Southwestern is moving on in the NAIA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament with a quick turnaround back to the floor in Langston, Okla.
The No. 22 Moundbuilders were victorious Tuesday night in the first round of the tournament with a 87-82 win over Northwestern of Iowa.
Builders Junior Cevin Clark again led the charge for SC with a game-high 33 points.
There are no breaks in between the first two rounds of the NAIA tourney. Southwestern (26-6) plays in the second round tonight at 7 against regional site host Langston University. The Lions are ranked No. 5 in the country and are the No. 2 seed in the Duer Quadrant.
The game will be broadcast live on 95.9 Bob FM and can also be streamed via the listen live links at the top of this page.
The winner will move on to the Sweet 16 and play in Kansas City at Municipal Auditorium, the final site of the NAIA tournament championship.
Your Builders men’s basketball squad battles #5 Langston University today at Langston, Okla. for the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship – Second Round, Presented by Ballogy
Live ????: https://t.co/v3lJDWgjrU
Live ????: https://t.co/fUaHltnH6nMore Information down below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/9DBmoXN4sa
— Southwestern College Moundbuilders (@buildersports) March 8, 2023
SC led comfortably against the Red Raiders most of the game, but Northwestern made it a five-point game with under four minutes to play. However, SC closed the window quickly with a 12-0 run to seal it.
Jarvis Jennings contributed 16 points to the Moundbuilder effort off the bench, as he knocked down 4-of-7 from the field and made two threes on four tries, along with hitting six free throws. Cooper Pierce’s contributions included 14 points on 3-of-6 shooting, including three made threes on four attempts.
Andrew O’Brien’s four assists led the squad, as Trey White dished out three for the Builders, and both Trey Abasolo and Pierce doled out a pair of assists to teammates. The one remaining assist came from Clark.
O’Brien cleaned the glass for SC with 12 rebounds for Southwestern. Deng Bol grabbed 10 rebounds.. Pierce’s six boards and Abasolo’s five rebounds stood out, as well. Zach Hidalgo provided three rebounds for the Builders, and Clark reeled in two.
Three steals were recorded by the Builders in the win, as O’Brien, Abasolo and Clark snagged errant passes or fumbled dribbles. The lone blocked shot for the SC defense came from O’Brien.
We NEED your support.
Your No. 22 Southwestern men’s basketball will face No. 5 Langston University tomorrow at 7pm in Langston, Okla. Tickets for this game WILL sell out. Click the link in the comment below for your admittance to the game.— Southwestern College Moundbuilders (@buildersports) March 8, 2023
Full stats from SC’s win over Northwestern Tuesday night can be viewed here.
