NAIA
[Men's Basketball] Gaither Records Triple-Double as USAO Dominates Central Christian
MCPHERSON, Kan. – Saturday afternoon, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (10-5, 7-2 SAC) got back on track with a 97-75 victory on the road at Central Christian College (5-10, 3-6 SAC). With the win, the Drovers have won each of the last seven meetings against the Tigers, and USAO holds an 8-2 in the all-time series, which dates back to December 2, 2017.Both teams traded buckets early, but the Drovers were able to hold a 26-18 lead midway through the first half. The Drovers closed the half strong and took a 48-34 lead into the break.Following halftime, USAO got off to a great start and owned a 72-47 lead midway through the second half. The Drovers closed out the game strong, securing their 10th win of the season. As a team, the Drovers shot 35-67 (.522) from the field, and 11-25 (.440) from three-point range. In comparison, the Tigers shot 27-66 (.409) from the field, and 13-36 (.361) from deep. Science & Arts held a 37-34 advantage in the rebounding battle, and USAO was able to force CCC into committing 16 turnovers, while only fumbling the ball seven times themselves.USAO was whistled for nine fouls and Central Christian was called on 12 infractions. The Tigers went 8-9 (.889) from the free-throw line, while USAO went 16-18 (.889) from the charity stripe.The Drovers used a well-balanced attack to maul the Tigers, with six different players scoring in double-figures. Samkelo Cele (SR/Durban, South Africa) led the way with 19 points and four rebounds. Logan Dolan (SO/Broken Arrow, OK) was lights out on offense, going 5-6 from the field, including 4-4 from deep to conclude with 16 points.Tyler Cauley (SO/Riverview, FL) scored a season-high of 14 points, along with five rebounds and three assists. Cade Allen (SO/Hammon, OK) followed closely behind with 12 points on 4-6 shooting from beyond the arc.Langston Gaither (SR/Alexandria, VA) and Gerard Makuntae (SR/Austell, GA) each concluded with 10 points. Gaither delivered a historic performance, contributing a triple-double with 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Over the last six games, Gaither is averaging 15.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists.Makuntae added six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Cejay Mann (SO/Alma, AR) finished with seven points, followed by Jace Hollingshed (SO/Oologah, OK) with five, and Dallen Forstythe with four. WHAT'S NEXT?The Drovers will return to Brisco McPherson Court on Thursday, January 12 as they host Oklahoma Panhandle State University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:45 PM inside Drover Fieldhouse. 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