Drovers Bounce Back with 52-Point Victory on the Road at Central Christian

MCPHERSON, Kan. – Thursday evening, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (10-4, 6-2 SAC) got back in the win column with an impressive 96-44 performance at Central Christian College (4-10, 0-8 SAC). With the win, the Drovers improve to 13-0 against the Tigers all-time, dating back to December of 2017.  

The Drovers got off to a tremendous start and held an 11-0 lead with 6:30 remaining in the first quarter. USAO owned the first quarter and held a 23-9 lead after 10 minutes of action. The Drovers continued to cruise in the second, outscoring the Tigers 24-13 and took a 47-22 lead into the break.

USAO opened the second half on an 13-3 run and commanded a 60-25 lead with five minutes to play in the third quarter. The Drovers proceeded to take a 79-30 lead into the fourth, prior to CCC outscoring USAO 19-17 in the final 10 minutes of action.

The USAO offense finished the game shooting 33-78 (.423) from the field, 11-33 (.333) from beyond the arc, and 19-26 (.731) from the free-throw line. In comparison, Central Christian shot just 15-58 (.259) from the field, 6-20 (.300) from deep, and 8-13 (.615) from the charity stripe. 

The Drovers dominated the paint and held a 59-33 advantage in the rebounding battle and outscored the Tigers in the paint 36-12. Additionally, USAO was great on the offensive glass, grabbing 20 offensive rebounds and converted those into 23 second chance points. 

USAO was also tenacious on defense, forcing CCC into committing 22 turnovers, which the Drovers turned into 31 points. The Drovers were whistled for 15 fouls, and the Tigers were called for 20 infractions.

Five different Drovers scored in double figures, led by Lainey Morrow's seventh double-double of the season. Morrow concluded with 22 points and 11 rebounds, along with a trio of steals. Jordan Bloomfield and Trinitee Alexander each finished with 13 points. Bloomfield grabbed three rebounds and stole the ball twice, while Alexander added six rebounds and a pair of steals.

Devynn Harris concluded with 11 points and four rebounds, followed by Diaka Berete with 10 points six rebounds, and five assists. 

Crystal Ortiz concluded with nine points, eight rebounds, and a pair of blocks. Tonijah Fortune contributed six points, four rebounds, and a pair of steals, while Alexia Corrales finished with six points and three rebounds. Brayanna Polk closed with four points, five rebounds, five assists, and a trio of steals. Mikayla Green scored a pair of points. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Drovers will return to action on Saturday, January 13 for a pair of thrilling games at Langston University in Langston, Okla. Tip-off for the women's game is scheduled for 2:00 PM, followed by the men's game at 3:45 PM. 

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