CLAREMORE, Okla. - Rogers State simply ran out of time Thursday night at the Claremore Expo as the Hillcats fell short of pulling an upset over No. 14 Southern Nazarene, 71-66.
 

RSU rallied from 16 points down in the second half to cut the margin to four in the final minute. The Cats had two chances to get even closer but couldn't convert a pair of 3-point looks with less than 30 seconds to play.

The Hillcats could have notched their second win over a ranked opponent this season had they shot the ball a little better. However, RSU was unable to find the same touch it showcased last weekend when it buried 10 3-pointers against Northwestern Okla. State. The Hillcats went 4-for-18 from behind the arc Thursday and shot just 38 percent from the field. The Crimson Storm made 8-of-15 attempts from downtown and shot 53 percent from the floor.

The Cats only lead of the night came at the midway point of the first half on a jumper by Tasha Parker. SNU answered with an 18-4 run and led 27-36 at the break. A Hunter Peterson trey cut the lead to five early in the second half but the Crimson Storm responded again, this time with a 10-0 run.

The lead ballooned to 58-42 with just over 10 minutes to play and the game appeared to be headed for a blowout. The Cats clawed their way back with the help of some poor free throw shooting by the Storm, but ultimately came up short. Kinzie Didier led three players in double figures for SNU with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Peterson scored a game-high 18 points for the Hillcats on 7-of-12 shooting. Azzie Knox tallied nine points and nine rebounds while Sophia Piggie also contributed nine points. RSU only committed nine turnovers in the contest while forcing SNU to commit 16.

Rogers State (15-10, 9-8) remains in sixth place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings following the loss. The Hillcats hit the road Saturday to face the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha, Okla. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be carried live on RSU Radio 91.3 FM.