BOX SCORE
BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – Despite falling behind early, Ouachita Baptist grabbed the lead against Southeastern Oklahoma State before halftime then held off multiple Savage Storm surges to claim a 67-60 victory in the final Great American Conference Men’s Basketball Championships quarterfinal on Friday from the Bruin Fieldhouse.
The Tigers (15-12) fell behind by seven, 18-11, midway through the first half, before scoring 14 of the final 18 points to grab a 25-22 lead at intermission. Nigel Ramsey hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions that gave Ouachita Baptist the lead and he scored 10 of his 15 points during that closing run.
Ouachita Baptist-Southeastern Oklahoma State Photo Gallery
Ouachita Baptist steadily built on its halftime advantage and increased its lead to its widest margin, 44-32, on a 3-point play by Michael Morris. Southeastern Oklahoma State (15-12) made its first push to get back into the game by responding with seven straight points to cut the deficit to 44-39. On two occasions, the Savage Storm pulled to within a point – 54-53 and 56-55 – but could never reclaim the lead.
Free throws, an issue for Ouachita Baptist all season long, helped pushed the Tigers into the semifinals for a second straight year. They entered the GAC Championship 10th in the league in free-throw shooting, but on Friday, they knocked down all 19 they attempted, including nine in the final 90 seconds.
Ramsey and Morris each scored 15 points to pace the Tigers; Eric Braeuer added 11 and Colt Fason chipped in with 10. Fason also grabbed a team-leading eight rebounds. Andris Mistris totaled a game-high 20 points in a losing effort. Steven Kohli scored 19 and Mateus Oliveira tallied 11.
The Tigers advanced to Saturday’s semifinals where they will face the top-seeded Harding Bisons in the nightcap at 8:30 p.m. Ouachita Baptist split with Harding during the regular season, as both won on its home floor.