From SOSU Sports Info.
BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – Bailey Welch scored all 17 of her points in the second half and Southeastern overcame a 19-point second half deficit to end 2012 with a 77-73 win over Oklahoma Wesleyan in Bartlesville, Okla.
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 3-7 on the season heading into a weekend of home conference contests beginning with a 5:30 p.m. matchup with Southern Arkansas on Jan. 3 in Bloomer Sullivan Arena.
Welch’s 17 points matched the game-best point total and came on a 5-of-8 shooting effort from three point range.
She led a trio of double-digit scorers and was joined by Ronay English who chipped in 14 points on the strength of three three-pointers and Emily Williams who added a 10 point outing.
“We had another rough first half,” said head coach Darin Grover, “But I’m proud of the way they fought back in the second half and closed out the rally. That’s what happens when you make your shots.”
SE certainly made shots in the second half, posting a 54.5 percent shooting effort after finding itself down 43-27 at halftime after a 31.0 percent shooting effort.
The Storm finished with a 43.5 percent effort overall for the contest while holding the Eagles to a 37.1 percent effort.
OKWU was hot from long range in the first half, hitting six, but the SE defense stifled that plan in the second half, holding the Eagles to a 2-of-13 performance.
It was the opposite for Southeastern after going 2-of-11 from long range in the opening half, the Storm bounced back with a blazing 10-of-13 effort, good for 76.9 percent.
Haley Schaefer led the Storm on the boards with eight as SE was outrebounded on the contest.
Welch, Taylor Richards and Williams each dished out five assists as the Storm finished with 21 as a team across from just nine turnovers.
They managed to force OKWU into 20 turnovers on the game with 14 steals, withMadison Thames turning in a game-high six.
The teams traded buckets early, but the Eagles used a 12-2 run to mount a 20-8 lead by the 14:20 mark of the first half.
SE would recover and get as close as four points, but OKWU would reel off another run and pull ahead to a 43-27 lead at halftime.
That lead would grow to 49-30 just three minutes into the second half.
English would hit a layup to queue a 7-0 run to get the deficit to 12 points.
The Eagles would push the gap back to 54-39 with 13:27 to play.
Breana Small-Peppers would hit a layup with 13:07 remaining and Southeastern would score 20-straight points capped by a Welch three pointer to take a 59-54 lead with 8:47 to play.
A Natalie Ruud three with 5:06 to play would give the Storm its biggest lead of the afternoon at 71-62.
SE would hold on for a 77-74 win.
Matt Thomas is the Sports Information Director at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.