Shorthanded Drovers Show Grit in Triumph Against Texas Wesleyan

CHICKASHA, Okla. – Saturday afternoon, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (8-3, 4-1 SAC) bounced back with a gutsy 77-61 victory against Texas Wesleyan University (6-5, 2-3 SAC). With the win, the Drovers improve to 11-12 against the Rams all-time, dating back to December of 2010. Additionally, the win snaps a four-game skid against Texas Wesleyan, which dated back to December of 2021.

The Drovers entered Saturday's contest against the 2022-23 SAC champions without two of their best players (Trinitee Alexander and Jordan Bloomfield), but they delivered a gritty performance to come away with the important victory.

The Drovers got off to a rough start and trailed 19-12 at the end of the first quarter. The Drovers began to gain momentum in the second quarter and outscored the Rams 22-18 to cut the deficit to 37-34 going into the break.

In the opening half, USAO never held the lead and the only time the score was tied was when the game tipped off. Despite struggling at times, the Drovers managed to always keep the game within striking distance and never trailed by more than eight points.

Following halftime, the Drover offense got hot and gave USAO all the momentum. The Drovers outscored the Rams 21-15 in the third quarter and took a 55-52 into the final 10 minutes of action. USAO dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring Texas Wesleyan 22-9, and they led by as many as 18 prior to the final buzzer sounding.

The USAO offense finished the game shooting 33-79 (.418) from the field, 5-21 (.238) from beyond the arc, and 6-8 (.750) from the free-throw line. In comparison, Texas Wesleyan shot 22-62 (.355) from the field, 4-16 (.250) from deep, and 13-16 (.813) from the charity stripe. 

The Drovers held a 48-41 advantage in the rebounding battle and outscored the Rams in the paint 44-34. Additionally, USAO was tremendous on the offensive glass, grabbing 21 offensive rebounds and converted those into 28 second chance points. 

The Drovers were whistled for 16 fouls, and the Rams were called for 11 infractions. USAO committed only 10 turnovers, while forcing Texas Wesleyan into fumbling the ball 22 times, which resulted into 29 points for the Drovers on the other end of the court.

Diaka Berete and Lainey Morrow led the Drovers with a pair of double-double performances. Berete recorded her third double-double of the season with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Morrow recorded her sixth double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Nine of Morrow's rebounds came on the offensive end of the court, and she blocked two shots on defense. 

Lainey Morrow is now averaging 20.0 points per game on 63.2 percent shooting from the field this season, and she is only 93 points away from becoming the seventh member of the program's 1,000-point club. 

Crystal Ortiz contributed 12 points, six rebounds, and four steals. Brayanna Polk closed with nine points, three assists, two blocks, and a season-high of seven steals. 

Tonijah Fortune concluded with eight points, five rebounds, and a game-high of six assists. Mikayla Green added four points and three steals off the bench, followed by Qadira Hamilton with two points, four rebounds, and three assists. 

The Drovers enter winter break sitting in a tie for second place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings, and their defense is a major reason for their success. They rank second in the SAC in scoring defense (61.1) as well as opponent field goal percentage (.358), and they own the league's fourth-best margin of victory (12.2).

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Drovers will now go on winter break and will return to Brisco McPherson Court on January 4 as they host a conference double-header against Wayland Baptist University. The women's game is scheduled to tip-off at 6:00 PM CT, followed by the men's game at 7:45 PM inside Drover Fieldhouse. 

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