ALVA, OKLAHOMA - Rangers Basketball will play their seventh straight game on Thursday evening as Southern Nazarene travels to Percefull Fieldhouse for the third conference game of the season. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM against the Crimson Storm following the conclusion of the Lady Rangers game. 

Northwestern basketball started conference play with an even 1-1 split following a 89-75 victory over Arkansas Tech before falling to Harding 91-70 on Saturday. Overall the Rangers are 4-4 with a 1-1 conference record as Southern Nazarene comes into play with a 5-1 record and a 2-0 conference record.

NORTHWESTERN:

Entering Thursday Southern Nazarene leads the series with a 27-14 record dating back to the 2006 season. Northwestern is 3-2 in the last five meetings and swept the season series in 2023-24 with two victories. 

Max Alexander led the Rangers in Saturday's game against Harding with 22 points with seven assists both team highs for the game. Northwestern had two other double digit scorers in DaRaun Clark with 19 points and Justin Norris with 11 points in the loss. 

Alexander is the team's leading scorer on the season with 24.8 points per game, one of four players averaging double figures for the season. Camron McDowell is second with 23.1 points per game, joined by DaRaun Clark with 10.5 and Justin Norris with 10.0. Alexander leads the team with 45 assists on the season for an average of 5.6 per game.

McDowell and Kabeya Tshibangu have been the teams leading defenders on the season. Tshibangu leads the team with 10 blocks along with six steals on the season while McDowell has a team high 15 steals with five blocks. Justin Norris has a team high 5.9 rebounds per game for 47 on the season while Tshibangu averages 5.5 on the season. 

SOUTHERN NAZARENE:

Southern Nazarene is 5-1 on the season entering Thursday on a two game win streak which were to open Great American Conference play. The Crimson Storm have a 1-1 record on the road with the loss to #6 Dallas Baptist. 

Baron Bracey was the teams leading scorer last game with 22 points for the Crimson Storm one of three double figure scorers against Southern Arkansas joined by Stevie Strong with 19 and Tracy Godfrey with 11 points.

The Crimson Storm on the season are led by Baron Bracey averaging 14.2 points per game, one of three double figure scorers joined by Stevie Strong with 12.7 per game and Jeremy Golson at 11.3 per game. Strong leads the team with 31 assists on the season through six games for an average of 5.1 per game.

Stevie Strong has a team high 11 steals on the season along with one block. Baron Bracey and Timur Krupalija lead the team with eight steals on the season while Krupalija also has a team high seven blocks on the season.

STAT OF THE GAME:

Northwestern Oklahoma State is first in the nation for Division II in free throw percentage with an 83.2% mark and are 12th in Division II in free throws made per game, both conference bests. Southern Nazarene enters in the top 25 in defensive field goal percentage holding teams to 40% third best in the conference and are eighth in DII in points allowed per game at 61.8 second in the conference.

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