NAIA
[Men's Basketball] Makuntae Eclipses 1,000 Point Milestone in Victory Against OPSU
CHICKASHA, Okla. – Thursday night, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (11-5, 8-2 SAC) continued to score at will as they collected a 106-88 victory against Oklahoma Panhandle State University (2-14, 1-9 SAC). With the win, the Drovers have won each of the last five meetings against the Aggies, and USAO holds an 8-1 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to January 13, 2018.The Drovers surpassed 100 points for the sixth time this season, and they never trailed in Thursday's showdown with the Aggies. USAO played strong defense in the opening minutes of the contest and held a 16-13 lead midway through the first half. The Drovers used a late surge to increase their lead before the break, outscoring the Aggies 10-2 over the final 1:37 of the half. After 20 minutes of action, USAO owned a 47-36 lead.Following halftime, Science and Arts used a hot start to jump out to a 27-point lead with 11:44 remaining in regulation. The Aggies attempted to chip away at the USAO lead, but their efforts were too little, too late as the Drovers claimed the 18-point victory.Despite OPSU's 2-14 record this season, they are the home of the NAIA's leading scorer this season. Rayquan Elliott finished Thursday's game with "only" 30 points, bring his scoring average down to 33.9 points per contest this season. As a team, the Drovers shot 39-72 (.542) from the field, and 11-25 (.440) from three-point range. In comparison, the Aggies shot 33-74 (.446) from the field, and 6-18 (.333) from deep. Panhandle State held a 48-38 advantage in the rebounding battle, but USAO was able to force OPSU into committing 18 turnovers, while only fumbling the ball 10 times themselves.USAO was whistled for 20 fouls and OPSU was called on 22 infractions. The Aggies went 16-21 (.762) from the free-throw line, while USAO went 17-24 (.708) from the charity stripe.USAO played unselfish with the basketball, dishing out 23 assists as a unit.Three different Drovers scored at least 20 points in the victory, highlighted by Gerard Makuntae (SR/Austell, GA) reaching the 1,000-career points milestone. Makuntae entered the game just 15 points shy of the milestone, and he easily surpassed that amount as he closed with 21 points on 8-11 shooting from the field. The Georgia native also added nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and three blocks.MAKUNTAE 1,000 POINTS VIDEO– WATCH HERESamkelo Cele (SR/Durban, South Africa) continued to be the best "Sixth-man" in the NAIA, tallying 28 points on 9-14 shooting from the field, including 3-4 from beyond the arc. Cele has recorded at least 20 points in eight games this season, and he is now averaging 21.4 points per game. Cade Allen (SO/Hammon, OK) concluded with a season-high of 21 points on 8-13 shooting from the field, including 4-8 from deep. Cejay Mann (SO/Alma, AR) contributed nine points on 4-5 shooting from the field, and he also dished out four assists. Logan Dolan (SO/Broken Arrow, OK) and Jaden Harrell (SO/Oklahoma City, OK) each finished with five points. Dolan corralled three rebounds, while Harrell dished out six assists and stole the ball three times on defense. Boubacar Diakite and Tre Edwards (SO/Oklahoma City, OK) each scored four points.Langston Gaither (SR/Alexandria, VA) closed with three points, six rebounds, and five assists. Tyler Cauley (SO/Riverview, FL), Jace Hollingshed (SO/Oologah, OK), and Dallen Forsythe (SO/Dale, OK) each scored two points. WHAT'S NEXT?The Drovers will return to Brisco McPherson Court on Saturday, January 14 as they host Wayland Baptist University. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:45 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