TULSA, Okla. - The Rogers State women's basketball team didn't need a home court advantage to defeat No. 2 Oklahoma City on Saturday evening as the Hillcats earned a, 73-70, victory at the Reynolds Center on the campus of The University of Tulsa.
Prior to tonight's victory the highest ranked opponent the Cats had defeated was then ranked No. 15 Langston University as RSU claimed the, 75-68, win on homecoming earlier this season.
It was a fight from start to finish with neither team gaining a double-digit lead in the contest. With 6:06 to play, junior Angie Criner gave the Cat a 64-62 advantage with a jumper. The Hillcats clung to a single digit lead rest of the way. Logan Froese battled in the paint to push the Cats lead to four points with just under five minutes remaining. However, the Stars trimmed the deficit to a bucket with 32 seconds on the clock. OCU was forced to foul as they sent senior Hunter Peterson to the line with 14 seconds to play. Peterson drained both free throws to give RSU some breathing room. Senior Donica Cosby put up a shot for OCU with eight seconds remaining but it was off the mark and Froese grabbed the rebound. Criner buried two free throws to seal the win. OCU's Taylor Booze hit a shot from long distance at the buzzer but time ran out for the Stars.
The teams traded buckets for most of the first stanza. With the score knotted 16-16 OCU used a 7-0 run to give them the largest lead of the half. Criner halted the run with a conventional three-point play that ignited an 8-0 run capped off by a Cortney Crockett steal and a layup by Criner, giving RSU a one-point edge. OCU ended the half with a 36-30 advantage. Criner led all scorers in the opening period as she posted 12 points.
Junior Angie Criner led all scorers as she tied her career-high with 24 points. Senior Candice Stewart recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Froese also chipped in 10 points and Crockett added 15 points.
Booze led the Stars in scoring with 16 points. RSU edged OCU on the boards 40-36. Both teams committed 17 turnovers however; RSU nabbed 12 steals while OCU only had five steals.
Although the contest marked the Hillcats debut in the Reynolds Center, Head Coach Amy Williams and Assistant Coach Tandem Mays are no strangers to the arena. Coach Williams spent two years (2005-07) as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at Tulsa while Mays was a four-year letter-winner and three-year starter for the Golden Hurricane from 2003-07.
With the win tonight, the Hillcats hand the Stars their second loss of the season and hold onto sole possession of fifth place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings. OCU drops into a three-way tie for first place in the standings with Southern Nazarene and Lubbock Christian.
Rogers State (16-7, 10-6) will return to action on Monday, Feb. 14 against Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma City. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. and the games will be broadcast live on RSU Radio 91.3 FM. For more information on Hillcat athletics visit rsuhillcats.com
