USAO Athletics
Tanner Shoemaker, Sports Information Director
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The No. 7 seed University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma continued dancin’ late Friday night, into the early hours of Saturday morning, as they picked up the 76-63 win over No. 3 seed Wiley College in the round of sixteen.
The Drovers did not look good at the start of the game, but following a couple timeouts early on they were able to pick up the pace. Wiley College led by as many as eight points with only 3 minutes remaining in the first half, but USAO cut into that lead and only trailed 28-32 at halftime.
Neither team performed well in the first half statistically, but the Drovers did finish with a higher shooting percentage from the field, going into the break. USAO committed 11 turnovers in the first half, and they were out-rebounded 25-20. However, the Drovers held the Wildcats to a .324 field goal percentage.
The two squads battled hard early in the second half, but as the half progressed the Drovers were able to extend their lead and force the Wildcats into fouling late in the game. USAO shot 52.4 percent from the field in the second half, and knocked down 4 out of 7 three-point attempts in the closing frame as well. A major key for the Drovers gaining separation was their ability to make free-throws. The underdogs connected on 22 of their 26 free-throw attempts in the second half.
Geno Artison (SR/Seattle, WA) had a HUGE game, finishing with a game-high 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 blocks (career-high). Clay Long (SR/Plain Dealing, LA) concluded with a 14 point, 8 rebound performance, while Dedrian Parmer (JR/Oklahoma City, OK) scored 14 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Parmer also made USAO Basketball history as he became the newest member of USAO’s 1,000 Point Club! Hutch Peterson (SR/Tulsa, OK) had an excellent game off the bench, scoring 8 points and pulling down 8 rebounds, while also dishing out a pair of assists. Cameron Hines (SO/Ft. Cobb, OK) contributed an 8 point, 3 rebound performance in the win. Stephon Hall (FR/Oklahoma City, OK) scored 7 important points for the Drovers. Manny Gatkek (FR/Amarillo, TX) finished the night with 3 points and 4 rebounds.
The Drovers will be back in action on Saturday, March 23 when they face No. 4 seed William Carey University in the national quarter finals at 12 PM in Municipal Auditorium.