TULSA, Okla. – The Rogers State women's basketball team opened its 2016-17 season falling on the road at NCAA Division I Tulsa, 86-39, on Thursday (Oct. 27) at the Reynolds Center.
 
Senior forward Natasha Kindred paced the Hillcats with 11 points in only 14 minutes. Junior Madison Dearmin added seven points in the exhibition contest.
 
The Hillcats scored the first points of the game on a Rachel Block free throw less than one minute into action, but the Golden Hurricane scored eight straight to pull out to an 8-1 lead in the first three minutes. After the end of the first period, TU held a 28-5 advantage.
 
In the second period, RSU scored 13 points, however, the Golden Hurricane outscored the Hillcats by eight in the period to build a 49-18 advantage at halftime. After a 21-8 edge in the third period, the Cats played even with TU in the final stanza for the final 86-39 score.
 
All 14 Hillcats saw the floor in the exhibition. Kindred, Block, Darian Jackson, Courtney Smith and Nikola Nedoroscikova started for the navy and red in the contest. Smith played a game-high 24 minutes, hitting 1-of-3 three-pointers.
 
RSU shot 26.1 percent (12-46) from the field and 15.4 percent (2-13) from three-point range. The Hillcats held an edge in free throws attempted, but went 13-26 from the line (50 percent).  
 
TU finished with four players in double figures. Erika Wakefield scored a game-high 16 points. Kendrian Elliott barely missed a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds.
 
The Golden Hurricane shot 45.1 percent (32-71) from the floor and committed only 14 turnovers.
 
RSU continues its exhibition schedule at Oral Roberts next Saturday (Nov. 5) at 12:30 p.m. in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The regular season starts on Nov. 11 at New Mexico Highlands at 1 p.m. in Las Vegas, N.M.