NAIA
[Men's Basketball] #12 Drovers Run Out of Gas Against #2 Loyola in Battle at the Beach …
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. – Wednesday afternoon, the No. 12 ranked University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (6-1, 1-1 SAC) competed in a Top 15 match-up against No. 2 ranked Loyola University (9-0, 2-0 SSAC) in the Battle at the Beach bracket championship game. Entering the championship game, the Drovers had competed in five games over a seven-day period, with three of the games being against Top 25 opponents. They have also played in three different states, traveling over 2,500 miles in that span.Loyola held a 6-4 advantage after five minutes of play, but the Drovers gained a 7-6 lead on a Jaden Causwell (JR/Johns Creek, GA) 3-pointer with 14:40 to go in the half. The Wolfpack responded with a 10-0 run to take a 16-7 lead with 11:57 remaining. The Drovers struggled but kept the lead within reach as they trailed 37-27 at the half.In the first half, the Drovers struggled mightily against Loyola's full court press, forcing Science & Arts into committing 11 turnovers, which turned into 11 points for the Wolfpack.Following halftime, the Wolfpack went on a 9-0 run to jump out to a 46-27 lead with 16:50 remaining in the game. Midway through the second half, Loyola comfortably owned a 58-41 lead, and the Drovers were never able to recover in the closing minutes of regulation. At the conclusion of the game, the Wolfpack held a 49-35 advantage in the rebounding battle, and they also shot for a higher percentage from the field. Trenton Sandifer (SR/Dallas, TX) had a big game for the Drovers, tallying 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting, and he also added six rebounds. Stephon Hall (SR/Oklahoma City, OK) and Jaden Causwell each closed the game with 14 points. Hall added five rebounds and three assists, while Causwell chipped in three rebounds and a pair of steals. Cameron Hines (SR/Ft. Cobb, OK) finished with four points, and Gerard Makuntae (SR/Austell, GA) closed with three. Additionally, Makuntae grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists.Rory Pantophlet (JR/Philipsburg, Sint Maarten) concluded with a pair of points and nine rebounds.WHAT'S NEXT?The Drovers now enjoy the rest of their Thanksgiving break and return to action on Thursday, December 2 when they go to battle at Southwestern Christian University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:45 PM CT in Bethany, Okla. 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