NAIA
[Men's Basketball] #10 Drovers Capture First SAC Regular Season Championship Since 2000-01
CHICKASHA, Okla. – Thursday night, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (24-4, 19-2 SAC) clinched the Sooner Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship with an 82-61 victory against John Brown University (17-12, 11-10 SAC). Dating back to Jan. 19, 2017, the Drovers have won 10 of the last 13 meetings against JBU.With the win, Science & Arts locks up an automatic bid into the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship. The Drovers are one of the hottest teams in the country, having won 16 of their last 17 games, and with the victory, the Drovers clinch their first SAC Regular Season Championship since 2000-01, when Science & Arts went on to a runner-up finish at the NAIA National Championship. Science & Arts opened the game on a 15-2 run and they never slowed down. The Drovers never trailed in the contest and took a 37-28 lead into halftime.Following the break, the Drovers continued to build their lead, and led by as many as 22 with less than four minutes remaining in regulation. For the fourth time in the last five games, the Drovers concluded the game shooting better than 50 percent from the field. Against JBU, Science & Arts went 32-63 (.508) from the field, as well as 10-23 (.435) from three-point range. Defensively, the Drovers held the Golden Eagles to a 26-66 (.364) clip from the field, and 10-35 (.286) from deep. Additionally, the Drovers outrebounded JBU by a margin of 43-37.Cameron Hines (SR/Ft. Cobb, OK) and Stephon Hall (SR/Oklahoma City, OK) each delivered huge performances for Science & Arts. Hines closed with 28 points on 11-19 shooting from the field, as well as 5-9 from beyond the arc. Hall tallied 24 points on 8-12 shooting, along with seven assists and a pair of steals. Elvin Rodriguez (SR/New York, NY) produced 10 points, two rebounds, and two assists in the win. Rudy Pittman (FR/Tulsa, OK) and Jaden Causwell (JR/Johns Creek, GA) each added five points off the bench. Gerard Makuntae (SR/Austell, GA) concluded with four points and nine rebounds, while Rory Pantophlet (JR/Philipsburg, Sint Maarten) added four points and eight rebounds. Tre'veon Ellis (SR/Oklahoma City, OK) scored two points and hauled in a pair of boards. WHAT'S NEXT?On Saturday, February 19, the Drover basketball teams will host their annual Senior Day: Sponsored by Chicken Express, celebrating the upperclassman that have given so much to their respective programs. Both teams will play Oklahoma City University, with the women's game tipping off at 2:00 PM, followed by a 3:45 PM start time for the men. Each of the teams will honor their seniors before each of their respective games. Stay up to date on all Science & Arts Athletics news by following us on our media platforms!Athletics Website: www.usaoathletics.comLive-stream: www.sacsportsnetwork.com/usao/YouTube: Drover AthleticsTwitter: @DroverAthleticsFacebook: @DroverAthleticsInstagram: @drover_athleticsGIPHY: www.giphy.com/USAODrovers