In their last rivalry matchup, SWOSU defeated Northwestern Oklahoma State 83-73. That was played on Jan. 13, 2022, and NWOSU was coming to Weatherford looking to flip the script.

It was a slow start for both sides, as the game was tied at 12 points a piece halfway through the first half and the tone seemed to have been set, it would be a game of defense and finding ways to score.

The largest lead of the first half was six points, which was when SWOSU had an early 9-3 lead, after that, there wasn’t a lead larger than three points.

Not only was it a game full of defense, but it was also a physical game. There were 50 total fouls combined in this game.

Even though there wasn’t a lot of offense from either side, and NWOSU led for most of the game, SWOSU had their foot at the door towards the end of the game. With a small deficit, SWOSU failed to have a breakthrough moment, even after getting stops.

Damion Thornton was the Bulldogs leading scorer with 13 points, and the only Bulldog in double figures. Thornton shot 3-for-11 from the field.

The Bulldogs were defeated by NWOSU 53-48 in a hard-fought game from both sides. The loss puts SWOSU at 9-13 on the season, and 8-9 in the Great American Conference.