NAIA
[Men's Basketball] Slow Start Leads to Defeat at #4 Oklahoma Wesleyan
BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – Saturday night, the No. 13 ranked University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (1-1, 0-0 SAC) suffered a tough 83-70 loss in a top 15 battle at No. 4 Oklahoma Wesleyan University (2-0, 0-0 KCAC).The Eagles got off to a hot start and held a 11-5 lead six minutes into the first half, but the Drovers fought their way back to cut the deficit to 11-10 with 11:55 remaining in the frame. However, OKWU would go on a 13-4 run to hold a 23-14 lead with 7:33 remaining. OKWU continued to dominate in the closing minutes of the held and took a 45-26 lead into the break. Following halftime, the Drovers showed a lot of fight and began to chip away at the Eagles lead. Midway through the second half, USAO trailed 65-57, but OKWU regained control and held off the Drovers comeback attempt for the remainder of regulation.As a team, the Drovers went just 24-69 (.348) from the field, and 12-30 (.400) from three-point range. In comparison, the Eagles shot 37-73 (.507) from the field, and 4-17 (.235) from deep. OKWU held a 45-32 advantage in the rebounding battle, and the Drovers committed just nine turnovers, while Oklahoma Wesleyan fumbled the ball eight times. Samkelo Cele (SR/Durban, South Africa) led the Drovers in scoring, with 19 points on 7-19 shooting from the field. Cade Allen (SO/Hammon, OK) was a huge spark off the bench, recording 18 points on 7-8 shooting from the field, which included a 4-5 clip from three-point range.Jace Hollingshed (SO/Oologah, OK) tallied eight points and was a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc. Gerard Makuntae (SR/Austell, GA) concluded with seven points and seven rebounds, while Jaden Harrell (SO/Oklahoma City, OK) added five points, four assists, and three rebounds. Langston Gaither (SR/Alexander, VA) added four points and four rebounds, followed by Cejay Mann (SO/Alma, AR) and Logan Dolan (SO/Broken Arrow, OK) with three points each. Tyler Cauley (SO/Riverview, FL) hauled in a team-high of nine rebounds. WHAT'S NEXT?The Drovers will be back action on Wednesday, November 2 as they play an exhibition game at Texas A&M University Commerce (NCAA DI). Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 PM CT In Commerce, Texas. 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