Final graphic
Emma Sporleder
68
Harding Hard 9-19,4-18 GAC
78
Winner Northwestern Okla. NW 10-18,7-15 GAC
Harding Hard
9-19,4-18 GAC
68
Final
78
Northwestern Okla. NW
10-18,7-15 GAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Harding Hard 29 39 68
Northwestern Okla. NW 34 44 78

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Emma Sporleder

Seniors Take Down Harding in Season Finale

Alva, Okla. – Four players putting up double-digit points helped the Northwestern Oklahoma State University's men's basketball team to their final conference victory Saturday afternoon against Harding University, 78-68, in Percefull Fieldhouse.

Senior Day took place at half-court right before game start, and seven Ranger seniors were honored for their commitment and hard work that has been instilled during their time at Northwestern. Seniors: Eric Andres Jr., Bryshon Bryant, Bryce Cashman, Hayden Graham, A.J. Jones, David Thornton and Jaedon Whitfield.

A balanced scoring effort from Whitfield, Thornton, Parrish Hewitt and Cole Jones secured a win for the season finale of the 2019-2020 Ranger Basketball season. Whitfield led the way with a double-double, racking up 21 points and 13 rebounds. Whitfield shot 5-for-9 inside the paint and 11-of-13 from the free-throw line. Thornton wasn't far behind after shooting 7 for 11 and only missing one of his five free throws, he put up 18 points, six rebounds and snagged two steals. Hewitt and Cole Jones each put 12 points on the board, and both earned a steal.

Harding was led by Collier Blackburn who put up 18 points and grabbed three rebounds, and Romio Harvey and Davis Morgan who each had 13 points. Blackburn went 5 for 10 inside and 5 for 8 from behind the arc. Harvey shot 2 for 11 from inside but went 100% from the free-throw line after shooting 8 for 8. The Rangers led the Bisons in turnover points, 15 to 4, bench points 32 to 25 and points in the paint 30 to 12. Northwestern and Harding each grabbed 38 rebounds, but the Rangers outscored from inside after putting up a 44.6 FG% over the Bisons 31.0%.

A.J. Jones scored the first basket for the Rangers shortly after Bryant won the tip-off. Harding immediately fired up two missed three-pointers and a turnover that was stolen by Andres Jr. and tossed to Thornton who shot a layup that was blocked by Tyler Hutchieson of the Bisons. Right before the 10-minute mark of the first half, the Bisons were up 16-14 until a turnover by Harding that was stolen by Nathan Bailey III got passed to Jones, but was stolen back by the Bisons led to a missed three-pointer from Harvey. Cole Jones rebounded the shot from the Bisons and passed the ball to Bailey who assisted Hewitt for a made three-pointer that sent the Rangers up by one with nine minutes to go in the first half.

During the seven-minute mark, the Rangers were up 18-16, until, Harding missed a three that was rebounded by Bailey, given to Hewitt who gave it right back to Bailey to drill a three-pointer to put the Rangers up 21-16. As time winded down in the first half, with six minutes left, Hewitt earned a monster block that Harding recovered and was immediately fouled. Two made free-throws tied the score with five minutes left but the Rangers soon went on a 9-0 run after a made layup and free-throw from Whitfield and two back-to-back made three-pointers by Cole Jones that sent the score 32-23. Northwestern headed to the locker room leading Harding 34-29 at the half.

Straight into the second half, the Bisons answered first with a made three-pointer from Harvey to put the score 34-32 with the Rangers still on top. After a foul from Jack Peck with 19 minutes to go, Harding made one of the free-throws and was only down by one point. Hewitt ran down the floor and missed a three that was rebounded by Harding and put into the basket from behind the arc by Morgan to send the Bisons up by two. With 17 minutes left the Rangers still trailed the Bisons until Peck lit up a three that was assisted by Jones. Unfortunately, Peck immediately fouled the Bisons quickly after and Harding made both free-throws to tie the game. The second half went back and forth between two and three-point leads for each team, until the 13-minute mark when the Rangers went on another scoring run and tallied up an eight-point lead including three fast-break layups made by A.J. Jones, Thornton and Whitfield, and two made free-throws from Whitfield. The Bisons answered back with two free throws with 12 minutes remaining, but after an assist from A.J. Jones that connected to a made three-pointer by Cole Jones, the Rangers led the way 53-44. Throughout the rest of the second half, the Rangers led the Bisons by as much as 13 points. With one minute remaining in the Rangers season finale, Hewitt splashed a three-pointer followed by two made free-throws from A.J. Jones that scored the final points of the season and secured the 10 point win over the Harding Bisons for the final game of the season in Percefull Fieldhouse.

The Rangers finish the 2019-2020 season 10-18 overall and 7-15 in the Great American Conference.
 
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