CLAREMORE, Okla. –  The Rogers State men's basketball team started off 2021 with a victory as the Hillcats picked up a big win in conference play, defeating Emporia State 75-60 at the Claremore Expo Center.
 
Freshman Preston Lawrence scored a career-high 15 points, as the Hillcats (3-5, 3-5 MIAA) defeated the Hornets (5-2, 5-2 MIAA) for their first home victory of the season.
 
How It Happened: Senior Devin Pullum got the scoring going for the Hillcats after he hit a deep three-pointer at the 18:50 mark in the first quarter to give the Hillcats an early lead. Following another basket from the Hornets, Pullum hit his second three to give RSU a lead it held onto for a majority of the first half.
 
Rogers State opened up a 7-point lead after back-to-back three pointers from Darraja Parnell, but the Hillcats would only extend the lead to eight points before Emporia went on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 23.
 
The Hillcats went back in front again before a 7-0 run from the Hornets gave the visitors their last lead of the game. Lawrence hit a pair of three pointers to put Rogers State back in front as the hosts extended the lead to as much as 11, capped off with a Christopher Harris three pointer at the buzzer to end the first half.
 
The Hillcats shot well from behind the arc in the first half, as they shot 64.3 percent (9-for-14).
 
The momentum from the first half carried over into the second for the Hillcats. Pullum hit a deep three-pointer to start the scoring in the second half for the Hillcats and Rogers State pulled away.
 
Emporia would never cut the Hillcat lead into single digits in the second half.
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The Hillcats would obtain the largest lead in the game in the second half after Lawrence hit a three-pointer to give the Hillcats a 20-point lead, making the score at the time 67-47.
 
Key Statistic: Rogers State was 15-for-27 from behind the arc, setting a season high for three-pointers made, as they finished the game shooting 56 percent from three-point range. Emporia State was just 26 percent from long range, shooting 6-for-23.
 
Players of Note: Lawrence finished the game with a career high 15 points, shooting 5-for-8 from the field and 5-for-7 from behind the arc. He also recorded two rebounds.
 
Parnell finished the game with 15 points, shooting 6-for-9 from the field and a perfect 2-for-2 from behind the arc. He also recorded nine rebounds and six assists, narrowly missing out on a double double.
 
Pullum finished the game with 15 points, shooting 5-for-10 from the field and 5-for-8 from behind the arc. He also recorded two rebounds and one assist.
 
Senior Brewster Peacock finished the game with 10 points, shooting 3-for-7 from the field and a perfect 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. He also recorded three assists and two rebounds.
 
Destin Eke also finished in double figures with10 points. He also recorded six rebounds and had one steal.
 
Game Notes: Rogers State's 15 three-pointers was a season high, besting a 13-for-31 performance in a loss at Missouri Southern in December. The 15 made three-pointers is tied for sixth-most in school history.

Peacock moved to fifth all-time in three-pointers made in a career at Rogers State, passing Chase Littlejohn (153), as he now sits at 154.
 
Up Next: The Hillcats will remain at home as they welcome in Newman on Thursday for an MIAA showdown at the Claremore Expo Center. The teams will meet for the first of two scheduled meetings this season with tip off set for 7:30 p.m.