possession of the game. But LCU got on the board first after forcing a Storm mistake on the other end, and they widened the margin a little more on a second chance bucket in the paint. With four minutes ticked off the clock the Lady Chap defense continued to be a problem for the Storm and they remained scoreless.

Although SNU struggled offensively for the first five minutes of the game, solid defense kept LCU from scoring on the majority of their possessions as well. Oumoul Thiam knocked down a 15-foot jumper with 14:55 to play in the half to get the Storm on the board for the first time, narrowing the LCU lead to a possession. Defense continued to play a large part in the first ten minutes of the first half and with 12:58 remaining SNU trailed 5-8.

Following the two-minute offensive drought, the Storm narrowed the gap to a point with a pair of free throws from Abbey Marra, but the Lady Chaps responded with a lay up on the other end. Giving the Storm another two on the nest possession was Logan Martin who put a difficult lay up through the net. Marra came up with a big block on the next possession, but SNU was unable to take advantage of the opportunity to go ahead and the Lady Chaps widened the gap, going up by 5.

With 7:20 left in the first half, SNU found themselves trailing by 5, and a minute later, by 10. A jumper from Lana Keith gave the home crowd a brief moment for cheering before Lubbock Christian regained their lead and widened it further. As the next four minutes ticked off the clock, neither team scored much, but a 12-point margin was maintained throughout. With only 2 minutes remaining in the half, the Storm attacked. Led by a Keith jumper and by superior passing to get the ball down low to Ashley Mantooth, SNU surged back to within 5 by the time the buzzer sounded half-time with the score at 24-29.

At the half, the frustrating part of the Storm’s struggles in the first half became plain. SNU was shooting a better percentage from the floor, from behind the arc, AND from the foul line. It was the offensive rebounds that had so far decided the game, with the Lady Chaps pulling down double the number than the Crimson Storm.

The beginning of the second half saw a steal by Martin which she took all the way for two points bringing the score to 26-29. Excellent defense and a long offensive struggle narrowed the gap between the two teams further, to 28-29, before a three-point play for LCU put them back up by 4.

The Storm surge from the end of the first half and the beginning of the second did not last, however, and with 15:45 on the clock, SNU found themselves trailing 28-36. A foul shot from Marra and a difficult, drifting, jumper from Thiam cut the Lady Chap lead by three before a three-pointer from LCU boosted it back again. The clock showed 13:20 as Martin hit a three from deep in the left corner, which sparked a brief exchange in scoring which shot the score up to 38-45 as the clock wound past the 10 minute mark.
A hard-won three-point play from Marra again brought the Storm within 4 points of the Lady Chaps. However, SNU remained behind with a score of 45-50 despite 4 more points from Marra. With 5:30 left in the game a three-pointer from Keith brought the Storm within 2 of the Lady Chaps and forced the visiting coach to call for a timeout.

Upon the resumption of play, momentum remained with SNU. A charge called on LCU led to the tying possession for the Storm, with Lauren Langston laying in the ball. On the very next possession it was Langston that put the Crimson Storm up, hitting a three from the left corner. Langston kept up the pressure, after an excellent defensive stop by the Storm, and put up two more points, these from the foul line.

The Lady Chaps responded eventually, bouncing back to 55-54 with 2:00 minutes remaining in the game. The score remained at that unnervingly close margin for a whole minute and 45 seconds, before the LCU point guard hit two foul shots to put them up 55-56. It was boosted to 55-57 on another LCU foul shot, and remained as the final score.

Offensively the Crimson Storm was led by Abbey Marra who had 14 points and 12 rebounds. She was followed closely by Keith who had 11 points and 5 rebounds. Logan Martin led defensively with the team’s only steal.

The Crimson Storm ladies took the court against the USAO Drovers on Monday night in Chickasha, but the outcome was not one the Storm expected. SNU, who was ranked #20 in the nation in the NAIA's most recent poll, led much of the game, until their defense gave way in the final ten minutes while their offense was unable to keep up. The Storm fell 62-67.

Box Score

SNU came out in the first half and it appeared that they were ready to play. Logan Martin got them started just eleven seconds into the game when she knocked down a jumper. Ashley Mantooth followed that up with four straight points of her own to tie the game at six apiece. A few moments later, after a couple two-point jumpers by Lana Keith, the Storm led by a score of 12-6 and appeared to be on their way to a bigger lead.

The next seven minutes of the game were very even as the biggest lead by either team was two points. Audra Skimbo hit two free-throws with 9:13 showing on the clock to give the Storm a four point lead. Just a minute later, Martin added two of her own to extend it to 6. It seemed the Storm were again in position to widen the margin.

Instead, USAO was able to hang tough as the game was very even the rest of the half and the Storm took a 31-29 lead into the locker room.

SNU came out of the locker room and did what they couldn't do in the first half. They opened up the lead and seperated themselves a little from the Drovers. After two straight Keith jumpers, the Storm lead 37-31 with 17:20 to play.

Martin then proceeded to have a streak of her own. She scored eight straight points for the Storm, as she followed a two-point jumper up with two three-point jumpers in less than a two minute span. At this point, SNU's lead was 11 with 14:54 left in the game.

With 12:23 showing on the clock, Abby Marra hit a free throw to maintain the eleven point lead at 50-39. Just when it seemed that SNU had the game in hand and was continuing to pull away from USAO, the exact opposite happened.

USAO began to fight back and with 4:03 to play, they tied the game at 60-60. This was the sixth tie of the game. It would be three more minutes before SNU scored again as Jamie Bottger gave them two points to make the score 62-64 in favor of the Drovers with 1:11 to go.

That would be the Storm's last bucket of the night as they fell to USAO 62-67. SNU was outscored 29-12 in the last 12:23 of the game.

SNU was led in scoring by Logan Martin who had 18 points and 4 assists. She was followed by Ashley Mantooth with 12 points and 6 rebounds and Lana Keith who added 10 points.

The Crimson Storm ladies shot 38.5% (25-of-65) from the field, but just 13.3% (2-of-15) from behind the three-point arc. 

SNU will look to rebound on Thursday night at home against Lubbock Christian at 6pm.  

 

Southern Nazarene University's Lana Keith has been named Sooner Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for Jan. 4-10. It is her second award in as many weeks. 

Keith, a senior forward from Washington, Okla., tied a school record with 39 points and broke the school record with nine three-point field goals in a 76-71 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State.

Keith averaged 25.3 points in leading SNU to two wins in three games for the week. She also averaged 5 rebounds, 2.7 steals, 2.3 assists and 2.3 blocked shots. She saw her free throw streak stopped at 42 in a row. She also had a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds against No. 24 Oklahoma Christian.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm women’s basketball team picked up a hard fought win over the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers on Friday night, picking up a 76-71 victory and improving to 11-4on the season and 5-2 in SAC play. SNU struggled to get things going offensively in the first half, with only three players scoring in the first 20 minutes. The second half was different, and Lana Keith led the way, scoring 39 points and shooting 9-of-12 from behind the arc.

Box Score

SNU won the tip to start the game and made the most of their first possession, with Lana Keith knocking down a shot from behind the arc to give the Strom an early lead. Continuing to carry her team offensive, Keith picked up the next three points as well, knocking down one-of-two from the line and hitting a elevating over a defender on the following possession to knock down a tough jumper in the paint to give the Storm a 6-2 lead over the Rangers with 17:57 to play in the half.

The Rangers picked up with full court pressure, attempting to slow down the Storm offense. After forcing missed shots and turnovers by the Storm offense, NWOSU was able to close the gap, tying to game at seven with 15:14 remaining in the half. SNU continued to turn the ball over, giving the Rangers an opportunity to take the lead. NWOSU capitalized on the opportunity, taking a two-point lead with a bucket in the paint.

SNU regained the lead several possessions later with a trey ball from Keith, giving the Storm a 10-9 lead with 12:09 to play in the first half. The Rangers continued to fire from the perimeter, trying to expose a weakness in SNU’s zone defense, and finding success with two makes from behind the arc. Trailing 11-15 with under ten minutes to play in the half, SNU’s Audra Skimbo attempted to narrow the gap with free throws, but both shots rimmed out and the Rangers maintained a two-possession lead.

Once again, it was Keith who gave SNU the lead once again, hitting back-to-back three-pointers to give SNU a 17-15 lead with 8:26 remaining. NWOSU didn’t let up, however, crashing the board on missed shots and taking advantage of second chance opportunities to regain a two-point lead with 7:30 to play in the half. The Rangers pressure defense continued to cause problems for the Storm and they were unable to score again until the 5:03 mark of the half. Logan Martin inched SNU a little closer with an and-one, cutting the Rangers lead to just a possession.

Trailing 20-22, the Storm continued to look strong on the defense end, holding NWOSU scoreless for almost three minutes. Unfortunately, they continued to struggle on the offensive end as well, turning the ball over and missing several jumpers. Like earlier in the half, the Rangers exposed the weakness of SNU’s zone defense by knocking down back-to-back three-pointers. The success from behind the arc resulted in a 28-20 lead for NWOSU with 2:41 to play.

Keith chipped away at the lead with her fifth trey of the night, and SNU finally got another player in the books with back-to-back lay ups from Lauren Langston, cutting the Rangers lead to a possession with just over a minute to play in the half. SNU trailed 27-32 with under a minute to play and they had an opportunity to cute into the Rangers lead a little more on their final possession of the half. Keith knocked down a jumper for the Storm, scoring her 18th point of the night. The Rangers pushed the ball up the floor and got off one final shot before the buzzer, taking a 35-29 lead at the half.
With only three players getting in the books for SNU in the first half, it was no surprise they were trailing at the break. The second half proved to be a little different, although Keith continued to have the hot hand, several other players were able to get things going offensively.

Knocking down her sixth three-pointer of the night, Keith cut the NWOSU lead to a possession early in the half, giving the Storm momentum to build on. The Rangers were able to extend their lead a little with two free throws, but SNU battled back cutting the lead to two with a lay up from Logan Martin and another dagger from behind the arc from Keith. Now trailing just 39-37 with 16:36 to play, the Storm had a lead in sight once again.

Back-to-back three-pointers from Keith and Lauren Langston gave SNU a 43-42 lead with 15:25 remaining, but the Rangers didn’t back down, going ahead by three a few minutes later. The Rangers tied things up at 43 before taking the lead, going ahead by four before SNU was able to get on the board again with a jumper from Langston. NWOSU widened the gap to four, but Ashley Mantooth knocked down a pair of free throws and followed on the next possession with a jumper to tie things up at 49 with 10:14 remaining.

The game was knotted at 54 with 7:46 to play, and Keith gave the Storm a one-point lead with the back end of two shots from the Charity stripe. Oumoul Thiam widened the lead for SNU with a lay up, and Abbey Marra tacked on one free throw, giving SNU a two-possession lead. The Rangers began to chip away at the lead, however, knocking down a jumper with just over five minutes to play.

Leading 62-59, SNU attempted to maintain their advantage, but NWOSU continued to battle. The Storm and the Rangers exchanged a few buckets, and SNU lead 64-62 with 4:24 remaining in the game. Following a timeout, the Rangers knotted the game again, but Lana Keith refused to let them take a lead, draining her ninth three-pointer of the game to give the Storm the advantage.

With the dagger from behind the arc, Keith tied the single game scoring record for 39 points in a game. A few possessions later, Langston fed off the momentum and knocked down a three of her own to give the Storm a 70-64 lead with 2:28 remaining in the game

Martin widened the gap with a little with less than two minutes to play, going coast-to-coast and laying in a shot to extend the Storm lead to eight. The clock ticked below a minute and the Rangers continued to fight, but SNU was able to ice the game away with pairs of free throws from Martin and Skimbo. The Storm picked up a 76-71 hard fought win over the Rangers.

For the game, SNU shot 48% from the field (23-of-48), an impressive 58% from behind the arc (11-of-19), and 63% from the free throw line (19-of-30). The Rangers shot just 35% from the field (25-of-72), 27% from three-point range (9-of-34), and 63% from the charity stripe (12-of-19).

Lana Keith led the way with 39 points and five assists. Lauren Langston added 12 points, and Logan Martin finished with 11 points and eight assists.

SNU will be in action again on Monday at USAO at 6:00 p.m.

 (EDMOND, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm women’s basketball team picked up a 52-47 win over the Oklahoma Christian Eagles on Thursday night on the road. With the win, the Storm improves to 4-2 in SAC play and 10-4 overall. SNU got the lead to start the game never let off the gas in the first half, leading by as many as 14. OC came out fighting in the second half, closing the gap and tying the game up two different times, but SNU refused to let the home team get away with the win, forcing a turnover late in the game and icing the win at the free throw line.

Box Score

SNU’s first 10 points of the game came from four of the five starters, and strong defense kept the Eagles at bay. Trailing by six points with 13:58 remaining in the half, OC knocked down a shot from behind the arc and narrowed the gap, but SNU senior, Lana Keith, who has been on fire from behind the arc, drained a three-pointer to widen the gap again. Logan Martin knocked down a trey of her own, giving the Storm a 16-9 lead with 11:25 to play in the half.

The Eagles attempted to shut down SNU’s momentum with strong defense, and they were able to keep the Storm scoreless for over six minutes. In that time, however, SNU only allowed OC three buckets, maintaining their lead. With 5:02 to play in the half, the offensive drought finally ended when Keith drained another shot from behind the arc, giving SNU a 21-13 lead.

Keith and Martin carried SNU for the remainder of the half, and the Storm led by 12, 30-18 at the break.

Oklahoma Christian came out a little different in the second half, knocking down a shot from behind the arc on their first possession and forcing SNU to miss several shots on their first few possessions. With 17:05 remaining, OC cut the Storm lead to five, and made it a one-possession game just a minute later. With the lead slipping away, SNU tried to regroup with a timeout, but the Eagles came out just as strong after the break, cutting the Storm lead to one.

Jamie Bottger gave SNU a little breathing room with a dagger from three-point range. Knocking down the back end of two free throws on the next possession, Bottger gave her team a 35-30 lead with 13:12 to play in the game. Another offensive drought struck SNU as they went scoreless for over three minutes. Fortunately, sound defense kept the lead in their favor.

The Eagles continued to battle, cutting the Storm lead to one with 8:55 remaining. SNU was able to extend the advantage, going ahead by four a few minutes later with a bucket from Abbey Marra in the paint. OC narrowed the lead once again, with a three-pointer from Lisa Chenoweth, who led the way for the Eagles in the game.

SNU and OC exchanged buckets on the next several possessions, but the Eagles were able to close the gap for the first time of game with 4:12 remaining, knotting the game at 44. The Storm was able to regain the lead with 3:01 to play with a trey ball from Lauren Langston, but the Eagles tied to game at 47 with little time remaining in the game.

With the score tied at 47-47 and just :39 second remaining in the game, Martin drew a foul and went to the line. She was able to knock down one-of-two, giving the Storm a 48-47 lead. Keith proved to be clutch under pressure for SNU, grabbing a steal from SNU and knocking down both attempts from the line with :22 seconds remaining. With just :9 seconds to play, Keith hit two more free throws to make it a two possession game, giving them a 52-27 victory.

Lana Keith led the way for the Storm against the Eagles, recording a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Keith also came up with five steals in the game. Logan Martin was the only other player in double-digits for SNU, scoring 11 points.

For the game, SNU shot just 30% from the field (17-of-55), 40% from three-point range (8-of-20) and 62% from the free throw line (10-of-16). The Eagles struggled from the floor against a tough Storm defense, shooting just 24% from the field (16-of-66), 26% from behind the arc (5-of-19), and 66% from the charity stripe (10-of-15).

The Storm will be in action again on Saturday when they host Northwestern Oklahoma State University at 6:00 p.m.

(Edmond, Okla.)---In their last outing, the Crimson Storm ladies faced off with the 5th ranked Oklahoma Baptist Bison. Unfortunately, they were not able to come away with the victory in what is surely one of their most exciting games of the year thus far. SNU had two shots in the final six seconds to tie the game.

The Crimson Storm were led by current player of the week, Lana Keith. She had 16 points and was the only SNU player in double figures. Logan Martin had 8 points, led the team with 6 rebounds, and recorded 5 assists.

With the loss, SNU drops to 3-2 in Sooner Athletic Conference play and to 9-4 overall. Tonight, they have the opportunity to rebound against the 24th ranked Oklahoma Christian Lady Eagles.

Oklahoma Christian is 12-1 on the season and they are a half game behind first place in the conference at 5-1. The Lady Eagles are not led by one outstanding scorer. Instead, they are a very well rounded team with five players averaging between 8 and 10 points per game. Despite not having a player average double digits, they still average 74 points per game.

SNU has a tough test in front of them and they need to win on the road tonight to avoid falling to .500 in the conference. It is still early in the conference schedule, but every win matters in the SAC.

SNU leads the all time series 47-33, and they have won the last 5 match-ups going back to the 2006-2007 season.

Tonight's game will tip off at 6p.m. from the Eagles' Nest on the campus of Oklahoma Christian University in Edmond, Oklahoma.

 

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm women’s basketball team opened up the 2010 home season on Monday night when they hosted the Lady Bison of Oklahoma Baptist University. The intense game was evenly matched. There were over a dozen lead changes, but the Lady Bison prevailed, escaping with a three-point, 58-55, victory over the Storm.

Box Score

OBU got things going offensively on their first possession, but SNU responded on the following possession, getting a bucket from Jamie Bottger in the paint. Both teams were quiet offensively for the next few minutes, but SNU’s Ashley Mantooth gave the Storm the lead at the 17:26 mark with a jumper. The Storm and the Bison exchanged buckets again before another offensive drought struck both teams.

Taking a three point lead shortly after was OBU, but Lauren Langston tied the game up again with a dagger from behind the arc for SNU. The low scoring game was knotted at seven with 14:59 remaining in the first half. The defensive battle continued and with 11:49 to play before the break, senior guard, Lana Keith, knocked down a three-pointer to give the Storm a four-point lead, 13-9.

SNU continued to work for their points and battle defensively, taking a six point lead with 9:36 to play in the half. Skimbo gave the Storm the 18-12 advantage with a bucket in the paint, but the lead was short-lived as the Lady Bison responded with a three pointer that cut into the Storm lead.

SNU led by two with under seven minutes to play in the half, but the Lady Bison refused to let the Storm widen the gap, knotting the game at 19. On the next Storm possession, Keith knocked down another shot from behind the arc, but OBU responded two possessions later with a three of their own, tying the game for the fifth time of the half.

On the next SNU possession, Logan Martin gave the Storm a lead once again. With time ticking down on the shot clock, Martin drove baseline and laid in a tough shot. SNU led 24-22 with 3:33 remaining in the half. The Lady Bison continued to fight back, gaining a 26-24 advantage with three minutes on the clock. SNU’s Abbey Marra then pulled down a big offensive rebound and got to the line, knocked down the front end of two free throws to narrow the gap to one.

Martin got to the line for SNU on the next possession, giving the Storm a one point lead with two makes from the charity stripe. Looking to widen the gap for the Storm, Keith penetrated and pulled up for a jumper but was whistled for a player control foul, giving the Bison possession with under two minutes to play in the half. SNU held strong defensively and forced an OBU turnover. With a chance to take the lead, SNU attempted to isolate Keith at the top of the key, but the pass was tipped, and a backcourt call resulted in an OBU possession.

The Lady Bison took a one-point lead, knocking down two free throws with under a minute to play in the half, and they held the 28-27 advantage at the half.

SNU regained the lead early in the second half with a bucket from Langston, but OBU battled back, taking a 32-29 lead with 18:12 remaining. Coming up with another basket for the Storm was Langston, keeping the game within a possession for SNU.

Martin pushed the ball up the floor after a strong defensive series from SNU, giving the Storm a chance to take the lead, but Abbey Marra’s lay-up rimmed out and the Lady Bison countered, finishing a lay-up on the other end to take a three-point lead.

SNU got on the board again on the next possession as Martin made a beautiful pass to Jamie Bottger who was alone under the basket. The Storm struggled to box out on the next OBU possession, allowing Amy Pryor to pull down two offensive rebounds before finally forcing a turnover. Martin scored her sixth point of the game on the next possession, knocking down a jumper from just inside the arc, but Pryor responded with a trey ball for the Lady Bison.

Keith came up with a three-pointer of her own on the next Storm possession, knocking down a shot from the baseline to narrow the Bison lead to one, and Audra Skimbo gave the Storm the lead once again with a bucket in the paint. Leading 40-39 with 12:38 remaining in the game, SNU looked to maintain their advantage, but Pryor came up with a bank shot three as the shot clock sounded, giving the Lady Bison a 42-40 lead.

Following another OBU bucket, Skimbo pulled down an offensive board for the Storm and finished her put-back to cut the Lady Bison lead to one possession. SNU knotted the game at 44 with under ten minutes to play when Marsha Durr battled for an defensive rebound and connected with Oumoul Thiam who converted a fast break lay-up for the Storm.

Much like the first half, SNU and OBU began to struggle on the offensive ends of the floor and several minutes passed before the Bison took a 48-44 lead. Trailing by four with 6:32 remaining in the game, SNU was given life with a bucket in the paint from Skimbo once again. The Storm held the OBU offense at bay for the next several minutes, communicating well in their zone defense and forcing several Lady Bison misses and turnovers.

Experience in high pressure games proved to be a difference maker for Keith. She knocked down her fourth three pointer of the game to give the Storm a one-point lead, and followed that up by draining two shots from the charity stripe to put SNU ahead by three with 4:58 remaining.

The Lady Bison worked to force poor quick shots from the Storm and OBU’s Ashley Harrell knocked down her chances on their next two possessions, taking a 53-51 lead with 3:21 remaining. Lauren Langston tied things up, hitting a jumper for the Storm, but Harrell continued to have the hot hand for OBU and they got her the ball on the next possession. Harrell’s three-pointer gave the Lady Bison the lead with 1:57 to play.

Crashing the boards with under a minute to play, Harrell pulled down her own offensive rebound and gave OBU new life. With :28 seconds to play, Harrell found Jessi Donnel on the baseline and she knocked down a jumper, widening the gap to five for OBU.

SNU worked to get the ball to Keith following a Storm timeout, and she drew a foul, getting to the line and draining both attempts to cut the OBU lead to three with :10 seconds to play.

The Crimson Storm picked up with full court pressure on the inbounds, forcing an OBU turnover. Unfortunately, SNU couldn’t knock down either of their final two attempts from behind the arc, and the Lady Bison got away with a 58-55 win.

For the game, SNU shot 39% from the field (20-of-52), 33% from three-point range (6-of-18), and 64% from the line (9-of-14). SNU was out-rebounded 29-to-40. The Lady Bison finished the night 40% from the field (22-of-55), 29% from behind the arc (6-of-21) and 73% from the charity stripe (8-of-11). The Crimson Storm had a strong night defensively, forcing 18 OBU turnovers.

Lana Keith was the only player in double figures for SNU, leading the way with 16 points. Audra Skimbo followed with 9 points, and Logan Martin and Lauren Langston finished with 8 a piece.

SNU will be in action again at Oklahoma Christian on Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m.

Keith, a 5-10 senior forward from Washington, Okla., scored 25 points and had nine rebounds in a 60-55 win at St. Gregory’s. She also had three assists, two steals and a blocked shot and was 10 of 15 from the field.

(Shawnee, Oklahoma) --- The women's Crimson Storm Basketball team started off the second semester with a quality road win against St. Gregory's University on Saturday afternoon. With the win, SNU improves to 9-3 on the season.

Box Score

After a competitive first half, SNU found themselves trailing at the halftime, 30-28. A few halftime adjustments by SNU allowed them to defeat St. Gregory's in a close fought game 60-55.

SNU shot 38% (21-for-55)  from the field for the game, but the real story was their defense. SNU held St. Gregory's to just 26% (17-for-64) from the field for entire game. SNU also shot 38% (7-for-18) from the three point line as St. Gregory's shot just 30% (7-for-23). St. Gregory's had the edge at the free throw line shooting 77% (14-for-18), while SNU shot just 64% (11-for-17).

Lana Keith had a very impressive night for SNU, scoring 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting. She nearly missed recording a double-double, by pulling down 9 rebounds. Logan Martin was the only other Crimson Storm player in double figures. She had 13 points, 7 assists, 5 steals, and 4 rebounds.  

St. Gregory's was led in scoring by Leticia Silva who had 14 points. She was followed by Jalisa Howard 13 points and 6 rebounds.

SNU will be back in action Monday night, when they host OBU at the Sawyer Center at 6:00 pm.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm women’s basketball team closed out first semester play with a hard fought 65-60 victory over USAO in Sooner Athletic Conference action on Tuesday night in the Sawyer Center. SNU improves to 8-3 year on the year and 2-1 in SAC play.

Box Score

After a rough outing on Saturday night and falling out of the top 25 on Monday, the Storm looked to regain momentum on Tuesday night against the Drovers, but SNU was anything but smooth early on as the Storm looked a little rough around the edges to start the game.

The opening minutes of the game were sloppy for both teams as the Crimson Storm struggled to score their first points of the night. USAO held a brief 2-0 lead until the
16:13 mark when Logan Martin hit runner off the glass for SNU’s first bucket.

The game continued to be slow, and in fact, six minutes into the half, SNU was shooting only 10% from the floor while USAO was a nudge better at 22%.

SNU’s first lead didn’t come until the 11:03 mark when Jackie Farrar scored on a fast break layup to put SNU ahead 7-5.

The game continued to be rough for both teams throughout the middle portion of the first period and with 7:53 to play before halftime, USAO clung to an 8-7 lead.

Both teams began to pick up the pace as the first half began to draw to a close and SNU crept out to a 13-10 lead after back-to-back buckets from Abbey Marra and Logan Martin with 6:24 to play in the first half. SNU’s lead was short-lived as the Drovers went back up 14-13 with 4:37 to play before the half.

After regaining the lead, SNU’s biggest advantage of half came after a quick 5-0 scoring run by Martin to put the Crimson Storm up 23-19 with 1:07 to play before halftime. However, a banking three-pointer from USAO’s Courtney Brox cut the Storm lead back to one point at 23-22 as the first half drew to a close.

The halftime numbers were ugly as both teams connected on only 28% of their shots from the floor. Both teams were also 2-of-8 from three and USAO hit 4-of-6 from the free throw line while SNU was 3-of-5. The lone positive for SNU, aside from being up by one point at the half, was the Storm’s 27-20 advantage on the boards.

The second half started just like the first half for SNU as it took the Storm two and a half minutes to score their first field goal that came courtesy of a Lauren Langston lay-up. Langston’s basket put SNU up 26-25 with 17:30 to play in the half. Langston then found Marra inside for a quick layup that gave SNU a 28-25 advantage, forcing a USAO timeout.

SNU seemed to gain some momentum around the 15:00 minute mark of the second half after a made three from Lana Keith and a jumper from Martin that gave SNU a five-point lead at 35-30.

After the Drovers cut back into the SNU lead, Keith again drilled a three with 11:27 to play that gave SNU a five-point advantage again at 39-34. A spinning jumper in the paint by Ashley Mantooth increased the Storm’s lead to 41-34 with 10:43 to play and again forced a Drover’s timeout.

The USAO timeout seemed to kick the Drovers back into gear. USAO used the timeout to go on an 8-4 run that cut the Storm lead back to three points at 45-42. SNU answered as Skimbo powered home a lay-up and was fouled in the paint. Skimbo’s converted three-point play increased SNU’s advantage back to six at 48-42 with 7:32 to play in the game.

SNU continued to hang onto their lead for the next several minutes, but USAO cut the Storm advantage to 52-50 with 3:49 to play. Momentum swung back towards SNU on the next possession when Keith rained in a three. On the play, Skimbo was fouled by the Drovers and got two free throws. Skimbo hit both to give SNU a seven point advantage at 57-50.

The Drovers refused to quit as Aita Gueye put the Drovers on her back scoring USAO’s next five points to cut the SNU lead to two points at 57-55 with 2:03 to play.

After both teams missed on their next possessions, SNU came down and scored with :51 seconds to play thanks to a Skimbo basket in the paint that gave SNU a 59-55 lead.

The final minute of the game would prove to be fast paced and back-and-forth. This time, USAO answered with a basket from Annitra Walls to put the SNU lead back to two points at 59-57 with :44 seconds to play.

On the ensuing inbounds, Skimbo was fouled and sent to the line. Skimbo sank both free throws to put SNU back up by four with :36 seconds to play.

The Drovers still weren’t done as this time it was Brooke Smith who scored a conventional three-point play with :24 seconds to play to cut the SNU lead to one point at 61-60.

USAO was forced to foul again and this time fouled Marsha Durr who calmly sank both free throws with :20 seconds to play to put SNU back up 63-60.

Trailing by three points, USAO got a look at the tying three, but Gueye’s trey ball missed and the Storm grabbed the rebound and the game. Martin sank two final free throws to ice it for SNU as the Crimson Storm hung on to win 65-60.

For the game, SNU shot better from three than they did from the floor, hitting 36% from beyond the arc (5-of-14) while connecting on only 35% from the floor (22-of-63). SNU was 16-of-24 from the free throw line. USAO finished 36% from the floor (24-of-66) and 35% from three (6-of-17). The Drovers were 6-of-8 from the free throw line. USAO and SNU each finished with 44 rebounds while SNU had 14 turnovers to USAO’s 16.

Individually, SNU was paced by a big night from Audra Skimbo. Skimbo finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. Lana Keith added 16 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three. Logan Martin followed with 15 points and seven boards. Abbey Marra nearly had a double-double, finishing with eight points and ten rebounds.

USAO was led by Aita Gueye’s 18 points. Annitra Wells finished with 13 points and Courtney Brox added ten. The Drovers had two players in double figures in rebounding as Charitie Lewis collected 13 while Brooke Smith added eleven.

With the win, SNU concludes first semester play and will be off for the Christmas break until January 2nd.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm had a rough outing on Saturday night, losing on the road to Rogers State 64-54. SNU’s stats weren’t pretty in the loss to RSU as the Storm shot 40% from the floor and were only 2-of-10 from three. SNU was also out-rebounded in the loss and committed 27 turnovers.

The loss evens SNU’s Sooner Athletic Conference record at 1-1 on the year with their final first semester game on the agenda tonight.

SNU needs to close out first semester on a high note tonight with nearly a month of down time coming up on the schedule before SAC play resumes on January 2nd.

SNU is in a four-way tie for 6th place in SAC play at 1-1 and would like nothing more than to get back above .500 in conference play before Christmas.

The good news is that there is only one unbeaten left in SAC play right now and there is still 19 games left on the conference slate.

Tonight, SNU will welcome a USAO team that has struggled thus far in 2009. The Drovers are 2-7 on the year and 0-1 in conference play after losing their SAC opener to John Brown at home on Saturday night, 61-36.

This series has been owned by SNU all-time with the Crimson Storm holding a 48-20 advantage over the Drovers. The series has been fairly competitive in recent years, but the Storm has still won seven straight over USAO dating back to the 2005-06 season.

After tonight, SNU will not be in action again until 2010, traveling to St. Gregory’s on January 2nd.

To view a statistical comparison of the two teams, click here...

SNU vs. USAO

To view Tuesday night's game day program, click here...

Game Day Program

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Live Audio

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Live Stats

(CLAREMORE, Okla.)--- The 15th-ranked Crimson Storm women's basketball team was upset by Rogers State on Saturday night in Claremore, falling 64-54. With the loss, SNU records their first defeat in Sooner Athletic Conference play and falls to 7-3 overall and 1-1 in SAC play.

Box Score

Despite shooting a blistering 52% from the floor in the first half and hitting 11-of-13 from the free throw line, SNU still trailed Rogers State at the break 35-33. RSU did not shoot well in the first half, connecting on only 37% of their shots from the floor, but did take 17 more first half shots than the Crimson Storm and hit three more shots than the Storm. SNU did not hit a three in the first half while the Hillcats connected on 4-of-12 from beyond the arc.

In the second half, Southern Nazarene struggled desperately from the floor, managing only 29% shooting from the field and hitting 2-of-7 from three. Rogers State out-scored the Storm 29-21 in the second period of play to pull the ten point victory.

For the game, SNU finished only 40% from the floor (17-of-42). SNU also struggled from three-point range. The Crimson Storm came into the game ranked 7th in the country in three-point shooting at 40% for the season, but connected on only 20% on Saturday night, hitting 2-of-10 from three. At the line, SNU was outstanding, hitting 18-of-21 (86%).

Rogers State’s numbers were not great from the floor, hitting only 38% (22-of-58), but the Hillcats were better from three than from the floor, hitting 40% for the game (8-of-20). At the line, RSU hit 63% (12-of-19).

The Hillcats dominated the boards, out-rebounding SNU 37-28. One of the key stats to the game for SNU was in the turnover category where SNU struggled, committing 27 turnovers on the night.

Individually, SNU was led by Lana Keith’s 16 points. Keith was 5-of-9 from the floor, but was 0-for-1 from three. Keith added four steals in the loss. Audra Skimbo was the only other player in double figures for SNU, finishing with ten points. Lauren Langston followed with seven points and Abbey Marra added six points. Marra also added a team high seven rebounds.

Rogers State was led by Jenny Hardin’s 22 points. Hunter Peterson added 14 for the Hillcats.

SNU will close out first semester play on Tuesday night, hosting USAO at 6:00 p.m. in the Sawyer Center.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Southern Nazarene University women’s basketball team opened their conference play this evening against the John Brown University Golden Eagles. A 65-54 victory moved the Storm to 7-3 on the season and 1-0 in SAC conference play in this, their first game back from Thanksgiving Break.

Box Score

The Crimson Storm did not appear too out of practice to begin with, as Lana Keith nailed a three on the first shot of the game after winning the tip, however, their usually smooth offense quickly faltered. It was 2:00 minutes into the first half before the Golden Eagles were able to put up a shot, as the SNU defense displayed its characteristically stifling defense.

It was Lauren Langston who put up the next points of the game, driving to her right and pulling up for a mid-range jumper. The clock read 15:48 as Logan Martin hit a short jumper, making the score 7-0. It was only then that the Golden Eagles managed to put up points of their own, hitting first a three pointer and then an offensive put back to narrow the SNU lead to 2 points.

The game continued in rather sloppy fashion, as both teams struggled to keep a hold of the ball. JBU tied the ball game at 11-11 at mid-half and went ahead two minutes later 13-11. Falling behind seemed to shake the Crimson Storm out of their funk, as they evened the score on the very next possession, and went ahead 13-15 on two foul shots, put up by Martin after being fouled on a fast break.

However, the Golden Eagles would not quietly submit, and retook the lead on a three pointer, making the score 15-16. Several SNU offensive possessions resulted in missed shots, and the JBU lead increased to 4 points by the 4:00 minute mark. 3 points from Audra Skimbo, two from a strong bucket down low and one from a foul shot, made the score 18-21.

A strong effort from Langston in the last minute kept the Crimson Storm in it with the score sitting at 20-23 as the teams went into the locker room for half time. The Crimson Storm shot only 21% from the floor in the first half, and 16% from 3-point range, figures well below their average. The truly disturbing stat however, was the 10 turnovers committed in the first half.

Keith started the second half off right, hitting a quick shot from about the free-throw line. Her effort was immediately countered on the other end of the court. Both teams then commenced scoring back and forth, with the Golden Eagles maintaining a lead of 3 or 4 points.

After three minutes, the score sat at 27-31. It was at this point that the SNU offense began to cool, and the JBU offense seemed to take up their slack, shooting ahead 39-29 with 14 minutes remaining.

The Crimson Storm were not done, however, and began to ship away, bit by bit, at the Golden Eagle lead. Martin and Abbe Marra combined for an 8-0 run over two minutes, each contributing 4 points, so that with 11:00 minutes remaining, the Crimson Storm had fought back to a score of 37-39.

Oumoul Thiam tied the game up on free throws immediately thereafter and some amount of color returned to the Sawyer center, as the home crowd began to once again make noise. On the very next offensive possession a battle down low by Jamie Bottger gave the Crimson Storm the lead once more, a lead that was added to seconds later by Martin to put SNU up 43-39.

Marra made it a 16-0 run, and put the Storm up by 6 with her third bucket of the evening, fighting for and gaining position in the paint. The SNU monopoly on scoring was broken as the Golden Eagles made their first free throws of the evening. The clock read 6:37 as a strong lay-up from Marra gave the Crimson Storm a 10-point lead, which was pushed to 12 moments later, the score at 55-43.

SNU continued to play strong as the game wound down to its final minutes. The Crimson Storm lead fluctuated slightly, never growing larger than 14, and never falling below 9. The final score read 65-54 as the clock rolled through the last seconds and SNU moved to 1-0 in SAC conference play.

Logan Martin led the way in scoring, with 16 points, followed closely by Lana Keith who had 12. Abbey Marra made her presence felt underneath the basket with 14 rebounds.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Sooner Athletic Conference season tips off tonight as Southern Nazarene hosts John Brown from the Sawyer Center.

SNU is off to a 6-2 start and is ranked 15th in the pre-season NAIA national rankings.
Statistically, senior Lana Keith leads the way offensively, averaging 19.6 points per game. Keith is currently ranked 7th nationally in scoring and is 6th nationally in three pointers made with 23.

Logan Martin is second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.5 points per game. Martin ranks 2nd nationally in assists with 51 and is averaging 6.4 assists per game heading into tonight’s game.

As a team, SNU has been a powerhouse offensively this year, currently ranking in the top five nationally in eight different offensive categories.

The last time we saw SNU, the Crimson Storm suffered a disappointing loss to Nazarene rival, Trevecca, here at home, 70-67. Since that time, SNU has had eleven days to rest and prepare for the start of the 22-game SAC season.

Getting off to a good start in conference play will be crucial for SNU. JBU did just that last week, defeating Rogers State at home, 75-67, in their SAC opener.

The Golden Eagles are currently 4-3 overall this year and 1-0 in SAC play.

JBU is led 5’10 junior forward, Ashley Taylor, who is averaging 15.2 points per game. Chelsea Garrison follows with 11.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

All-time, SNU has owned this series, holding a 43-4 advantage. JBU’s last win was during the 2005-06 season.

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SNU vs. John Brown

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(Bethany, Okla.)---The Southern Nazarene University women’s basketball team matched up against the Trevecca Nazarene University Trojans this afternoon. The fast-paced, down-to-the-wire game ended disappointingly for the Crimson Storm, as they lost 67-70. This loss moves them to 6 and 2 on the season.

Box Score

The Crimson Storm started the game off right with a three pointer from Lana Keith. On the other end of the court, Keith stole the ball, tipped it back in to Marsha Durr to save it from going out of bounds, who then fed the ball right back to the streaking Keith who banked it in. The Storm continued to fire on all cylinders, with Logan Martin hitting her first attempt of the game for 3 points, and Keith slashing to the hole for two more.

On the very next SNU possession, it was again Keith who drove hard to the bucket, the hard contact from her Trevecca defender was called intentional, sending Keith to the line for two and returning the ball to SNU after. Only 3 minutes into the game, Keith had already scored 10 points, shooting 100% from both the floor and the foul line. Like a well-oiled machine, SNU continued to push the ball up the floor with a pace that the Trojans found difficult to adjust to. However, TNU was not impotent on offense themselves, after 7 minutes of the game had been played, the Storm led only narrowly, 19-14.

The furious pace of the first several minutes slowed somewhat as the half neared its halfway point, and SNU’s offense slowed with it. A 4-minute dry spell for the Storm found the Storm leading 23-22 with 6:30 left in the first half. In the seconds following the Trojan defense jumped in front of a pass and took a momentary lead on the following bucket. Jacque Farrar, however, quickly amended the situation, hitting her first shot of the game for 3 points putting SNU back up 26-25. As the game approached the 3 minute mark TNU once again tied it up, this time at 28-28, and then proceeded to go up 28-30.

Abbey Marra, on her first shot of the evening evened it at 30-30 before the Trojans went back up on a 3-pointer. A foul shot made a moment later put them up 30-34. Sharmeda Johnson, working down low, put up 2 points for the Storm just before the half expired and the teams went to the locker room with the scoreboard showing 32-34.

After a disappointing last ten minutes of the first half, the Crimson Storm came out for the second half hoping to recapture the pace and consistency of early in the game. However, a quick return to scoring from the Trojans and continued cold shooting from SNU found the Crimson Storm down 34-43 with 16:00 left in the game. Minutes later, with the Trojan lead expanded to 10, Johnson found Keith on the left wing. Keith’s 3-pointer, and a two layups a bit later in the game, were the only SNU points in the 2nd five minutes of the half. As the clock showed 10:00, the Crimson Storm trailed 45-54.

The following three minutes of the game saw good shots from Keith and Martin, but the Trojans kept pace, and maintained their lead. With seven minutes remaining in the game, the Storm began to claw back, so that when the clock read 6:00, they were only down 6 points. Two good foul shots from Marra narrowed the gap to 4 and returned the spring to the player’s steps and the noise to the home stands.

However, the Trevecca Trojans refused to loosen their grip on the game. Down by 7 as the last minute of the game began, the Storm fought back within 3 as solid defense on the TNU inbound passes resulted in two steals and two buckets. However, as SNU brought the ball down the court from a missed Trevecca shot the pass to the basket was bobbled, pounced on by a Trojan player who rolled over, holding the ball. Ignoring the traveling call, the referee called a jump ball as Martin sought to regain the ball. The possession arrow pointed towards TNU, who proceeded to inbound the ball. This inbounds was actually stolen, but the last second shot missed hard off the backboard and the Crimson Storm fell 67-70.

Lana Keith led the team in scoring, with 26 points, shooting 3 for 8 from 3-point range. Sharmeda Johnson shared the lead in rebounds with Keith; both had 7. This afternoon’s loss put the SNU record at 6-2.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm women's basketball team held off MidAmerica Nazarene on Friday night in the Sawyer Center, 70-60, to improve to 6-1 on the year.

Box Score

Lana Keith scored the first points of the game, driving hard to her right and swishing a floater from about 8 feet. The Pioneers responded immediately with a three pointer on the other end. Logan Martin joined her teammate shortly thereafter to get the SNU’s offense rolling. Four minutes into the game, Martin stole a lazy pass and took it all the way to the other end, taking the hard contact and putting the Crimson Storm up 6-3.

MNU countered without hesitation, hitting another three-pointer to even the game at 6-6. The game proceeded in furious fashion with both teams pushing the ball hard up the floor, trading baskets back and forth. MNU’s first time out after 5 minutes of play ended with Abbey Marra entering the game for the Storm. Her presence was felt immediately as she quickly put up 4 points on her first two attempts of the evening.

Jacque Farrar had also come in for SNU, and with 12:15 left in the half, hit her first shot of the evening for 3 points. Her shot put SNU up 18-10. It was during this period of strong play off the bench that SNU spread their lead over the Pioneers. The Storm’s lead fluctuated as the half continued, reaching as much as 13, but never falling below 8.

Physical play down low, quick, flashing play on the perimeter, and a strong presence in the midrange by usual-perimeter player Jamie Bottger characterized the first half for SNU. The Storm’s sharp defense throughout the first twenty minutes is really what separated the two teams, as each steal, block, or ball thrown away prevented MNU from scoring, and often led to points for SNU on the other end of the court. Without these turnovers, the score would have been much closer than the 36-24 that showed as the half expired.

The start of the second half saw Keith hit yet another three pointer, her second of the evening. The Pioneers fired back with their own three pointer. An exchange of points in the first few minutes quickly boosted the score to 45-31 This comfortable lead, the Storm’s largest yet, would not last. The Pioneers began to claw back, slowly gaining until, with 9:23 showing after a string of SNU turnovers, they cut the lead back down under 10, first to 9, and then to 7 before a 3-pointer by Farrar opened the score back up to 55-45.

The attacking MNU squad was tenacious, however, and three minutes later the margin of SNU’s lead was only 5 points. Only moments later, after a brief surge from the Storm, the Pioneers were once again threatening, only down by 4 points. With the shot clock running down, Bottger drove to the hole, taking the foul and banking in the layup as the buzzer sounded. As if this was the last breath before the plunge, the Storm surged back ahead, breaking MNU’s full-court press every time down the court, and scoring consistently.

Big shots from Keith, Bottger, and Marra propelled SNU back into 10 point lead, which they maintained till the buzzer sounded and the scoreboard showed 70-60, SNU victorious.

Lana Keith and Logan Martin lead the team in scoring, with 16 and 15 points respectively. Abbey Marra led off the bench with 8 points of her own, and 6 rebounds, a number she shared with Martin. Tonight’s win moved the Storm to 6-1 on the season.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The 15th-ranked Crimson Storm women’s basketball team improved to 5-1 on the year with a hard fought victory over Langston University on Tuesday night. SNU saw a comfortable 14-point halftime lead erased, but held on for the 80-77 victory.

Box Score

In the first half, it was all SNU as the Crimson Storm held a commanding lead throughout the duration of the first half of play. SNU shot an impressive 55% from the floor, while Langston struggled offensively, connecting on only 24% of their first half shots. SNU led at halftime 41-27.

Early in the second half, SNU increased their advantage to as many 16 points before LU began to chip away down the stretch. The Lions took their first lead at the 2:44 mark, grabbing a 75-74 lead.

SNU quickly tied and took the lead on two made free throws from Marsha Durr. Langston went back ahead on a Stephanie Madden bucket with 2:08 to play, putting the Lady Lions up 77-76.

It took SNU one minute to answer only their second deficit of the night, but with 1:18 to play, Logan Martin hit a jumper to put SNU back up 78-77. Martin’s bucket would prove to be the game winner.

LU had an opportunity at a three with :56 seconds to play, but Sanetra Jackson’s three did not fall. SNU turned the ball over on their next possession, giving Langston yet another shot with :11 seconds left. Ashley Gray picked up a steal for LU and was fouled, but missed the front end of the one-and-one. Lana Keith was then fouled on the rebound and Keith delivered two key free throws to put SNU up 80-77 with :09 seconds to play.

Langston had a three with two seconds to play to try and tie, but the three missed, sealing the SNU win, 80-77.

Individually, SNU was led by Lana Keith’s 14 points. Logan Martin added 13, Ashley Mantooth and Jamie Bottger finished with eleven and Abbey Marra put in ten points. Bottger had a double-double, adding ten rebounds to her eleven points.

Langston was led by Stephanie Madden’s double-double of 30 points and 14 rebounds. Shonderlette Paul added 12 points and Sanetra Jackson finished with ten.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Southern Nazarene University Women’s Basketball team welcomed the Southwestern Christian University Lady Eagles to the Sawyer Center this evening, beating them 94-46 to move to 4-1 on the season.

Box Score

Winning the tip, the Crimson Storm immediately took it down the floor and, after working it around the perimeter, kicked it inside to Ashley Mantooth who put up the first points of the night. Less than a minute later, Logan Martin found Lana Keith open on the right wing, from whence she buried her first three of the night. The Lady Eagles were not going to be easily beaten.

After falling behind 5-0, they rebounded quickly and were not more than 4 points behind the Storm for the next few minutes. That margin was widened before too long by Keith’s second three of the night, putting the game at 15-8. The game progressed in this fashion for several minutes. SCU would hold score regularly, but not necessarily often, while SNU steadily pulled away.

Down by as much as 12 at the ten-minute mark, the Lady Eagles had fought back within 6 with eight minutes left. The Crimson Storm did not allow that to last, however, and proceeded to widen the margin once again, led by Jamie Bottger and Oumoul Thiam who had several scoring efforts running the floor and outpacing the SCU defenders.

With three minutes remaining in the half the score sat at 37-25. It was here that the Lady Eagles defense stiffened, and began to challenge the Storm both down low and around the perimeter. Undeterred, SNU patiently worked the ball around on offense, and refused to allow any but the most earned of points. Thus when the buzzer sounded for halftime the score had not changed over-much, with the Storm up 43-31. Bottger led the team at halftime with 10 points, shooting 5-8 from the floor.

The start of the second half saw two quick fouls, one on each end of the floor. The first resulted in a single point for the Lady Eagles, and the second led to two successful foul shots for the Crimson Storm. The first five minutes of the second half were filled with the SNU squad widening their lead to twenty points, battling against an increasingly physical SCU defense. This was evidenced by the noticeably increased frequency with which the referees employed their whistles. The points gained thus from the line and points won on fast breaks were influential in the gaining of this gap.

Five minutes after they had reached the 20-point lead mark, they reached 30. This was achieved almost exclusively by Jacque Farrar, who hit five straight three pointers on five straight possessions, bringing the crowd to their feet.

As if any more were needed, Katie Novak followed quickly after Farrar’s feat, hitting her first three of the night and putting SNU within sight of a 40-point lead. A few foul shots from Mantooth and a strong put-back by Sharmeda Johnson gained the Storm that lead, with the score 79-39. The last ten minutes of the game appeared to move quite slowly, after the furious scoring of Farrar’s run. The Crimson Storm continued to pull away from the Lady Eagles, ending with a 48-point lead. The final score: 94-46.

The Crimson Storm was led in scoring by Ashley Mantooth's 16 points.  Farrar and Keith finished with 15 and Bottger added eleven. 

(BETHANY, Okla.)---After three blowout wins to start the season, SNU suffered their first loss of the season on Monday night at Evangel University to fall to 3-1 on the year. The Lady Crusaders, who are ranked 24th in the pre-season NAIA poll, held a 12-point halftime advantage and held on to win by nine over the higher ranked Storm.

Most of SNU’s problems were foul related as the Storm was whistled for 27 fouls, leading to 31 free throws shots for Evangel. SNU wasn’t as fortunate, making only 17 trips to the line, hitting 14. SNU also struggled from three, hitting only 4-of-12 after entering the game knocking down 50% of their shots from three.

Tonight, SNU looks to get back on track against fellow Bethany school, Southwestern Christian. SCU is 0-1 on the year after an 82-54 loss to Southwestern Assemblies of God University in their season opener.

SNU and Southwestern Christian have met only one time previous, back in the 2005-06 season. In that game, SNU cruised to a 71-49 victory.

After tonight, SNU will be at home for four-straight games that include Langston, who is receiving votes in the pre-season NAIA poll, along with Nazarene rivals MidAmerica and #13 Trevecca next weekend. SNU will then open up SAC play with John Brown on December 3rd.

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(PT. LOOKOUT, Mo.)---The 15th-ranked Crimson Storm women’s basketball team was upset by 24th-ranked Evangel on Monday night in Missouri, falling by a score of 77-68. The loss drops SNU to 3-1 on the year.

Box Score

SNU trailed by 12 at halftime, 42-30, and were down by as many as 16 at one point in the second half before rallying to cut the final deficit to nine points. Individually, SNU was led by Lana Keith’s 24 points. Audra Skimbo followed with ten and Logan Martin added nine points.

SNU did manage to out-rebound the Crusaders 38-35, but Evangel got the Storm at the free throw line, shooting 31 to SNU’s 17. SNU hit 44% from the floor, 33% from three and 82% from the line.

SNU will be back in action on Friday night at home against Southwestern Christian at 6:00 p.m. in the Sawyer Center.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm women’s basketball team improved to 3-0 on the season with another huge victory, downing Huston-Tillotson University 106-47 on Friday night during the Homecoming festivities. SNU controlled the game, and pulled away in the second half after being plagued by turnovers in the first half.

Box Score

SNU took the lead on tip off, with a 15-foot jumper from Lana Keith, and continue to widen the margin, with two free throws from Keith and a coast-to-coast lay-up from Logan Martin. The Storm went ahead 9-0 with a trey from Martin, but the Lady Rams got on the board for the first time with two free throws. SNU continued to build on the lead, going ahead 17-4 with 13:08 remaining in the half with a lay-up from Abbey Marra.

The Lady Rams attempted to narrow the margin, applying full court pressure that forced several Storm turnovers, but SNU regrouped and began putting points on the board again. Leading 23-12, the Storm continued to struggle to make the most of their possessions. Keith gave SNU six quick points, however, draining back-to-back three’s with under six minutes to play in the half.

With time in the first half winding down, Marra knocked down two jumpers, and SNU took a commanding 35-16 lead with 3:44 to play. Audra Skimbo came off the bench and gave the Storm back-to-back buckets in the paint to increase SNU’s lead even more. Also coming off the bench and giving the Storm a spark was Lauren Langston, who drained a shot from behind the arc with just over a minute to play, and tacked on one-of-two from the free throw line to give SNU a 43-19 lead with :59 remaining. Keith closed off the half from the Storm with an easy lay-up on and in bounds play, and SNU led 45-13 at the break.

The Storm came out hitting in the second half, with Keith giving SNU their first points of the half with her third trey ball of the evening. Tacking of 11 more points after Keith’s three-pointer, SNU took a 59-24 lead with 15:48 to play in the game. Ashley Mantooth hit the boards hard from SNU to give them several second chances and finishing three put backs of her own.

The Storm continued to widen the gap, going up 70-27 with 12:32 remaining in the game. The 11-to-3 SNU run saw several different players get in the books, with buckets coming from Martin, Mantooth, Marra, Jamie Botteger, and Jacque Farrar.

Continuing to control the game, SNU pulled further and further away, scoring on nearly every possession midway through the half. Abbey Marra was at the forefront of the Storm dominance, scoring six points during the run. With 9:26 remaining in the game, SNU led 82-33, maintaining complete control of the second half.

Katie Novack came in off the bench for the Storm and scored back to back buckets, draining her first shot of the night, a jumper from behind the arc, to get in the books for the first time. Marsha Durr and Audra Skimbo added three-pointers as well, and SNU led by 57 points with 4:33 to play in the game, 95038.

With under three minutes to play, the Storm broke 100 with a jumper from Skimbo that widened the lead to 61, and made the score 101-42. Time ticked, and two of the Lady Rams six players fouled out, leaving them with just four players on the court for the last few minutes of the game as SNU iced the game away, winning 106-47.

For the game, SNU shot 56% from the field (41-of-73), 43% from behind the arc (10-23), and 74% from the charity stripe (14-19). The Storm also dominated the boards, pulling down 64 rebounds to Huston-Tillotson’s 20.

Lana Keith finished the game as SNU’s leading scorer with 18 points. Keith was 6-8 from the field, 4-of-5 from behind the arc, and 2-2 from the free throw line. Logan Martin added a double-double of 15 points and 11 assists for SNU, and Abbey Marra finished the game with 14 points and seven rebounds.

Both Ashley Mantooth and Audra Skimbo finished in double digits as well, adding 13 a piece for SNU.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm destroyed Dallas Christian the last time we saw SNU last Saturday. The Crimson Storm had a record-breaking performance against the Crusaders, walloping DCC 123-25. In the win, SNU set a variety of new records; including most three’s in a game with 21. The Storm’s 21 three’s against Dallas Christian is also a new Sooner Athletic Conference record. SNU also set a new school mark for biggest winning margin, winning by 98 points. The previous record was 92 points.

SNU’s three-point shooting has definitely been the story early on as SNU is hitting a whopping 50% of their three-point attempts. The Storm have connected on 31-of-62 from beyond the arc, led by senior Lana Keith’s 64% from three. Keith, who tied a school record last year with 79 three’s, is 9-for-14 from beyond the arc in two games. But, while Keith is SNU’s main gun, the Storm has definitely spread the wealth as eight players have connected on a three-pointer this year.

Tonight, SNU welcomes Huston-Tillotson to the Sawyer Center on Homecoming. HTC will be playing their first game of the year tonight.

SNU and Huston-Tillotson have met once with the Crimson Storm winning their only meeting back in 2007, 103-64.

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SNU vs. HTC

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(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm women's basketball team blasted Dallas Christian 123-25 in the final game of the SNU Classic on Saturday afternoon in the Sawyer Center.  The win improves SNU to 2-0 on the year.  In the process, SNU set a variety of records, including setting the new SNU and Sooner Athletic Conference three-pointers made in a game with 21.  The previous school mark was 14 and the SAC record was 20.  SNU also set the school record for largest margin of victory, winning by 98 points.  The previous mark was 92. 

Box Score

The sun was shining and the wind was blowing the leaves in the trees, filling the air with rustling this afternoon here in Bethany, Oklahoma, but inside the Sawyer Center the sound of basketballs bouncing and the SNU drum line dominated.

In a near replay from the night before, the Crimson Storm started off at a lightning pace. The first three possessions for Dallas Christian ended in steals by SNU, two of the three resulting in easy layups for the Storm. The Crusader defense would hardly get down the court on defense before they found the slashing and passing SNU offense upon them. After six minutes of the first half had passed the Storm were up 14-2.

Constant pressure on defense did not allow anything but frantic, panicky efforts for Dallas Christian, a drive ended in a blocked shot more often than not, and jump shots were attempted with at least one SNU defender looming large in front of the shooter. Before seven minutes of the half had been played, SNU’s Lauren Langston and Lana Keith had combined for 4 three-pointers, shooting 100% from behind the arc.

As the half progressed, the Storm settled into a grueling pace, pushing the ball hard down the court, often passing lagging Crusader defenders. Logan Martin and Marsha Durr, SNU’s point guards, moved the ball around the perimeter with impunity, sending it inside to the post, played by Abbey Marra, Sharmeda Johnson, and Ashley Mantooth, from which the ball either went in the basket, or back out to the guards. With five minutes remaining in the half, the score was a remarkable 53-7.

The strong play continued, with SNU’s stifling defense allowing only 9 points in the entire first half. The offense, on the other hand, put up 66 points, shooting 63.2% from the floor and making 12 of 18 from three-point range. The score at half time: 66-9.

The second half began as a slightly more subdued version of the first. The pace was just a touch under blistering, and the play underneath the basket was not quite so dominant. But three-pointers still fell like rain. SNU made four three-pointers in the first three minutes, though thereafter they cooled off.

Consistency was the name of the game this afternoon. The Storm remained on top of their game, with exceptional defense, and overwhelming offense. With 3:15 remaining in the game the score was 112-24, and while the Storm had slowed down their play, they were still absolutely dominant. With the second half passing as if a dream, the buzzer at the end of the game came as a bit of a shock, heralding the end with a score of 123-25.

The numbers for this game were absolutely ridiculous: SNU shot 44 for 79 from the floor, and 21-36 from beyond the arc, breaking both the SNU and SAC conference records for three-pointers. They also broke the record for largest winning margin in school history, it was 92, but is now 98. The defense forced 24 turnovers. Lana Keith was again the leading scorer, with 23, shooting 7 for 10 from behind the arc. Katie Novak followed close behind, with 20 points (6 for 8 from three-point range). Katie was also the leading rebounder, with 12.   Other double figure scorers were Oumoul Thiam with 18 points, Jacque Farrar with 13 and Lauren Langston with 12. 

The Crimson Storm will play their next game November 6, at home against Huston-Tillotson.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---Southern Nazarene University opened its women’s basketball season this evening in their first game of the SNU Classic, against Ecclesia College. In an impressive show of their potential for this season, the Crimson Storm smashed the Lady Royals 97-54.

Box Score

The first half began in furious fashion. Ecclesia won the ball off the jump and promptly drew a blocking foul down underneath the basket, scoring on both free-throw attempts. SNU responded immediately, pushing the ball down the floor and kicking it inside to Ashley Mantooth who banked it in from about 5 feet. On the ensuing Ecclesia possession, Mantooth again showed her size, rearing up to block an Ecclesia jumper from the free-throw line.

The game progressed with both teams pressing on defense, forcing mistakes. However, Ecclesia could not keep up with the firing Crimson Storm offense, led by another bucket from Mantooth, and several slashing layups from Logan Martin. The hustle of the first three and half minutes calmed somewhat, as each team began to run a half-court offense, this was interrupted by Martin stealing the ball and taking it all the way down the court for two more. After only four minutes of play the score was 16-6, with SNU leading.

Upon the resumption of play, SNU forced yet another turnover, with Oumoul Thiam stealing the ball and sending it down the court to Lana Keith. The very next Ecclesia possession again saw a steal, this one by Abbey Marra, and a follow up bucket by Logan Martin, who blew by her defender with a quick first step to lay it in.

SNU’s almost frantic-paced offense had already begun to take its toll on their Ecclesia opponents, as Logan Martin pushed the ball up the court, running by defenders struggling to keep their feet from dragging. Martin kicked the ball out to Lauren Langston, who hit the three-pointer to bring the score to 27-10.

The first half was characterized by the alternation of slow and fast paced play. SNU dominated, imposing their will upon the Lady Royals, controlling the pace of the game.
The SNU fast-break offense again showed its effectiveness as the clock read 8:05. From an inbound pass, Marsha Durr passed the entire Ecclesia defense in one well-placed pass to Mantooth, who laid it in. A following three-pointer from Keith put SNU up 38-19.

The last minute of the first half can be seen as a microcosm of the entire game thus far. With a commanding lead, the SNU defense forced the Lady Royals to throw a high floating pass over the middle, which Marra firmly brought down for another turn-over gained for the Storm. As she brought the ball down, Martin called for her teammates to clear from the right side of the court. Feigning a drive, Martin pulled up for a mid-range jumper, which found nothing but the soft, white fibers of the net. The consistently stifling Storm defense did not allow a good look from the Royals on their next possession, and the teams headed to the locker room at half with the score at 48-32.

The first four minutes of the second half much resembled the last four of the first. The Crimson Storm defense imposed their will upon the Royals’ offense, and the SNU offense outscored their opponents 21-8 in the first four minutes, with the score reading 69-40.

The pace in the second half was much slower than what we saw in the first half. Each team walked the ball across half-court, rather than the fast-break style of play from earlier in the game. In fact, halfway through the half, SNU had only scored 6 points in the six minutes following their 21-points in the first four minutes of the half.

SNU controlled the second half, and made it look easy. After the first four minutes, there were no dazzling runs for many points in a short period of time. Rather, the play was slow and deliberate, the defense solid, and the scoring was fruitful. Durr, who ran the point for the majority of the half, would work the ball around the perimeter, moving it in to Marra or Audra Skimbo who would kick it back out to Langston, Jeffries, or Novak who would bury a three. Or the ball would work around the perimeter before being fed into the post players mentioned above, who made short work of their defenders.

“I think we showed great teamwork, especially in the second half” said Marra after the game. In this fashion, SNU calmly built a staggering lead, while refusing to allow points on the defense end of the court. The Storm ended the game up 97-54.

The Crimson Storm was led on offense by Lana Keith, who had 21 points, and Logan Martin, who had 12 assists. Martin finished with a double-double of 15 points and 12 assists.  Other players in double figures were Jamie Bottger and Jacque Farrar with 12 points apiece, Ashley Mantooth with 11 and Lauren Langston with 10.  Bottger added a team high eight rebounds.  On defense, Abbey Marra led the way with 3 blocks and also had 7 rebounds.

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The 2009-10 women’s basketball season tips off on Friday night in the Sawyer Center. SNU is coming off a 24-8 record in 2008-09 and a 17-5 finish in the Sooner Athletic Conference. SNU made the program’s 18th trip to nationals a year ago, but lost in round one to Azusa Pacific and are looking for a longer stay in Jackson come March of 2010.

Tonight, SNU will begin their quest for the program’s 8th NAIA National Championship.

SNU has a wealth of talent returning from their 24-win season a year ago. NAIA All-Americans Logan Martin (3rd team) and Lana Keith (3rd team) are back after huge seasons a year ago. Martin earned the SAC’s Freshman of the Year Award after leading SNU in scoring with 15.9 points per game. Keith was a First Team All-SAC member after finishing second on the team in scoring with 15.8 points per game and tying a school record for three’s made with 79.

The reigning SAC Coach of the Year, Lori Carter, will also have returning starter, Ashley Mantooth (7.1 ppg) and fourth leading scorer, Abbey Marra (8.4 ppg) back from a year ago down low.

To read more about SNU’s upcoming season, click here…
SNU Season Preview

Ecclessia will begin only their second year of intercollegiate basketball tonight. The Lady Royals went 12-19 in their inaugural season last year.

To read more about Ecclesia, click here…
Ecclesia Season Preview

SNU and Ecclesia will be meeting for the first time on Friday. All-time, SNU is 28-7 in season openers, but is 23-0 since the 1986-87 season.

To view Friday's Game Day Program, click here...

Game Day Program

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm women's basketball team is ranked #15 in the pre-season NAIA national rankings released on Tuesday.  SNU is coming off the program's 18th trip to the NAIA National Tournament last March.  The Crimson Storm posted a 24-8 record last season under SAC Coach of the Year, Lori Carter.

In the pre-season poll, SNU received 148 votes to come in at #15.  SNU was ranked 14th in the final poll of 2008-09.  Other SAC schools that were ranked include Oklahoma Baptist (#3), Oklahoma City (#8), SNU (#15), and Lubbock Christian (#19).

To view the complete poll, click here...

NAIA Pre-Season Rankings

(BETHANY, Okla.)---The Crimson Storm women’s basketball team is picked to finish 3rd in the pre-season Sooner Athletic Conference Coaches Poll released on Tuesday. SNU received 96 total votes in the poll, including one first place vote.

Oklahoma Baptist is picked to finish first in the poll, receiving 118 points with eight first place votes. OBU was the 2008-09 regular season champions. Oklahoma City follows with 110 total votes and two first place votes. After SNU is Lubbock Christian in fourth with 90 total votes.

SNU finished 17-5 in Sooner Athletic Conference play a year ago, finishing tied for 3rd place in the SAC final standings with Oklahoma City in the 12-team league. SNU posted a 24-8 record under sixth-year head coach Lori Carter.

To view the complete coaches poll, click here…
2009-10 SAC Pre-Season Coaches Poll

The Crimson Storm made the program’s 18th and 3rd consecutive appearance at the NAIA National Tournament last year after posting a 24-8 record under 7th year head coach, Lori Carter. Carter guided SNU to a 17-5 finish in the SAC last year, which was good enough for 3rd place and earned Carter the SAC’s Coach of the Year award.

While the 08-09 season was another successful one for the Crimson Storm program, SNU left some things undone as the Storm was bounced in the first round of the NAIA National Tournament.

This year, SNU looks to make a return trip to Jackson, and hopefully and extended trip in Tennessee come March.

SNU will have to replace third leading scorer, Kinzie Didier, from a last year’s team. Didier finished up a stellar career as the Crimson Storm program’s 21st all-time leading scorer with 1,161 career points. Didier also finished with over 500 rebounds during her SNU career.

The good news for the Storm is that SNU has a wealth of talent returning from last year’s national tournament team.

Guard
5’8 sophomore Logan Martin will control the guard position. Martin was superb as a freshman, scoring a team high 15.9 points per game and earning SAC Freshman of the Year honors and NAIA Third Team All-American honors last year. Martin had a team high 127 assists and connected on 37% of her three-point attempts, starting all 32 games at the point.

Martin will be joined in the backcourt by returning 5’10 senior, Lauren Langston. Langston appeared in 30 games last year, averaging 1.6 points per contest and hitting 43% from three.

SNU also added junior Katie Novack and freshmen Marsha Durr and Oumoul Thiam to the backcourt during the offseason.

Novack, a 5’9 transfer from Garden City Community College, had an outstanding JUCO career, earning Second Team All-Conference last year after leading the conference in scoring.

Durr, a 5’6 freshman from Plano, Texas, averaged 17.8 points per game as a senior along with 4.3 assists.

Thiam, 6’0 freshman from Senegal, continues the SNU tradition of outstanding players from the country of Senegal and should have an immediate impact for SNU as a freshman.

Forward
The forward position will be highlighted by the return of 6’0 senior, Lana Keith. Keith finished the 08-09 season as an NAIA Third Team All-American and First Team All-Conference selection. Lana averaged 15.8 points per game and tied a school record for most three-pointers made in a season with 79. Keith connected on 41% of her three-point attempts last year, which is 9th best all-time for a single season in school history. For her career, Lana is now 23rd on SNU’s all-time career scoring list with 1,061 points.

Also returning from a year ago at the forward position are sophomores Audra Skimbo and Sharmeda Johnson.

Skimbo, 5’11, appeared in 29 games last year and scored 3.5 points per game. Johnson, 6’0, appeared in 24 games and averaged 2.7 points per game.

SNU will also return redshirt freshman, Jamie Bottger. Bottger was forced to redshirt after suffering a pre-season injury last fall. Bottger comes from Bethany High School where she had a stellar high school career for the Lady Bronchos.

SNU also added 5’11 freshman, Porschea Jeffries, and 5’10 junior, Jacque Farrar to the mix at forward this season.

Jeffries averaged 12.2 points per game as a senior at Del City High School and was a First Team All-Conference selection.

Farrar was an All-State selection at Kingfisher High School before enrolling at Northern Oklahoma Junior College. At NOC, Farrar averaged 8.9 points per game and earned First Team All-Region and First Team All-Conference honors.

Center
The post position will feature two returning players from a year ago, Abbey Marra and Ashley Mantooth.

Marra, a 6’1 sophomore, had a very good freshman season, appearing in 32 games and finishing the year as the team’s fourth leading scorer, averaging 8.4 points per game. Marra added 3.9 rebounds per game and hit 65% of her shots from the floor, which is 4th best all-time for a single season in school history.

Mantooth, a 6’2 sophomore, appeared in 32 games for SNU, starting 28 of those games. For the year, Mantooth averaged 7.1 points per game and grabbed 4.8 rebounds per game.

Wrap-Up
The Crimson Storm has a host of talent returning from last year. A year ago, SNU had seven freshman and expectations were for the 08-09 season to be a rebuilding year, but Lori Carter guided SNU to an impressive 24-win season and a return trip to nationals. This year, with the younger players gaining valuable experience last year, the expectation for SNU has been raised a bit as the Storm look to compete for a conference title and look for a lengthier stay at nationals in March.

To view the 2009-10 women's basketball media guide, click here...

2009-10 Media Guide

(KANSAS CITY, MO.)---Southern Nazarene University freshman guard, Logan Martin, and junior forward, Lana Keith, each earned NAIA Third Team All-American honors it was announced by the NAIA on Tuesday evening.