ODESSA, TEXAS- Senior guard Jerry Dixon tallied a layup with 1.5 seconds remaining in the game to propel the Rogers State men's basketball team to a thrilling, 77-75, victory over Heartland Conference opponent Texas-Permian Basin at the Falcon Dome on Saturday.

The Falcons took at 10 point advantage in the first eight minutes of the second half. However, senior Damion Hooks sparked the Hillcat offense with a conventional three-point play with 11 minutes to play and RSU used the momentum to cut the deficit to one point with a 10-0 run. The Falcons answered with a 5-0 run to give the home team some breathing room but the Hillcats would not go quietly.

With just under five minutes to play, senior Robinson Odoch Opong came alive. He started with a pair of made free throws to cut the Falcon lead to a bucket and followed with a rebound and his first trey of the night to give RSU a one-point advantage. The teams traded buckets over the final three minutes. RSU took a one point lead with one minute to play. UTPB's Anthony Dees was fouled from three point range with 35 seconds to play, converting just one of the three shots from the free throw line, tying the game. Opong hauled in the rebound and dished it to Dixon to hold for the final shot of regulation. Dixon held the ball until there were only a few ticks left on the clock and then drove to the basket, scoring the game-winning bucket with 1.5 seconds remaining. Freshman Jeylyn Sharpe sealed the win, swiping the Falcons' inbound pass.

The score was tied seven times in the first stanza with neither team leading by more than five points. RSU ended the half with a one point lead thanks to a Deran Banton dunk.

Five Hillcats reached double digits scoring as Hooks led the way with 17 points. J.C. Hartzler and Dixon added 14 points apiece, Opong tallied 12 points and Corey Ayala rounded out the group with 10 points. The Hillcats shot 48.1 percent from the field, 54.5 percent from long distance and 77.8 percent from the charity stripe.

Dees led the way for the Falcons with a game-high 22 points. UTPB won the battle on the boards 39-28.

Rogers State (13-7, 8-4 HC) returns to the Claremore Expo on Thursday for a Heartland Conference bout with conference foe St. Mary's at 7:30 p.m. The first 750 fans at the game will receive a "White Out" shirt. The game will be streamed on the Hillcat Network at www.rsuhillcats.com/live and on RSU Radio 91.3 FM.