EDMOND, Okla. - With its season on the line Rogers State turned in its gutsiest performance of the year as the Hillcats willed their way past No. 17 Oklahoma Baptist and into the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament semifinals Thursday.
 

RSU survived a 21-point second half from first team all-conference point guard Brent Jones and held on for a 71-67 win at the Eagle's Nest in Edmond. Jones finished with a game-high 31 points and was a perfect 9-for-9 at the free throw line down the stretch. He scored the final eight points of the game for OBU, but it wasn't enough. Sylvester Spicer's free throw with 5.6 seconds left gave RSU a four-point lead and clinched the Cats spot in Saturday's semifinals.
 

The Hillcats came roaring out of the gate and claimed a 10-0 lead on a three by Aldric Reynolds with 16:20 to play in the opening period. OBU answered with an 8-0 run and eventually trimmed the lead to two on a drive by Evan Grace with 4:28 remaining in the half. Camaron Dearinger gave RSU a lift with a put-back that just beat the halftime horn, giving the Hillcats a 26-21 lead at the break.
 

OBU scored five straight points to start the second half and tied the game at 26-26 in less than a minute. RSU responded with an 11-0 run spurred by Roderick Rodgers. The junior forward scored nine straight points to vault the Cats to their largest lead at 38-26. OBU's duo of Jones and Justin Williams slowly chipped away at the RSU lead. Jones gave the Bison their only lead of the game with a pair of free throws to make it 50-49 with 8:34 to play.
 

The lead was short lived. Fourteen seconds later Bryson Krueger buried a three from the wing to put the Cats in front for good. However, Jones refused to let the Bison go down quietly. He scored 12 points over the final seven and a half minutes and cut the lead to 69-67 with 45 seconds to play. Rodgers made one of two free throws to push the lead to three and the Hillcats dodged a bullet when Williams' game-tying 3-point attempt sailed long.
 

RSU proved to be the more physical team in a very physical game. The two teams were whistled for a total of 50 fouls. Evan Grace and Brian Hill fouled out for OBU while Eric Young picked up five fouls for the Hillcats. RSU dominated the glass from start to finish. The Cats out-rebounded the Bison 46-24 and had 13 second-chance points.
 

Rodgers led the Hillcats with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Spicer added 18 points while Krueger finished with 13. RSU shot 45-percent from the floor for the game and hit 3-of-8 3-pointers.
 

Rogers State (20-10) kept hope alive for a national tournament berth by beating OBU for the second time in three meetings this season. The Hillcats will play USAO in Saturday's seminfinal. The Drovers upset No. 2 seed Southern Nazarene in Thursday's quarterfinal round. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Eagle's Nest on the campus of Oklahoma Christian and the game will be carried live on RSU Radio 91.3 FM.