CLAREMORE, Okla. - Rogers State came from behind in the final seconds to record its first Sooner Athletic Conference win of the season with a 65-64 victory over Wayland Baptist (Plainview, Texas) Saturday afternoon at the Claremore Expo.
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Junior Autumn Thompson stepped to the free throw line with the Hillcats trailing by one and only 16 seconds remaining in the game. She calmly knocked down both attempts and RSU came up with a huge stop on defense to close out the win.
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The Hillcats led by as many as 15 points in the second half before the Flying Queens came roaring back. A 21-5 run gave WBU a 56-55 advantage with 7:21 left in the second half. The teams would battle through three more ties and seven lead changes before Thompson's game winning free throw in the final second. RSU went 8-for-8 from the charity stripe over the course of the final six minutes to key the victory.
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Coach Amy Williams' squad hardly resembled the group that produced a season-low 33 points in a blowout loss to No. 12 Lubbock Christian Thursday night. The Cats came out on fire in the first half, connecting on 14-of-27 shots and hitting five 3-pointers. Sophomore Hunter Peterson led the charge with three treys and 11 points in the first half alone. Freshman Meagan Selvidge added a three right before the halftime buzzer to give RSU a 36-33 lead at the break.
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The Hillcats opened the second half on a 14-2 run and looked as if they might put the game away early before the Queens rallied back. Rose Ouma did everything she could to keep WBU in the contest. The Eldoret, Kenya native tallied 14 points, 12 rebounds and six steals on the afternoon.
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Peterson finished with 14 points to lead RSU. Sophia Piggie added nine points while Effanesia Baker and Katie Rice chipped in with eight apiece.
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Rogers State (5-4, 1-2) notched its first conference win and snapped a three-game losing skid in the process. The Hillcats will take a week off to focus on final exams before facing their first SAC road test next Saturday. RSU will travel to Siloam Springs, Ark., to face John Brown with tip-off scheduled for 1 p.m. The game will be carried live on RSU Radio 91.3 FM.
