ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Rogers State men's basketball team faced a tough test on the road at New Mexico and dropped an 80-69 exhibition contest Friday night at WisePise Arena.
 
In front of a near capacity crowd at "The Pit", the Hillcats kept the game close against perennial power, the NCAA Division I power Lobos, and were led by senior J.C. Hartzler's 17 points.
 
After the Lobos got an early double-digit lead, 23-13, RSU rallied back with a 7-1 run led by a three pointer from Travis Hester and a layup from Donald Moore. Back-to-back triples from Hester cut the deficit to two, 30-28, with less than five minutes to play in the first half.
 
The Hillcats used two more long-range shots closing the first half trailing 41-37 with Jordan Huffman scoring the final three points of the frame.
 
UNM's Cullen Neal, son of head coach Chris Neal, converted a three-point play in the opening minutes of the second half making it an eight-point lead for the Lobos, 45-37. Hartzler used a triple later in the frame closing the gap to 49-46, but UNM stretched the lead to double figures on a quick 8-0 run.
 
The Lobos pushed the advantage as high as 15 points before RSU cut into the margin, falling 80-69, as Hester hit his fifth shot of the night from long range, closing the scoring.
 
Hester and Moore joined Hartlzer in double figures with 15 and 11 points, respectively, while Jeylyn Sharpe grabbed eight rebounds to lead the field.
 
Neal led all scorers with 20 points pacing four Lobos in double figures in the team's second exhibition win of the year.
 
The Hillcats close the exhibition season Tuesday, Nov. 10 at Tulsa before their season opener Nov. 13 in Fort Smith, Arkansas against Metropolitan State of Denver.