NWOSU Athletics
Christopher Maple
ALVA – The Rangers dropped their Great American Conference matchup to the Bison Thursday night in Percefull Fieldhouse 69-59. Oklahoma Baptist took advantage of the points off turnovers leading 19-9 in points off of turnovers.
Northwestern drops to 2-5 and 0-5 in Great American conference play for the season.
Jack Peck led the Rangers as he finished the game with 30 points for a game-high and his career-high with Northwestern. Parrish Hewitt was the second Ranger in double-figures with 14 points on the night. Hewitt also had a team-high eight rebounds. Cole Jones led the Rangers with four assists in the game. Bubba Furlong continued his defensive success with a game high four blocks on the night.
Oklahoma Baptist opened the game fast with the first four points of the game, including starting the game on an 8-2 run. Bingham would spark a Rangers response with a 7-0 run with four quick points. Peck would continue his success for the Rangers, scoring the next five points for the Rangers followed by a Hewitt three, giving the Rangers the lead halfway through the opening half.
The teams would continue to trade points for the rest of the half, as Hewitt would hit another three for his third of the half. The game would turn into a defensive battle with four points in the next five minutes. Oklahoma Baptist would complete an 8-0 run to take advantage right before the half at 26-24. After an OBU three, Hewitt would answer the run with his own, sparking a quick Ranger 5-0 run to even the score at 29-29. The Bison would hit a three right before the half to send the game into the break at 32-32.
Hewitt led the team with 13 points at halftime, followed by Peck with 10 points. The Bison led by Jordan Thompson and Trey Green with eight points from each.
The second half opened with the Rangers and Bison going back and forth trading baskets. Peck opened the scoring for the Rangers in the second half. The game was even, at 36-36, close to the five-minute mark before Oklahoma Baptist changed the momentum.
OBU would start a 6-0 run to open a six-point lead that they would not lose again. The run was closed off with a Jordan Thompson layup. Peck would continue to lead the Rangers scoring five straight points bringing the game back within two points at 45-43. Oklahoma Baptist, led by Thompson, would spark their biggest run of the game at 10-0 with four of his 15 points on the night.
The Bison would open their largest lead at 16 points with five minutes left in the game following a Harrison Stoddart two-point shot. Rangers would get to as close as 10 points three different times, but that was as close as they would be able to get. The game would end with a Peck three to close the game out 69-59. He would finish the second half with twenty points and thirty on the night.
Rangers will look to end their losing streak on Saturday as they play host to the Crimson Storm of Southern Nazarene. The game will tip-off around 4:00 PM following the Lady Rangers game, which starts at 2 o’clock.