BETHANY, Okla. - Southern Nazarene locked in their spot for the GAC Tournament in style Thursday night, taking down Arkansas Tech 70-46 in the Sawyer Center. 

SNU's Carley Gasaway had a career night, dropping a personal best 20 points, while Hannah Duncan pulled down a career high 11 rebounds. Hannah Giddey was unstoppable once again, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds for another double-double this season.

The Storm (16-5,13-2 GAC) got off to a strong start in the first quarter. Giddey got things going with a layup in the paint, assisted by Duncan. Jena Bay followed up with another layup off a Giddey assist, and Jordan Hoffman knocked down two free throws. Katie King made her presence known with a block that led to a Giddey rebound and another layup. King then added a jumper to give SNU a 12-11 lead after the first quarter. The Golden Suns(4-15, 2-13 GAC) struggled to find consistent offense, while SNU controlled the game from start to finish.

The second quarter saw the Storm's steep pressure. Jillian Crawford scored off a Giddey assist, then Hoffman turned a steal into a fastbreak layup. Crawford followed with a three pointer, set up by Braci Nyberg, before Gasaway found her rhythm from deep, hitting three threes in the quarter. Jena Bay also got in on the action with a three pointer of her own, assisted by Crawford. By halftime, The Crimson Storm had stretched their lead to 21-14, controlling the game.

Coming out of the break, the Storm didn't slow down. Giddey scored again in the paint, followed by a three pointer from King, assisted by Bay. Giddey added another layup before King came up with a steal that led to a layup from Bay. At the end of the third, SNU was in full control, leading 51-36.

The fourth quarter was all Crimson Storm. Nyberg hit two free throws to keep the momentum going, while Crawford sank another three off a Giddey assist. Duncan and Nyberg added layups before Gasaway capped off her career night with back-to-back three pointers, assisted by Duncan and Shannon Burton.
When the final buzzer went off, SNU had secured a 70-46 win, officially punching their ticket to the GAC Tournament. 

Next Up
The Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm will take on Harding University, Saturday February 8 in the Sawyer Center at 1:00pm.