Tweet #theGAC  BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – Southern Nazarene extended its win streak at the Great American Conference Men’s Basketball Championships as they defeated Henderson State, 84-64, in Saturday’s first semifinal contest from Bruin Fieldhouse. The defending champions picked up their fifth-straight win in Bartlesville.
 
The talented backcourt tandem of Micah Speight and Jhonathan Dunn led the way for Crimson Storm (27-5). Dunn shouldered the load in the first half with 13 points while Speight responded with 17 in the second half. Speight finished with 26, on 9-of-16 shooting. He tacked on eight rebounds and four assists. Dunn ended the night with 21 points.
 
The Crimson Storm distanced themselves from the Reddies (19-11) in the second half as they went shot 62.1 percent over the final 20 minutes. Their defense held the Reddies to just 35.7 percent. Josh Jones finished as the lone Reddie to reach double figures. He went 6-for-11 in scoring 20 points.
 
In addition to Speight and Dunn, GAC Defensive Player of the Year Noah Starkey added 10 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks. In the Crimson Storms’s two wins, he has averaged 13.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. Zach Johnson and Quaylon Newton combined to hit 8-of-9 of shots and score 18 points.
 
With the win, the Crimson Storm becomes the third GAC program to make the Men’s Championship title game in consecutive years. Arkansas Tech won the inaugural event in 2012 but lost to Ouachita in 2013. Arkansas-Monticello fell to East Central in the 2017 final and to the Crimson Storm last year.
 
They will face either Oklahoma Baptist or Southeastern Oklahoma State in Sunday’s final, scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. start. During the regular season, the Crimson Storm swept the Bison – winning by one in Shawnee and by 40 at home. The Savage Storm handed the Crimson Storm two of their four league losses. Southeastern won by 33 at home and by four on road – a victory that ended Southern Nazarene’s 25-game home win streak.