Starting Five Scores 78 as USAO Leads From Start to Finish Against College of the Ozarks

CHICKASHA, Okla. – Thursday night, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (7-13, 3-11 SAC) earned their second win in a row with an impressive 90-67 triumph against College of the Ozarks (8-12, 5-9 SAC).

The Drovers led from start to finish in the exciting contest. USAO jumped out to an early lead and controlled a 23-12 advantage midway through the first half. The Drovers closed the half strong and took a commanding 20-point lead into the break (47-27).

Following halftime, the Drover offense stayed red-hot and stretched the lead to as many as 28 with 9:19 to play (73-45). USAO held off the Bobcats down the stretch to wrap up their fourth win of the season at Brisco McPherson Court.

At the conclusion of the contest, USAO's offense shot 32-68 (.471) from the field, 8-28 (.286) from beyond the arc, and a perfect 18-18 (1.000) from the free-throw line. In comparison, Ozarks shot 24-63 (.381) from the field, 7-33 (.212) from deep, and 12-15 (.800) from the charity stripe.

The Drovers scored 44 points in the paint and hauled in 30 rebounds. In comparison, the Bobcats scored 30 points in the paint and grabbed 41 rebounds.

USAO committed only eight turnovers, which led to three points for Ozarks. Meanwhile, the Bobcats fumbled the ball 11 times, resulting in 16 points for the Drovers. USAO was whistled for 15 fouls, and the Bobcats committed 16 fouls.

USAO's starting five produced 78 of the team's 90 points, and each starter scored in double digits. Mohand Ammad led the way with his fifth double-double of the season, closing with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Ammad shot 7-13 from the field and 9-9 from the charity stripe.

Bryce Cowns continued his progression as a freshman with a strong 16-point showing on 7-9 shooting from the field, including 2-4 from deep. Cowns also hauled in four rebounds and distributed four assists.

Elijah Burney concluded with 15 points, five rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Jamouri McCalister and Lendy Holmes each scored a dozen points in the win. McCalister added eight rebounds and two assists, while Holmes grabbed three boards.

Roman Lutton contributed three points, three rebounds, three assists, and a pair of steals. Josip Kronja scored four points in two minutes off the bench. Brett Nix added three points, and Chris Yapo scored two points.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Drovers will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 31 as they host John Brown University. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 PM CT inside Drover Fieldhouse.

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