ADA, Okla. – Looking for their fourth win in five games, the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers made a huge statement to the GAC in a 83-71 win at East Central.

East Central entered Saturday's contest riding a 12 game win streak, most recently taking care of business in an 89-72 victory over Southern Nazarene. Having won the past two meetings against the Rangers, East Central seemed confident in their ability to handle this hot Northwestern squad.

The Rangers jumped out to an 11-7 lead over the Great American Conference's second best team, hitting three of their first four shots to start the game. Northwestern came out of the gate firing on all cylinders, shooting 52 percent (18-32) from the field in the opening period. Head coach Shawn Dirden managed to get his offence to distribute the ball with composure and efficiency, with three different Rangers reaching double-digit points in the first half. Junior Brandon Green was a powerhouse on the glass, pulling down six boards in the frame.

The Rangers took a 51-41 lead into halftime, and the break did nothing to slow them. 

The black-and-red started the second half right where they left off. Adrian Motley got his bench fired up when he drove the lane, drawing contact from Tiger big man Ishmael Donzo and sinking the tough layup. With Donzo recording his third personal foul with less than 15 minutes to play, Northwestern saw an opportunity and took advantage. Zachary Dumas took a charge from Donzo just 30 seconds later, giving him a fourth personal foul with plenty of time left.

With 13:13 remaining the Rangers found themselves up 62-46, showing that they can play with the GAC's elite. After putting together a 21 point night Thursday against Oklahoma Baptist, Cody Halvorson recorded another 19 in this one. Halvorson showed his quick release to silence the crowd at Kerr Activities Center, knocking down a three-pointer to give the Rangers a 17 point lead with 7:42 left in the ballgame.

After squandering a few late leads earlier in the season, coach Dirden was looking for his team to close one out. His message was clear; don't let this one get away.

The Tigers defensive leader Donzo fouled out of the game with four minutes remaining – but not before dropping 17 points and nine rebounds. An 11-4 ECU run gave life to both the home team and their fans, cutting the Northwestern lead to just eight with 3:00 to play. Just when it looked like the Tigers were gaining momentum, Halvorson launched a three, quieting the crowd and restoring an 11 point Ranger lead.

Leading scorer Motley had another fantastic afternoon, posting a double-double (16 points, 13 rebounds). Green finished with 11 points and two steals, and Trey Johnson was 5-5 from the field for 14 points.

After the Rangers first win in Ada in four years, coach Dirden was all positive. "It felt good to close out a half" Dirden said. "We closed out possessions, and we really needed that. Number one thing coming into somebody else's house is that we have to score down the stretch, and we were able to do that tonight. Hopefully we can keep the momentum going."

With the road victory, Northwestern (8-8, 4-7 GAC) wraps up a rigorous portion of their schedule that saw them play five games in just 10 days.

Up Next
The Ranger Men's Basketball team will have a few days off before returning to Percefull Fieldhouse on Thursday, January 26 when they host Arkansas Tech (10-4, 6-4 GAC) in a 7:30 tip-off.

For the latest information and updates on Ranger Basketball, follow @NWOSUAthletics on Twitter or go to www.riderangersride.com.