Drovers Lockdown on Defense and Defeat Golden Eagles by 23

CHICKASHA, Okla. – Thursday night, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (18-7, 13-6 SAC) earned an important 82-59 triumph against John Brown University (13-11, 11-8 SAC). With the win, USAO moves into a three-way tie for third place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings, 5.0 games back of Langston University at the top, and 1.0 game back of second place with three games remaining in the regular season.

The Drovers could not have started the game much better than they did on Thursday night, jumping out to a 24-2 lead with less than nine minutes remaining in the first half. However, JBU began to shoot the ball better and cut their deficit to 37-21 going into halftime. 

Following the break, USAO continued to push the pace and led by as many as 29 with 9:32 to play. The Golden Eagles attempted to chip away at the lead, but were unable to climb out of their hole as USAO closed out the victory.

At the conclusion of the contest, USAO shot 30-65 (.462) from the field, 9-26 (.346) from beyond the arc, and 13-18 (.722) from the free-throw line. In comparison, JBU shot only 19-65 (.292) from the field, 9-38 (.237) from deep, and 12-15 (.800) from the charity stripe. 

The Drovers outrebounded the Golden Eagles by a margin of 48-41, and they outscored JBU in the paint 34-18.

USAO committed only seven turnovers, which led to two points for JBU. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles only fumbled the ball 10 times, resulting in 11 points for the Drovers. USAO was whistled for seven fouls, and the Golden Eagles were called for 10 infractions.

 A dozen different players scored in the win for USAO, led by Reggie Quezada's 19 points and six rebounds.

Rory Pantophlet also delivered a big performance with 13 points on 4-8 shooting from the field, including 2-2 from three-point range. This season, the big man is shooting 8-15 (.533) from deep, and he has recently started shooting the long ball at a much higher frequency. Over the last seven games, Pantophlet is shooting an incredible 8-12 (.667) from beyond the arc.

Jaden Harrell was only three points, one rebound, and one assist shy of a triple-double. Harrell contributed seven points on 2-2 shooting from the field and 3-4 shooting at the charity stripe. The point guard also dished out nine assists and hauled in nine rebounds. 

Niieihii BlackBear concluded with nine points, followed by Tyler Cauley with eight, and Lendy Holmes with six.

Ryein Kennedy scored five points, while Manny Gatkek and Cade Allen each finished with four points. Logan Dolan and Jaden Causwell each scored three, followed by Tre Edwards with one. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Drovers will return to the hardwood on Saturday, February 17 as they play a double-header at Oklahoma City University. The women's game is scheduled to tip-off at 2:00 PM CT, followed by the men's game at 3:45 PM.

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