#19 USAO Locks Down on Defense to Claim Victory at SCU

BETHANY, Okla. – Saturday afternoon, the No. 19 ranked University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (21-3, 15-3 SAC) improved to 8-1 on the road with a 53-46 victory at Southwestern Christian University (11-11, 9-8 SAC). With the win, the Drovers continued their dominance against the Eagles, having won 15 of the last 17 matchups against SCU, dating back to December 3, 2016.

The Drovers got off to a hot start and held a 9-2 lead midway through the first quarter. USAO took an 11-2 lead into the second quarter, but the Eagles got hot and started on a 12-4 run to cut the deficit to one with two minutes until halftime. USAO closed the half on a 6-0 run to take a 21-14 lead into the break.

Following halftime, the Drovers opened the third on a 9-2 run to hold a 30-16 lead midway through the quarter. SCU closed the third quarter on a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to 32-26 going into the fourth. 

The Eagles continued to try to mount a comeback, but USAO was able to outscore SCU by a narrow margin of 21-20 over the last 10 minutes of play to close out the victory on the road.

At the conclusion of the game, the Drovers shot 21-54 (.389) from the field, and 5-18 (.278) from three-point range. In comparison, the Eagles went 15-48 (.313) from the field, and 4-17 (.235) from deep.

Science & Arts held a 43-29 advantage in the rebounding battle, and both teams committed 14 turnovers.

Furthermore, Science & Arts was whistled for 21 fouls, while SCU was called for only 15 infractions. USAO struggled at the free-throw line, going 6-12 (.500), and the Eagles went 12-22 (.545).

Lainey Morrow led the way for the Drovers, tallying 18 points and nine rebounds, followed by Diaka Berete with 12 points.

Jessica Palmer contributed nine points and five rebounds, while Zaria Dorsey added six points and eight boards. Brayanna Polk dished out a game-high of seven assists, along with four points. Jordan Bloomfield also closed with four points. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Drovers will return to Brisco McPherson Court on Thursday, February 9 as they host Langston University for USAO Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 PM inside Drover Fieldhouse.

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