USAO’s Comeback Attempt Falls Short on the Road at Langston

LANGSTON, Okla. – Saturday afternoon, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (10-5, 6-3 SAC) suffered a 72-64 at Langston University (13-2, 8-1 SAC). 

The Drovers got off to a terrific start and held a 14-6 lead midway through the opening quarter, but things turned south from there. Langston responded with a 14-0 run and the Lions owned a 20-18 lead at the end of the first quarter. The struggles continued for USAO in the second quarter and Langston outscored the Drovers by a margin of 20-12, to take a 40-30 lead into halftime.

Following the break, both teams traded buckets in the opening minutes and Langston held a 49-38 lead with five minutes to play in the third quarter. The Lions caught fire late in the quarter and took a 60-44 advantage into the fourth. The Drovers did their best to cut into the deficit in the closing minutes, but their efforts fell short despite outscoring the Lions 20-12 in the final 10 minutes of the contest.

The USAO offense finished the game shooting 22-57 (.386) from the field, 5-22 (.227) from beyond the arc, and 15-19 (.789) from the free-throw line. In comparison, Langston shot 28-61 (.459) from the field, 4-15 (.267) from deep, and 12-15 (.800) from the charity stripe. 

The Lions controlled the paint and held a 38-31 advantage in the rebounding battle and outscored the Drovers in the paint 38-32. USAO committed 18 turnovers, while Langston fumbled the ball 20 times. The Drovers were whistled for 19 fouls, and the Lions were called for 17 infractions.

The Drovers were led by a trio of double-digit scoring performances from Diaka Berete, Lainey Morrow, and Crystal Ortiz. Berete led the way with 16 points, eight rebounds, and four steals. Morrow contributed 14 points and seven rebounds, while Ortiz added 10 points and four rebounds. Morrow has now scored 961 points in her career and inched closer to becoming the seventh member of the program's 1000-point club. 

Trinitee Alexander concluded with nine points and three rebounds, followed by Jordan Bloomfield with seven points. Devynn Harris and Brayanna Polk each scored three points, while Mikayla Green and Tonijah Fortune each scored one point.

WHAT'S NEXT?

On Thursday, January 18, the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma athletic department will be hosting Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night at the basketball games against Oklahoma City University. The women's game is schedule to tip-off at 6:00 PM, followed by the men's game at 7:45 PM at Drover Fieldhouse. All Science & Arts faculty and staff get free entry to the games and will be recognized for their contributions to the university.

Furthermore, the athletic department and development office have collaborated to giveaway $10 giftcards to Interurban for the first 25 USAO faculty/staff to arrive at the fieldhouse, as well as a drawing for a $250 book scholarship for a current USAO student.

TICKET PRICES

ADULTS: $7.00

SENIORS: $3:00

16-under: FREE

USAO STUDENTS: FREE

USAO STAFF/FACULTY: FREE

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