Streak Stoppers

Southern Nazarene took down the top team in the conference at home

Fall notched her second game of the year with 20 rebounds.

Box Score BETHANY, Okla. — There may not be any snow on the ground, but a snowball just rolled through the Sawyer Center as Southern Nazarene knocked off league-leading East Central, 73-60.   The Crimson Storm (8-7, 5-4 GAC) scored their fourth straight win and are now on the longest winning streak of the season. The Lady Tigers (12-3, 7-2 GAC) had not lost since Nov. 29 and had won nine straight coming into Thursday night’s contest.   Aminta Fall tied her own school record for rebounds as the sophomore pulled down 20 rebounds and notched her third double-double of the year with 12 points. Oumoul Thiam led the Storm with 17 points as she went 3-for-7 from 3-point range and 6-for-7 at the line. Annie Kassongo chipped in with 10 points and seven rebounds while Ashleigh Hutching had two career-highs with 10 points and seven rebounds.   “I think the difference is that we’ve had other players step up and not have to depend on Oumoul as much,” said SNU Head Coach Derek Dorris. “It’s the first the first time all year we have had four players in double-digits so we are sharing the basketball more.”   For the third straight game Southern Nazarene has shot over 80 percent from the line as the Storm went 15-for-17. Over the last three contests, SNU has gone 42-for-60 at the charity stripe.   “I’d like to say it’s something we’re doing in practice with trying to put pressure on them or the number we take in practice, but the bottom line is we just have a pretty good shooting team and that’s what it takes. Focus, concentration and doing the same thing every time. We have that type of production from the line it really opens up the offense.”   SNU turned the ball over just 12 times and scored 15 points off of 11 ECU turnovers. The Storm went 25-for-64 from the field and held the Lady Tigers to just 36.4 percent from the field, and 29.7 percent in the second half.   The Storm trailed early at 11-8, but after a Fall bucket in the paint ignited a 17-6 run SNU never trailed again. East Central did cut it to one late in the first half at 31-30, but the storm took a 37-32 lead into the half. The Lady Tigers tied it at 37 just seconds into the second half, but SNU got three straight treys to start a 20-2 run to lead 57-39 with 11:46 left to play. ECU got as close as 61-53 with 6:13 left, but the Storm put the brakes on a comeback and held on for the win.   The Storm now get set to travel to Southeastern Oklahoma State, Saturday, for a 5:30 p.m. game that will end of the first half of the Great American Conference season.

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