Drovers Fall on the Road at Texas Wesleyan

FORT WORTH, Texas – Saturday afternoon, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (8-14, 6-12 SAC) suffered a 75-56 loss on the road at Texas Wesleyan University (14-7, 10-7 SAC). 

With six games remaining in the regular season, the Drovers sit in a tie for 10^th place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings. The top eight teams in the conference qualify for the conference tournament, and the top four seeded teams will host the first round, prior to the tournament being moved to Langston University for the semifinals and finals. 

On Saturday, the teams traded baskets for the opening 10 minutes of the game and the Rams held a slim 19-18 advantage midway through the first half. However, Texas Wesleyan gained momentum down the stretch and took a 37-25 lead into halftime.

Following the break, the Rams controlled the second half and never allowed the Drovers to gain momentum. Texas Wesleyan outscored USAO 38-31.

USAO's offense closed the game shooting 18-50 (.360) from the field, 5-19 (.263) from beyond the arc, and 15-20 (.750) from the free-throw line. In comparison, Texas Wesleyan shot 34-70 (.486) from the field, 4-24 (.167) from deep, and 3-5 (.600) from the charity stripe. 

The Drovers scored 24 points in the paint and hauled in 26 rebounds. In comparison, the Rams scored 36 points in the paint and grabbed 38 rebounds. 

USAO committed 13 turnovers, which led to 11 points for TX WES. Meanwhile, the Rams fumbled the ball nine times, resulting in eight points for the Drovers.

USAO was whistled for 11 fouls, while TX WES was called for 17 violations.

Mohand Ammad led the Drovers with 12 points and five rebounds. Manny Gatkek scored nine points in his return from injury, followed by Cade Allen and Ryein Kennedy with eight points each. 

Chok Garang contributed seven points and three rebounds, while Tre Edwards added six points and four rebounds. Tyler Cauley scored two points and grabbed two rebounds. 

Jaden Harrell added four points, four rebounds, and four assists. Harrell now has 402 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 4.9 assists per game.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Drovers will return to Brisco McPherson court on Thursday, February 6 as they host a double-header against College of the Ozarks. 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 inside Drover Fieldhouse. 

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