PLAINVIEW, Texas - Bryson Krueger turned in his best performance as a Hillcat and lifted Rogers State past No. 14 Wayland Baptist, 66-64 at the Hutcherson Center in Plainview Saturday afternoon.
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The senior transfer knocked down two clutch free throws with five seconds left to give RSU its fifth straight win and snap the Pioneers nine-game home winning streak. Krueger poured in a season-high 24 points to set a new team record. He went 8-for-16 from the floor with two 3-pointers and hit 6-of-8 free throws.
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Both teams came out firing on offense in the first half. RSU jumped out to a 9-2 lead on a jumper by Eric Young to cap a 7-0 run. The Pioneers raced back and eventually took a one-point lead on a bucket by Danny Storey with five minutes to play in the half. Krueger answered with a trey and Aldric Reynolds beat the halftime buzzer to give the Cats a 41-34 advantage at the break. RSU shot 50-percent in the first half while the Pioneers scored at a 56-percent clip.
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The game remained tight throughout the second half as neither team led by more than seven points. Teddy Chambers gave WBU a 49-48 lead with 13:29 left to play. James Coats responded with a 3-pointer to put the Cats back on top 51-49. The Pioneers would tie the game, but never regain the lead from that point.
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RSU led 64-63 with 34 seconds remaining when Roderick Rodgers missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving the Pioneers an opportunity to take the last shot. However, after a WBU timeout Rodgers stole the inbounds pass and was quickly fouled. Rodgers failed to convert the one-and-one chance a second time and Eric Young fouled Tyrone Crawford while battling for the rebound. Crawford hit one-of-two from the charity stripe to tie the game and set the stage for Krueger's dramatics.
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Krueger drove the lane and drew a foul from Lee Berend with five tics remaining on the scoreboard. He calmly drained both foul attempts and WBU's final 3-point heave fell short of the rim.
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The victory marked the second time in eight days the Hillcats upset a Top 25 team. They bested No. 20 Oklahoma Baptist last Saturday at the Claremore Expo.
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Rogers State (14-7, 9-6) moved into sole possession of fourth place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings pending the results of Saturday night's action. The Hillcats return home next week to begin a three-game homestand at the Claremore Expo. RSU will host USAO Thursday night. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. and the game will be aired live on RSU Public Television and RSU Radio 91.3 FM.