Alva, Oklahoma- Northwestern Oklahoma State basketball returns to action for their second straight home game. The Rangers will welcome in the Savage Storm of Southeastern Oklahoma State Saturday afternoon as both teams return to conference play after a mid-week nonconference win. Tip-off is set for 3:00 PM following the conclusion of the Lady Rangers game.
The Rangers (7-2 overall, 2-1 Great American Conference) will look to continue the team's hot play as the Red-and-Black has won three straight games, including two consecutive conference wins, along with taking seven of the last eight games. Northwestern will look to slow down the Savage Storm (8-1 overall, 3-0 GAC), who have won eight straight games after losing their season opener. Southeastern has won three straight conference games.
Northwestern is led on the offensive side of the ball by Larry White, who leads one of five players in double figures. White comes into the game averaging 14.4 points per game, followed by Malik Parson with 11.8, Brian Free with 11.0, and Bubba Furlong with 10.9 points. The Rangers have emphasized a solid display of charging the ball as the team comes ranked second in the conference with 16.8 assists per game which has helped NOrthwestern average 83.6 points per game also second in the conference. Brian Free leads the team with 25 assists on the season, followed by Furlong with 22 and Parson with 20.
The Red-and-Black do not stop there as their offense has found success through their defense as well. The Rangers come into the Saturday matchup third in the conference in turnovers forced per game at 16.4. White has led this with 14 steals on the season, followed by Furlong with 10. Furlong has helped the Rangers protect the rim as Northwestern is first in the conference and eighth in the nation in blocked shots per game with 5.3. Furlong has 23 blocks through the first nine-game games averaging 2.56 per contest. The Rangers are led in rebounding by White, and Furlong top the list as Furlong has 7.7 per game and White has 6.3 to give the Rangers the third-best rebounding margin in the conference.
Scouting the Opponent:
Southeastern Oklahoma State comes into the matchup on an eight-game win streak as the Rangers look to slow down a high-powered offense Saturday afternoon.
The Savage Storm enter play with five players averaging double figures scoring a game. They are led by Jett Sternberger, who is averaging 20.9 points per game which is second in the conference. Ante Brzovic follows him at 16.1 per game, Adam Dworsky with 13.8, Kellen Manek at 12.7, and Bobby Johnson at 11.9, who is coming off winning GAC player of the week. The Storm average 89.1 points per game which is first in the conference and top-10 in the nation. Their offense comes from sharing the ball well, leading to three-point attempts as Southeastern is first in assists per game in the conference and first, in total three pointers made on the year. Johnson leads the team at 50% average on the year.
Southeastern allows 72.9 points per game which are ninth in the conference overall. Dworksy leads them with 16 steals and Sternberger with 12. Brzovic leads the team with five blocks on the season.
The Rangers won the last meeting between the two teams snapping a six-game losing streak against the Savage Storm last year with a 75-72 victory. Northwestern's last win in Alva came in the 2016-2017 season in a 66-56 victory.
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