NAIA
[Men's Basketball] Championship Season Comes to an End Against #5 LSU-Shreveport
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Saturday evening, the No. 4 seed University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (26-6, 19-3 SAC) had their season come to an end, suffering a 76-71 loss in the Round of 32 against No. 5 LSU-Shreveport (25-7, 13-2 RRAC).Earlier this season on November 22, the Drovers defeated LSUS by a score of 92-78 in the Battle of the Beach tournament in Panama City, Fla. Additionally, Saturday marked the fifth time the Drovers and Pilots have met, with each team having won a pair of the previous four contests.The score remained tight for the entirety of the battle, with the lead being exchanged six times. The Drovers led for majority of the opening half, but the Pilots closed the half on a 13-0 run to take a 40-33 lead into halftime.Following the break, LSUS extend their lead to as many as 15 points with 9:46 remaining in regulation. However, the Drovers attempted to fight their way back into the contest, but were unable to overcome the deficit. LSUS narrowly outscored USAO 38-36 in the final 20 minutes of play, advancing to Kansas City for the remainder of the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship.As a team, the Drovers suffered some offensive struggles, shooting 26-67 (.388) from the field and just 6-25 (.240) from beyond the arc. The Pilots owned advantages in the rebounding battle (46-39) as well as points in the paint (34-32). Cameron Hines (SR/Ft. Cobb, OK) led the Drovers offense, tallying 18 points, five rebounds, and a pair of steals.Gerard Makuntae (SR/Austell, GA) and Elvin Rodriguez (SR/New York, NY) each contributed 14 points. Makuntae hauled in seven rebounds and dished out a pair of assists, while Rodriguez grabbed a trio of rebounds. Stephon Hall (SR/Oklahoma City, OK) concluded with nine points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Rudy Pittman (FR/Tulsa, OK) tallied six points and eight rebounds. Tre'veon Ellis (SR/Oklahoma City, OK) also scored a half dozen points, in addition to four rebounds and a pair of assists. Rory Pantophlet (JR/Philipsburg, Sint Maarten) closed with four points and four rebounds. WHAT'S NEXT?The Drovers conclude another championship season and prepare for yet another successful season in 2022-23. CONGRATS ON A GREAT SEASON, you made us all proud! 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