ALVA, Okla. – The Northwestern Oklahoma State Men's Basketball team had the door closed on their playoff hopes as they were handed a knockout blow from the Reddies of Henderson State.

With Henderson State (15-12, 10-11 GAC) holding the last conference tournament spot, the Rangers (11-15, 7-14 GAC) needed a win to keep their post-season hopes afloat.

Although the Reddies hit the games first bucket with a three, the Rangers came to play in the first couple of minutes and rifled off 10 straight points to take a seven point lead four minutes into the game.

Senior Adrian Motley wasn't willing to let his final ride go to waste, and he showed that by knocking down four of his first five shots for 14 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. Needing 52 points in his final two games to move into 5^th on Northwestern's All-Time scoring list, the 6'6" Texan couldn't be stopped in the first half.

The Rangers would hold onto their lead for the better part of the opening frame, but the Reddies were never far behind. Kevin Kozan, a senior guard out of Illinois, led the visitors with 11 points in the half to keep the Rangers lead to just three at the break.

Despite their recent struggles, the Reddies still lead the league in turnover margin (+3.73) as well as steals per game (7.7), a testament to their team's reputation for being extremely athletic and playing a fast tempo game every time they come out. Dropping five of their last six and hoping to limp into the Great American Conference tournament, the Reddies were in need of a strong second half.

Leading 40-37 at halftime, Northwestern shot 46.4% from the field (13-for-28) but allowed HSU to connect on 54.2% of their shots to keep pace.
In his first start of the season, Cedric Collinge made his presence felt in the absence of Trey Johnson, a regular in the Ranger lineup. Appearing in just 10 of the teams first 25 games, Collinge had a season high 10 points and six boards.

Both teams traded blows in the second half in what was a tight contest, but the Reddies took the lead at the midway point of the period. Two free throws by Kozan extended Henderson State's lead to six, their largest of the game to that point. A 21-9 run for the Reddies allowed them to extend their lead to nine with just under four minutes remaining.

After sinking 18 points in the first half, Motley looked to lead his squad into the tournament with a comeback in the dying minutes. But the Rangers leading scorer was denied under the bucket by a block from Eric Dailey. Motley finished with 24 points and nine rebounds.

Northwestern gave their fans some life and a glimmer of hope when Cody Halvorson nailed a triple from the corner to cut the HSU lead to four with 46.2 seconds left. With their season hanging on by a thread, the Rangers got a crucial steal from Greg Minor Jr., who was then fouled on a drive to the basket. Minor would only hit one of his free throws, giving the Reddies the chance to close it out.

Henderson State hung on to win 85-79, securing their place in the GAC tournament, while also sealing the fate of the Rangers who miss out on post-season play.

Brandon Green had 17 points in the loss, his second highest total of the season. His six assists tonight moved him to within seven helpers of breaking the all-time school record. Motley also made a push for the record books, as his six defensive rebounds inched him closer to the all-time career mark of 528. Motley will need three in the final game of the season to reach the milestone.
 
Up Next

Northwestern will return to action on Saturday, February 25 as they host Ouachita Baptist in their final game of the 2016-17 season. The Percefull Fieldhouse faithful will honor four seniors in Deiondray Martin, Austin Klug, Anthony Bolton and Adrian Motley. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.

For the latest news and updates on Ranger Basketball, follow @NWOSUAthletics on Twitter or visit www.riderangersride.com