The Rogers State men’s basketball picked up a big conference victory in the final home game of the season with a score of 80-62 over visiting Washburn University on Saturday at the Claremore Expo Center.
Senior Marques Sumner led the way for the Hillcats (20-5, 12-4 MIAA), who had three other players finish in double figures, over the Washburn Ichabods (14-10, 9-6 MIAA), in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
How it Happened: The Hillcats begin the game fast with the first points coming from senior Christopher Miller, which would lead to an 11-2 run.
The Hillcats had the largest lead of the half at 21-8, which came at the 13:18 mark after a three-pointer from Sumner.
However, the Ichabods would not go away easily. They would go on a 13-5 run of their own midway through the first half to tie the game at 26. They would not trail the Hillcats by more than three points for the remainder of the first half.
The Hillcats would hit the locker room with a 38-36 lead at the break.
The two teams would continue to battle early in the second half, but at the 16:16 mark, Miller would go on a 7-0 run, which would ultimately change the momentum of the remainder of the game.
The largest lead of the game came at the 3:15 mark of the second half at 24 points after Marques Sumner hit a deep three-pointer from well outside of the arch.
Key Statistics: The Hillcats shot 48.3 percent from the field and 72.7 percent from the free-throw line in the game, while the Ichabods finished with a 34.4 percent shooting and 56.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
The Hillcats led the game for 35:34, while the Ichabods only led the game for 00:32.
Players of Note: Sumner finished the game with 23 points, shooting 6-for-10 from the field and 6-for-9 from the free-throw line. He also recorded four rebounds and two assists in his final home game as a Hillcat.
Miller finished the game with 18 points, shooting 8-for-10 from the field and 2-for-3 from the free-throw line. He also recorded three rebounds and a block in his final game home game as Hillcat.
Senior Tavian Davis finished the game with 16 points, shooting 5-for-11 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. He also recorded five rebounds and five assists in his final home game as a Hillcat.
Junior Brewster Peacock would finish the game with seven points. He also recorded nine rebounds, one assist, and a block.
Senior Gabriel Ferreira finished the game with four points, making his one attempt from the field. He would also record two rebounds in his final home game as a Hillcat.
Up Next: The Hillcats hit the road for the first of three-straight MIAA road games to close out the regular season ahead of the MIAA Tournament. Rogers State will travel to Fort Hays State on Thursday, looking to complete a season sweep of the Tigers. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
