Tweet #theGAC  SHAWNEE, Okla. – Southern Nazarene put five figures in double figures as the fourth-seeded Crimson Storm fended off fifth-seeded Henderson State, 69-58, in Friday’s opening Great American Conference Men’s Basketball Championships quarterfinal contest from FireLake Arena.
 
In a game that featured 20 lead changes, the Crimson Storm (20-9) regained the lead for good on an emphatic dunk by Nick Davis with 12:10 remaining. The Reddies (17-12) drew to as close as one point, 56-55, but the Crimson Storm closed out the final four minutes on an 11-3 run.
 
Davis scored a game-high 18 points, 13 in the second half to pace the Crimson Storm attack. Xavier Bryant added 13 points, a game-high 10 rebounds and six assists. Manny Dixon also scored 13; Tyler McGhie added 11 and Mo Wilson II chipped in with 10. The Crimson Storm outrebounded the Reddies by a 43-32 margin. They entered the game with a cumulative rebound margin of -12 on the season.
 
Tomislav Miholjcic and Ryan Boyce each scored 11 points for the Reddies. Miholjcic went 5-for-6 from the floor. As a team, the Reddies shot just 3-of-19 from the 3-point arc.
 
Southern Nazarene will face top-seeded Southeastern Oklahoma State in Saturday’s opening semifinal, scheduled for a noon tip. The Savage Storm swept its regular-season meetings with the Crimson Storm. Southern Nazarene owns a 2-0 advantage in GAC Championship play as the Crimson Storm eliminated the Savage Storm in 2018 in the semifinals and won the 2019 title game, 80-77.