MONTICELLO, Ark. — No. 6 Southern Nazarene battled through a tough shooting afternoon as the Crimson Storm were tested on the road Saturday at Arkansas-Monticello, but SNU found a way to grind out a 59–50 victory to remain unbeaten in Great American Conference play.

The Crimson Storm (8–0, 2–0 GAC) found themselves locked in an offensive struggle for much of the first half, shooting just 29 percent from the field. Neither team could find a groove as the game went into the locker room deadlocked at 23–23. SNU found its rhythm on both ends after the break, outscoring the Weevils (4–4, 0–2 GAC) 36–27 in the second half to pull away for the nine-point win.

Malik Edwards led the way for Southern Nazarene with a game-high 16 points, connecting on a pair of three-pointers while adding two assists and a steal. Colby Henderson followed with 11 points on efficient 5-of-9 shooting, while Tracy Godfrey Jr. chipped in 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.

Baron Bracey added nine points, seven boards, and two steals in 37 minutes of action, and James Burries gave the Storm a spark off the bench with six points and six rebounds.

After struggling from the field early, the Storm shot 48 percent in the second half and knocked down four three-pointers after going 0-for-10 from deep in the opening half. Southern Nazarene also made its presence felt on the offensive glass, turning 13 offensive rebounds into 16 second-chance points while holding a 35–27 rebounding advantage.

Defensively, SNU forced 15 turnovers and converted them into 15 points, while limiting Arkansas-Monticello to just 19 made field goals in the afternoon.

Next Up

The Storm will head to Ada on Thursday, December 11, to take on the Tigers of East Central at 7:00 p.m.