FORT SMITH, Ark. - The Rogers State men's basketball team gave patrons their money's worth at the Stubblefield Center Thursday night as the Hillcats battled to a heartbreaking, 106-102, overtime loss at the buzzer to the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.
The Lions were playing for a share of the Heartland Conference regular season title. The must-win game for UAFS wouldn't come easy with 24 lead changes in the contest and the score tied 16 times.
RSU sent the game into overtime in thrilling, come-from-behind fashion. Trailing by four points with 13 seconds to play, Jerry Dixon tallied a bucket and drew the foul to keep the Hillcats alive. With five seconds remaining in regulation, Dixon missed the free throw off the front of the iron and Deran Banton grabbed the rebound. He kicked the ball out to the corner where Dixon threw up a desperation three-pointer off the iron but Robinson Odoch Opong was there for the rebound and the put-back at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.
Seth Young started overtime with a big-time three-pointer from the corner. J.C. Hartzler cut the deficit with a pair of made free throws but Opong fouled out on the next play and the Lions went on a 10-2 run to take a nine point lead, the largest in the game, with 2:10 to play. RSU wouldn't go down without a fight as Banton sparked the Hillcat offense with a layup, a steal, and a dunk. Damion Hooks capped a RSU 6-0 run with a pair of made free throws to cut the deficit to three points with 1:22 remaining. The Lions ran clock down to 53 seconds and got a layup from LJ Ross to push the lead to five but Dixon dribbled the length of the court and tallied a quick layup closing the gap to three points with 45 seconds. Alex Cooper helped keep RSU alive, missing two free throws with 10 seconds to play and Dixon drained a three-pointer from well behind the top of the key to knot the score with five seconds to play. Senior Jake Toupal was the hero for the Lions in his final home game, hitting an off-balanced three-pointer at the buzzer to win the game for UAFS. A foul was called on the play and .9 seconds was added to the clock, allowing him to seal the win with a free throw.
The first stanza was a back-and-forth affair with RSU taking the largest lead in regulation with a six-point advantage three minutes into the first half. The Lions used a conventional three-point play by Seth Youngblood to take a 36-35 lead into the locker room at intermission.
Dixon led the Hillcats with a career-high 36 points on the night. He was joined in double figures by Hooks with 24 points while Opong and Banton rounded out the group with 12 points apiece. RSU converted 30-of-34 free throws attempted in the game, while shooting 53 percent from the field.
Toupal led the Lions with 26 points. UAFS won the battle on the boards, 42-28, while shooting 51.5 percent from the field.
Rogers State finished its season 16-10 overall with an 11-7 mark in its first season in the Heartland Conference. Five men's basketball players finished their careers in RSU red and navy: Opong, Dixon, Hooks, Ritchi Mundeunde and Josh May made invaluable contributions to the RSU basketball program during their time on the Hill.
