Alva Review-Courier -

ALVA, Okla. — Southern Nazarene got a combined 30 from its freshmen duo in a 66-64 loss at Northwestern Oklahoma State Thursday night.

Micah Speight scored a career-high 16 points for the Crimson Storm (7-6, 4-3 GAC) as he went 6-for-10 from the field and 4-for-6 from 3-point range. He also added four assists. Jhonathan Dunn added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and he also went 4-for-5 from downtown. He added five rebounds as well.

Noah Starkey finished with 11 points and seven rebounds as five of his points came on 5-of-8 shooting at the free-throw line. He was also 3-for-5 from the field.

SNU shot 40.4 percent from the field and were 9-for-24 from 3-point range. The Storm out rebounded Northwestern 39-36. The Storm had 19 turnovers, but gave up just 10 points off turnovers while scoring 21 points off of 14 turnovers. The Rangers went 19-for-28 from the line while SNU went 9-for-15.

Neither team led by more than five in the first half and that was after a Micah Speight 3-pointer sparked a 7-0 run for the Storm as they took a 20-15 lead with 10:21 left in the first. SNU matched that lead one more time at 22-17 before the Rangers used an 8-2 run to lead 25-24. SNU scored five straight to lead 29-25 before taking a 29-27 lead at halftime.

Northwestern though opened the second half on a 12-3 run to take its biggest lead to that point at 39-32 before another Speight trey started a 7-0 run to tie it at 39 with 12:27 to play. Southern Nazarene tied it again at 41 with 11:18 to play, but the Rangers used an 8-2 run to lead 49-43. SNU cut it to one midway through the second half and trailed by as much as six. The Storm were down 63-58 with just 36 seconds left when Speight hit a layup before SNU forced a turnover and then LB Willis found Starkey for jumper as SNU knocked the lead down to 63-62 with 15 seconds left.

The Rangers hit a pair of free throws to make it 65-62 before Willis converted on a pair of free throws to make it 65-64 with 11 seconds left. Northwestern missed both free throws after SNU fouled, but secured the offensive board. After being fouled, the Rangers went to the line again, but missed the front end of two and took a 66-64 lead with three seconds left.

The Storm couldn't convert though as it took its third straight Thursday night loss on the road in GAC play.