CLAREMORE, Okla. - With the offense sputtering Rogers State turned to its defense for the answers Thursday night against the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.

The Hillcats turned up the heat on the Drovers late in the game and delivered a 64-48 victory at the Claremore Expo. RSU made just nine field goals in the second half, but managed to hold USAO to only one basket over the final five minutes. Azzie Knox posted her fourth double-double of the season with 17 points and 15 rebounds while Hunter Peterson added 17 points as well.

The Cats jumped out to an 18-4 lead early in the contest. Katie Rice scored 10 points in the first half to lead RSU to a 34-22 advantage at the break. The lead grew to 17 on a jumper by Peterson early in the second half. However, baskets were hard to come by the rest of the night.

Leslie Beaty brought the Drovers back within eight with 5:39 to play, but from there the Hillcats went into lockdown mode. A 3-pointer by Ivaney Marquez with just over a minute remaining produced the only other points of the night for USAO.

RSU dominated the boards against a taller Drovers squad. The Cats outrebounded USAO 53-35. Tasha Parker hauled in 10 rebounds. Rice just missed a double-double, finishing with 10 points and nine boards. RSU also forced 24 turnovers by the Drovers on the night. Aita Gueye led USAO with 13 points while Beaty added 10.

Rogers State (13-6, 7-4) matched its win total from 2007-08 with the victory and maintained its hold on fifth place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings. The Hillcats will travel to Bethany, Okla., Saturday evening to face Southern Nazarene. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be carried live on RSU Radio 91.3 FM.