Ammad and Edwards Lead Drovers to Victory Against Central Christian

CHICKASHA, Okla. – Monday night, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (7-10, 5-8 SAC) earned an impressive 83-76 victory against Central Christian College (8-7, 4-7 SAC). With the win, the Drovers improve to 12-2 against the Tigers all-time, dating to December of 2017. Furthermore, USAO has won each of the last 11 meetings against CCC since February of 2019.

Monday's showdown was packed with excitement, featuring 14 ties and 11 lead changes. Neither team led by more than five points in the opening half, but CCC was able to hold a slim 39-37 advantage going into halftime. 

Following the break, the Drovers began to gain some momentum in the beginning of the second half and owned a 59-54 advantage with 10 minutes remaining in regulation. Just two minutes later, the Tigers managed to pull the score even at 61-61, but USAO was able to stay strong and controlled the lead for the rest of the game. In total, the Drovers outscored the Tigers 46-37 in the second half. 

USAO's offense closed the game shooting 33-67 (.493) from the field, 4-17 (.235) from beyond the arc, and 13-18 (.722) from the free-throw line. In comparison, Central Christian shot 27-63 (.429) from the field, 5-24 (.208) from deep, and 17-27 (.630) from the charity stripe. 

The Drovers scored 50 points in the paint and hauled in 42 rebounds. In comparison, the Tigers scored 30 points in the paint and grabbed 35 rebounds. 

USAO committed nine turnovers, which led to 12 points for CCC. Meanwhile, the Tigers fumbled the ball only seven times, resulting in four points for the Drovers.

USAO was whistled for 18 fouls, while Central Christian was called for 17 violations.

Mohand Ammad led the way for the Drovers, tallying 27 points on 13-25 shooting from the field. Ammad also hauled in nine rebounds and dished out two assists. 

Tre Edwards delivered a tremendous performance, tallying a career-high of 17 points on 5-8 shooting from the field. 

Ryein Kennedy contributed 13 points and four rebounds in the win. 

Cade Allen finished with six points, followed by Tatum Ridge with five. 

Jaden Harrell tallied four points, four rebounds, and six assists. Harrell now has 381 assists in his career, ranking second in program history, only trailing Stephon Hall (417). Furthermore, he currently ranks first in the Sooner Athletic Conference with 5.1 assists per game. 

Zach Hays added four points and five rebounds, while Lendy Holmes scored four points and grabbed four rebounds. 

Tyler Cauley closed with three points, seven rebounds, and four assists. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Drovers will return to action on Thursday, January 16 as they travel to Southwestern Christian University for a double-header. The women's game is scheduled to tip-off at 6:00 PM CT, followed by the men's game at 7:45 PM CT. 

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