NAIA
[Men's Basketball] Drovers Suffer Defeat in SAC Semifinals
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Monday afternoon, the No. 1 seed University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (25-6, 19-3 SAC) suffered a 73-68 loss in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinals against No. 4 seed Wayland Baptist University (19-12, 13-9 SAC). The Drovers struggled early in the contest and trailed 14-8 less than seven minutes into the opening half. Midway through the half, Wayland held a 20-17 lead, but Science & Arts pulled the score even at 33-33, with 1:56 remaining until halftime. Going into the break, WBU was able to cling to a 39-36 lead. The Pioneers played terrific defense in the first half, holding the Drovers to 41.9 percent shooting from the field and forced Science & Arts into committing seven turnovers. Following the break, Wayland opened the half strong, pushing their way to a 50-41 lead with less than 15 minutes remaining in regulation. The Drovers used a 9-2 run to tighten the score to 52-50 midway through the second half. With 6:19 remaining in regulation, the Drovers tied the score at 58-58 on Gerard Makuntae (SR/Austell, GA)'s 3-pointer, but the Pioneers closed the game on a 15-10 run to wrap up the upset victory.In total, the Drovers offense shot just 25-67 (.373) from the field, 7-20 (.350) from three-point range, and only 11-18 (.611) from the free-throw line. Both teams hauled in 46 rebounds, but the Pioneers held a 30-26 advantage in points in the paint. WBU forced the Drovers into committing 14 turnovers, and they turned those miscues into 26 points. Cameron Hines (SR/Ft. Cobb, OK) paced the Drovers offense, tallying 18 points and five rebounds. Stephon Hall (SR/Oklahoma City, OK) followed closely behind with 17 points, five rebounds, as well as three assists. Elvin Rodriguez (SR/New York, NY) provided 11 points and three rebounds, while Gerard Makuntae recorded 10 points and seven rebounds. Tre'veon Ellis (SR/Oklahoma City, OK) provided seven points, six assists, and a pair of steals. Rudy Pittman (FR/Tulsa, OK) closed with five points and three boards. WHAT'S NEXT?The Drovers now await the NAIA Selection Show on Thursday, March 3 at 7:00 PM to see where they will be seeded and placed for the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship. To watch the selection show LIVE, tune into the NAIA's Facebook page. 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