CLAREMORE, Okla. – Behind DesJuan Newton's career-high 27 points, the Rogers State men's basketball team posted a convincing, 92-82, victory over the Heartland Conference's first-place team No. 23 St. Edward's Thursday night at the Claremore Expo Center.
 
The Hillcats led for all but two minutes of the game picking up their fifth-straight win as Frederico Santos matched his career best with 20 points adding another double-double with 10 rebounds for his eighth of the season and fifth in a row. The win marked the first-ever victory over a ranked NCAA Division II team in program history.
 
RSU forced turnovers on the first four SEU possessions without allowing a Hilltopper shot attempt as the Hillcat raced out with the first six points. The lead quickly changed hands as SEU scored the next seven points.
 
A three pointer from the top of the key by Johnathon Buckley regained the RSU lead starting a 10-2 run capped by five-consecutive points from Newton. An old-fashioned three-point play by Santos pushed the lead to double-digits, 20-10, with 11:26 to play in the first frame.
 
The Hillcats expanded the margin as high as 14 points before closing the opening half with a nine-point advantage, 44-35, getting double-figures efforts from both Newton and Santos at the intermission.
 
The advantage hovered around the 10-point mark throughout most of the second half as RSU could not put the Hilltoppers away despite shooting above 50 percent for the game. Trey Lindsey scored 25 of his game-high 30 points during the second stanza keeping SEU within striking distance but got no closer than eight points down the stretch.
 
Donald Moore put the dagger in the victory with a three pointer from well behind the arc beating the shot clock with less than six minutes to play putting the Hillcats in front, 76-64.
 
RSU put the game away with another great performance from the free throw line hitting 30-of-38 for the contest going 7-of-8 over the final 90 seconds sealing the win, 92-82, evening the season series.
 
Jeylyn Sharpe added 14 points for the Hillcats on a perfect shooting performance and J.C. Hartzler scored 10 joining Newton and Santos in double figures. It was the second-straight game Newton has reached the 20-point plateau after netting 22 against Newman last week.
 
Rogers State (13-6, 7-4 HC) closes its season-long, four-game homestand looking to even the season series with Texas-Permian Basin Saturday at 3 p.m. Join the Hillcats in a "White Out" at the Claremore Expo Center as the first 750 fans in attendance receive a free t-shirt courtesy of RSU Athletics.