BETHANY, Okla. — Deshon Portley scored a game-high 23 points as four players scored in double figures for Southern Nazarene in a 91-88 win over Northern State.
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The Crimson Storm (0-1) shot 50 percent from the field and were 8-for-19 from 3-point range, but the Wolves (1-0) shot 51.9 percent from the field and were 28-for-38 at the free-throw line. Northern State also out rebounded SNU 35-29.
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Portley was 7-for-14 from the field and 4-for-9 from beyond the arc. The senior was perfect at the line as he hit all five attempts. Combined with
LB Willis the two went 10-for-11 while the rest of the team went 4-for-10. Willis finished with 11 points and four assists.
Noah Starkey had 17 points and seven rebounds as he was 8-for-9 from the field. He also had two blocks. Johnathan Dunn also had 12 points and three rebounds in his Crimson Storm Debut.
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SNU held its biggest lead of the second half after an 8-0 run capped by a
C.J. White layup to put the Storm up 29-23. The Storm led 31-25 with 8:56 left in the first half when the Wolves used a 17-7 run to lead 42-38 with 4:49 left in the first. The Storm retook the lead at 46-45 with 1:16 left in the half, but Northern State closed the half with four straight to lead 49-46.
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The Wolves held a 57-52 lead early in the second half, but the Storm answered with a 12-2 run to take a 64-59 lead that was capped when Portley was fouled on a made three and hit the ensuing free throw. The Storm matched its biggest lead of the game at 71-65 with 10:22 to play, but never could put the Wolves away.
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Northern State went on a 15-5 run to lead 80-76 with 4:15 to play and never trailed again. The Storm cut it to 89-88 with 13 seconds left after a pair of back-to-back treys from Dunn, but that was as close as they came.
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