BETHANY, Okla. — The momentum that propelled Southern Nazarene to a 4-0 week was not left behind in Arkansas as the Storm continued their dominace after handling Henderson State with a 61-43 win on Bobby Martin Court.
Just three days prior, the Storm (13-7, 8-5 GAC) capped off their seven-day, four-game Arkansas trek with a 66-62 victory over the Reddies (12-7, 7-6 GAC) who sat just one placement higher than the Storm in the GAC standings at fourth.
Unusual scheduling only allowed for a three day gap between the Storm-Reddie matchup, and SNU took care of business once more, knocking the Reddies out of the fourth place seating, only to climb up to third place, while earning their fifth straight W in conference play.
The Crimson Storm outscored the Reddies each quarter while shooting 40 percent from the outside and just over 37 percent from behind the arc, a stat SNU is not used to seeing, especially this season. Henderson was held close to their season lows in almost every offensive category, shooting 27 percent from the field and only knocking down three out of their 14 three balls on the night.
The tenacious Storm defense troubled Henderson yet again and held them to their lowest scoring game of the season as Henderson only put up 43 on the board the entire contest.
SNU and GAC All-time Block Leader Abby Niehues kickstarted the Storm's offensive push, scoring her 1000th career point with the opening bucket of the game. A pair of three's by Jaycee Soap and Lauryn Reither would secure the game-long lead for the Storm as SNU finished 15-9 over the Reddies in the opening period.
SNU was feeling good from behind the arc to start the second and they got two more to fall, courtesy of Reither and teammate Lillie Smith and the lead was extended to 10 (25-15). Soap snuck in one more three with just over a minute left in the half to put the Storm up by 12. After inching her way into the paint for a foul call, Kennedy Gillete sunk in two from the charity stripe to keep the Storm up by 12 at halftime (34-22).
The three-point frenzy slowly diminished for the Storm in the third quarter, but Coach May's squad saw success elsewhere. Going 5-6 from the foul line in the third and going on an 8-0 run with just under two to play, SNU climbed to a 17-point lead, finishing the third up 53-36 over the Reddies.
Gillette opened the final quarter with a bucket inside the paint to the put the Storm up 19, their largest lead of the contest. Henderson tried to claw their way out of double-digit deficit, but the Storm continued to amp up the intensity on both ends. The benches were cleared just under the three minute marker and SNU came away with a dominating 22-point victory over the visiting Reddies who were taken down by the Storm for the second time in 72 hours.
Niehues had an incredible night, grabbing another double-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks while adding three steals that evening.
Soap had the hot hand, getting three of her three-point attempts to land true as she finished with 12 points, two rebounds, and a game-high four steals.
Gillette was one rebound short of a double-double herself, tallying 11 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Emily Monghan and Reither each put up seven points with Reither getting two of her three's to sink in for the Storm.
Cassandra Awatt was quieter on the offensive end this contest with only four points, but did not shy away on the defensive end, grabbing six boards and a steal against HSU.
Lillie Smith added six points off the bench along with five rebounds.
Looking for their sixth straight victory, SNU will welcome Ouachita Baptist to Bethany for the first time this season on Saturday, January 29th with tip-off set for 1:00 p.m. The Storm defeated OBU at their place by just one-point last Tuesday after Cassandra Awatt's dagger from deep with just 10 seconds on the clock secured that last second victory for the Storm.
