PLAINVIEW, Texas - The Rogers State women did something that no other team in program history has done. Knocking off the Flying Queens inside the Hutcherson Center as the Hillcat women came away victorious 66-53 Thursday night.
RSU jumped to an eight point lead in the opening five minutes capped by a 3-pointer from Brittani Smith. The Coweta, Okla. native came off the bench to lead the way for the Hillcats in the opening stanza tallying 11 points, going 3-of-3 from behind the arc.
WBU tied the game and took the lead at the 8:56 mark of the first half, off a pair of free shots by LaTericka Anderson. The pair of free throws gave the Flying Queens the lead for the first time since the opening minute and ten seconds of the game.
Over the remaining eight minutes, WBU would tie the game three times as RSU never extended its lead to more than four points during the final stretch of the half. The two squads entered the locker rooms tied at 32-32.
In the opening eight minutes of the second half the score changed hands five times but it was the sixth lead change that proved to be the difference maker as RSU took the lead on a Logan Froese jumper in the paint. Coach Amy Williams' squad ran with the lead building it to nine points in just two minutes of play. Candice Stewart and Cortney Crockett brought the firepower for the Cats during the second period as the two seniors combined for 20 points in the half.
A Stewart lay-in gave RSU its largest lead of 16 with 2:57 remaining in the contest. WBU trimmed the lead but the Cats came away with the 66-53 win.
Wayland Baptist (15-13, 9-12) was led by Erika Raymond with 14 points while Staci Murphree dropped in 12 for the Flying Queens. WBU shot 81 percent from the charity stripe but hit only 25 percent from long distance.
Smith along with Crockett and senior Hunter Peterson tallied 13 points apiece for RSU. Peterson shot 4-of-6 from 3-point range as the Hillcats set a new single-game team record, shooting 72.7 percent from behind the arc. Candice Stewart rounded out the double-figure scoring with 10 points for the Hillcats as the senior forward recorded her seventh double-double of the year.
The win marks the second consecutive time Williams' squad has hit the 20 win mark.
Rogers State (20-8, 14-7) heads to Lubbock, Texas to close out the season with the final game of the Texas Two Step vs. Lubbock Christian Saturday. The game will tip at 1 p.m. and RSU Radio 91.3FM will carry the play-by-play.
