CLAREMORE, Okla. - Rogers State hung right with No. 15 Southern Nazarene for 30 minutes before running out of gas as the Hillcats fell 78-63 to the Crimson Storm at the Claremore Expo Saturday.
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RSU trailed by just three points with 10 minutes to play before the Storm went on a 12-2 run and enjoyed a comfortable lead the rest of the way. Kinzie Glover led all scorers as she poured in 17 points to go along with seven rebounds. SNU's 6-3 post Tejana Elmore posted 15 points and seven boards for the Storm.
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However, it was the Hillcats who dominated the glass and the pace of play for much of the night. RSU outrebounded SNU 22-7 in the first half and tallied 13 more rebounds than its opponent on the night. Azzie Knox led the charge on the glass with a season-high 13 rebounds. She added 11 points to record her second double-double of the season.
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The Hillcats were impressive in the first 13 minutes of the game and led 22-16 after a Yoda Woods free throw capped a 7-0 run. SNU answered with a 6-0 run and scored the final points of the half to take a 31-28 lead into the locker room.
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RSU cut the lead to one on a jumper by Azzie Knox with 13:25 to play in the second half, but was unable to draw even. The Crimson Storm outpaced the Hillcats 47-35 in the second half and made 16-of-32 field goal attempts after the break.
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Hayley KnifeChief led RSU in scoring with 16 points. Fellow freshman Katie Rice enjoyed her best game since returning from injury as she scored 14 points and hauled in nine rebounds. RSU shot 50-percent from 3-point range by knocking down six treys. The Cats shot just 38-percent from the field overall and coughed up 19 turnovers compared to just eight by the Crimson Storm.
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Rogers State (11-14, 7-10) dropped to eighth place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings with the loss. The Hillcats will play their final home game of the season Monday as they host John Brown at the Claremore Expo. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. and the game will be carried live on RSU Public Television and RSU Radio 91.3 FM.
