Drovers Win by 62 on the Road at OPSU

GOODWELL, Okla. – Thursday night, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (16-7, 12-5 SAC) got back in the win column with a dominant 92-30 triumph on the road at Oklahoma Panhandle State University (3-17, 3-14 SAC). With the win, the Drovers improve to 11-2 against the Aggies all-time, dating back to January of 2018. Additionally, the Drovers remain in sole-possession of fourth place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings, 5.0 games back of John Brown University at the top.

The Aggies got off to a hot start in the opening minutes, but USAO quickly responded and held a 13-9 lead at the end of the opening quarter. The Drovers continued to cruise and dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Aggies 18-9 and took a 31-18 lead into the break.

The Drovers opened the second half on a 20-0 run to further extend their comfortable lead. USAO led 49-18 midway through the third quarter and took a 62-24 advantage into the fourth. The Drovers handled business in the final 10 minutes of action, outscoring the Aggies 30-6 to close out the win. USAO outscored OPSU 61-12 in the second half. 

USAO was sensational on offense and closed the game shooting 35-70 (.500) from the field, 9-26 (.346) from beyond the arc, and 13-17 (.765) from the free-throw line. In comparison, OPSU shot only 13-47 (.277) from the field, 1-9 (.111) from deep, and 3-6 (.500) from the charity stripe. 

The Drovers outrebounded the Aggies by a wide margin of 48-25 and outscored OPSU in the paint 32-12. 

USAO committed only five turnovers, which led to zero points for the OPSU. Meanwhile, the Aggies fumbled the ball 20 times, which resulted in 31 points for the Drovers. USAO was whistled for seven fouls, and OPSU committed 16 infractions.

Five different Drovers scored in double figures, led by Crystal Ortiz's 20 -point performance. Ortiz also hauled in seven rebounds and blocked a pair of shots. Lainey Morrow contributed 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Diaka Berete added 15 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Mikayla Green tallied a career-high of 12 points, followed by Jordan Bloomfield with 11. 

Trinitee Alexander closed with eight points, six rebounds, and two blocks, while Brayanna Polk recorded five points, four rebounds, and four steals. Tonijah Fortune concluded with three points, five rebounds, and three assists, followed by Qadira Hamilton with two points and two rebounds. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Drovers will head to Plainview, Texas for a doubleheader at Wayland Baptist University on Saturday, February 10. The women are scheduled to tip-off at 2:00 PM CT, followed by the men's game at 3:45 PM.

Stay up to date on all Drover Athletics news by following us on our media platforms!

Athletics Website: www.usaoathletics.com

Live-stream: www.sacsportsnetwork.com/usao

YouTube: Drover Athletics

Twitter/X: @DroverAthletics

Facebook: @DroverAthletics

Instagram: @drover_athletics

GIPHY: www.giphy.com/USAODrovers