Drovers Extend Win-Streak on the Road at Texas Wesleyan

FORT WORTH, Texas – Monday night, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (14-6, 10-4 SAC) continued to roll with a 74-66 triumph at Texas Wesleyan University (10-10, 6-8 SAC). With the win, the Drovers improve to 12-12 against the Rams all-time, dating back to December of 2010. Additionally, the victory keeps USAO in sole-possession of fourth place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings, 4.0 games back of John Brown University at the top.

USAO used an impressive start to take a 10-5 lead midway through the opening quarter, but the Rams responded with a 7-2 run to tie the score at 12-12 after 10 minutes of action. The score remained tight for the entirety of the second quarter, but the Drovers narrowly outscored the Rams by a margin of 19-16 and took a 31-28 lead into halftime.  

The Drovers opened the second half on a 12-2 run, the Rams were finally able to knockdown shots midway through the quarter to stop the bleeding. USAO held off Texas Wesleyan's best efforts and proceeded to take a 52-44 lead into the fourth quarter. Both offenses got hot in the fourth quarter and each team scored 22 points in the final 10 minutes of play, allowing USAO to collect the important road-victory.

USAO closed the game shooting 24-59 (.407) from the field, 8-22 (.364) from beyond the arc, and 18-21 (.857) from the free-throw line. In comparison, Texas Wesleyan shot 23-59 (.390) from the field, 7-22 (.318) from deep, and 13-18 (.722) from the charity stripe. 

The Drovers outrebounded the Rams by a wide margin of 41-28 and outscored TX WES in the paint 24-18. 

USAO committed 21 turnovers, which led to 21 points for the Texas Wesleyan. Meanwhile, the Rams fumbled the ball 17 times, which resulted in 20 points for the Drovers. Both teams were whistled for 19 fouls.

 Four different Drovers scored in double figures, led by a big performance by Lainey Morrow. Morrow produced a game-high of 21 points, along with eight rebounds, four assists, and a pair of steals. 

Diaka Berete concluded with 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Crystal Ortiz and Tonijah Fortune each delivered 11 points. Ortiz hauled in six rebounds and two steals, while Fortune added five rebounds and a pair of assists. 

Jordan Bloomfield finished with nine points, four rebounds, and a trio of assists. Brayanna Polk closed with five points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Trinitee Alexander also contributed five points in the win. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Drovers will return to Brisco McPherson Court on Thursday, February 1 as they host a double-header against Southwestern Christian 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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