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[Men's Basketball] Cele and Makuntae's Double-Double Performances Lift USAO Past SAGU
CHICKASHA, Okla. – Thursday night, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (5-3, 3-0 SAC) stayed perfect in conference-play with an unforgettable 83-68 victory against Southwestern Assemblies of God University (7-2, 3-1 SAC). Prior to the USAO win, SAGU had won each of the last five meetings between the conference-foes, dating back to January 2020.The Drovers got off to a hot start in the opening half, jumping out to a, 11-4 lead less than three minutes into the contest. Midway through the half, USAO clung to a narrow 21-19 lead, as the game moved at a lightning-like pace. The final 10 minutes of the half saw the lead exchanged five times, but the Drovers were able to hold a 40-38 lead after 20 minutes of play. Following the break, the Lions caught fire and jumped out to a 51-42 lead with 16:57 remaining in regulation, but the Drovers did not let the Lions lead get any larger. Midway through the second half, SAGU owned a 62-55 lead, but that's when the Drovers began to catch fire. Over the final 10 minutes of play, USAO outscored SAGU 28-6 to cruise to victory.As a team, the Drovers shot 34-76 (.447) from the field, and 12-37 (.324) from three-point range. In comparison, the Lions shot 25-60 (.417) from the field, and 3-22 (.136) from deep. Science & Arts held a 48-44 advantage in the rebounding battle, and the USAO forced SAGU into committing 11 turnovers, while only committing seven themselves.One area where the Lions held an advantage over the Drovers was at the free-throw line. SAGU shot 15-22 (.682) at the line, while USAO had one of their worst performances at the charity stripe in YEARS, going 3-11 (.273).Samkelo Cele (SR/Durban, South Africa) and Gerard Makuntae (SR/Austell, GA) led the way for the Drovers, with a pair of HUGE double-double performances. Cele made a gigantic impact off the bench, concluding with 27 points on 11-19 shooting from the field and 3-7 from deep. Additionally, Cele hauled in 11 rebounds and corralled four steals on the defense. Makuntae closed with 24 points on 11-20 shooting from the field, along with 12 rebounds and a pair of blocks. Cade Allen (SO/Hammon, OK) contributed 14 points on 4-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Allen also hauled in six rebounds. Logan Dolan (SO/Broken Arrow, OK) added nine points on 3-6 shooting from deep and he also grabbed three rebounds. Jaden Harrell (SO/Oklahoma City, OK) provided a spark off the bench, tallying seven points in 16 minutes. Tyler Cauley (SO/Riverview, FL) made a bigger impact than what his stats would show, finishing with two points, three rebounds, and a pair of assists. Cejay Allen showed incredible perseverance by dishing out EIGHT assists and hauled in seven rebounds, despite not being able to find his usual rhythm shooting the ball. WHAT'S NEXT?The Drovers will quickly return to Brisco McPherson Court as they host University of North Texas-Dallas on Saturday, December 3. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:45 PM at Drover Fieldhouse. We would also like to mention that the USAO Athletic Department will be conducting a toy drive, in association with Droverthon throughout the month of December at home basketball games. Donation boxes will be located at the admissions office, inside of Troutt Hall, as well as at the ticket gate for home basketball games in December. The toys will be donated to OU Children's Hospital, and each person that donates an unopened/new toy for the toy drive will get into that day's games for free (except Dec. 30 vs Concordia). 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/usaoYouTube: Drover AthleticsTwitter: @DroverAthleticsFacebook: @DroverAthleticsInstagram: @drover_athleticsGIPHY: www.giphy.com/USAODrovers