CLAREMORE, Okla. - Icy conditions throughout Green Country couldn't cool off the Hillcats red hot shooting touch as Rogers State buried 11 3-pointers en route to a 71-56 win over St. Gregory's Thursday at the Claremore Expo.
 

Freshman Chris Francis drained four treys and posted a career-high 12 points as the Cats pulled away from the Cavaliers in the second half. RSU shot 46-percent from downtown. Aldric Reynolds hit three 3's and Bryson Krueger and Eric Young each knocked down two.
 

Patrick Jones poured in 28 points on 12-of-18 shooting for the Cavaliers, but it wasn't nearly enough for SGU. The game was tight for most of the first half as the teams battled through four lead changes. Francis nailed his first three of the night with a minute remaining in the first half to give RSU a 38-30 lead at the break.
 

The Hillcats opened the second half on a 9-0 run capped by a conventional three-point-play by Young. The Cavs hung around until the 12 minute mark when Francis drilled back-to-back treys to push the lead to 18. He added his fourth and final bomb with 1:36 left to tie James Coats for the most 3-pointers made by a Hillcat in a single game this season. Coats converted four 3's on Saturday as RSU set a team record with 13 made baskets from beyond the arc against Mid-America Christian.
 

Reynolds and Young paced the Hillcats with 15 points each. Sylvester Spicer finished just one rebound shy of a double-double with 13 points and nine boards. RSU held a 40-28 advantage on the glass and won rather easily despite committing 26 turnovers. Jones scored half of his teams 56 points. SGU made just one 3-point-basket on the night.
 

Rogers State (11-7, 6-6) moved into a tie for fifth place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings with the win and will host No. 17 Oklahoma Baptist Saturday night at the Claremore Expo. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. and the game will be aired live on RSU Public Television and RSU Radio 91.3 FM.