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Southern Nazarene University Athletics

Edwards, M
77
Winner Southern Nazarene SN 23-7,15-7 GAC
72
Okla. Baptist OB 27-3,20-2 GAC
Winner
Southern Nazarene SN
23-7,15-7 GAC
77
Final
72
Okla. Baptist OB
27-3,20-2 GAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Southern Nazarene SN 33 44 77
Okla. Baptist OB 39 33 72

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Mia Moddelmog, Director of Athletics Communications

Crimson Storm Earn Third Straight Trip to GAC Tournament Finals

Southern Nazarene defeats Oklahoma Baptist to move on to the GAC Championship

FORT SMITH, Ark. – The No. 4 seed Southern Nazarene continued its postseason run Saturday afternoon, knocking off No. 1 seed Oklahoma Baptist 77-72 in the semifinals of the Great American Conference Tournament.

The Bison (27-3, 20-2 GAC) entered the semifinal matchup riding an 18-game win streak and  had also handed the Storm (23-7, 15-7 GAC) two regular-season losses earlier this year before the teams met once again in Fort Smith.

Southern Nazarene used a strong second-half surge to secure its second straight win in Fort Smith. The Crimson Storm shot 53.8 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes and outscored the Bison 44-33 after the break to punch their ticket to the GAC Championship game for the third straight season.

The Storm found themselves trailing 39-33 at halftime after Oklahoma Baptist shot 45 percent from the field and connected on eight three-pointers in the opening half. Despite the early deficit, Southern Nazarene stayed within striking distance behind balanced scoring and dominant defense.

SNU responded in the second half attacking the paint and getting to the free-throw line. The Storm went 14-of-18 from the stripe in the final period while steadily chipping away at the Bison lead before taking control late.

Baron Bracey and Bam Johnson led the way for Southern Nazarene with 16 points apiece. Bracey added six rebounds and two steals, while Johnson also dished out four assists.

Joe Mpoyo provided a major spark off the bench with 17 points, knocking down three three-pointers and going a perfect 4-for-4 at the free-throw line. Tracy Godfrey Jr. added 15 points and four rebounds, while Aaron Potter chipped in 10 points off the bench.

Southern Nazarene received a big lift from its reserves, with the Storm bench contributing 27 points in the victory. SNU also controlled the glass, outrebounding Oklahoma Baptist 39-33 and holding the Bison to just 34.4 percent shooting in the second half.

Next Up

The Crimson Storm will now take on the winner of No. 2 Ouachita Baptist and No. 3 Harding in the GAC Tournament Championship on Sunday, March 8 at 1:00 pm in Fort Smith.
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