By Connor Gray, Senior Reporter
The Northwestern men’s basketball team lost two of the last three games to move the team’s record to 7-8.
The Rangers overall have had an up and down season. They had a loss to the East Central Tigers but got a bounce back win against Oklahoma Baptist to finish up the week.
The Rangers traveled to Ada to face East Central on Thursday. The last time they met was Dec. 1. The Rangers lost, 75-71, in Alva.
From the opening tip, the Rangers struggled to keep up with East Central. The Tigers shot 55% throughout the game and made 13 three pointers to Northwestern’s seven.
The final score was 97-63, making it the Rangers’ worst loss of the season.
Brian Free had the most points for the Rangers, finishing the game with 12 on 50% shooting. Larry White led the team with eight rebounds.
The Rangers came back home to face Oklahoma Baptist. The last time they played, the Bison won 70-60 in Shawnee.
The first half continued to go back and forth, but the Rangers ended the half with a 44-42 lead.
The second half was similar to the first, but the Rangers kept the lead throughout the half. The Rangers extended the lead, but the Bison kept fighting back. The final score of the game was 96-88, with the Rangers coming out on top.
Malik Parsons led the Rangers in scoring as he finished the game with 36 points, shooting 11-18 from the field and making 11 free throws.
The Rangers traveled to Weatherford on Monday, as they looked to keep building momentum against Southwestern.
The first half was a physical battle between both teams, as neither team established a run to swing the game in their favor. At the end of the first half, the Rangers were clinging to a three-point lead.
The second half had a different result, as the Bulldogs established a 68-62 lead with only five minutes left in the game. The Rangers rallied with back-to-back baskets from Parsons but did not complete the comeback, as they lost to Southwestern, 74-71.
The next two games this week will be at home, with the first game being a blackout on Thursday against the Harding Bisons at 7:30 p.m. and the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys at 3 p.m. Saturday.