CLAREMORE, Okla. – Rogers State men's basketball sizzled in Saturday's Homecoming victory over Bacone, 106-79, at the Claremore Expo behind a record setting night by senior guard Travis Hester.
 
The Crozet, Va. native and his Hillcat teammates fried Bacone with hot shooting from behind the arc knocking down 60.7 percent from 3-point range as they made 17, one shy of tying the school record as a team set earlier this calendar year versus Oklahoma Panhandle State on January 16, 2016.
 
Hester set a school record for individual 3-point makes in a single game with nine. The second year Hillcat broke the previous record by two 3-pointers breaking the record held by Robinson Odoch Opong, Deveric Taylor and Donald Williams. Hester finished with 29 points on 9-of-13 shooting from long distance.
 
RSU led by as many as 16 points in the first half after a pair of free throws by Christopher Ikuenobe with 4:56 remaining. The Warriors responded cutting the Hillcat lead down to seven at 44-36 with 45 seconds to go. Kyler Ng connected on a 3-pointer to close out the half to put RSU up 47-37.
 
The Hillcats smoked Bacone in the second half knocking down 11 3-pointers shooting 57.9 percent as four players tallied double-digit scoring in the period. Hester and Baron Smith Jr. hit a pair of 3-pointers in the opening 3:25 of the second stanza to double its lead at 59-39. RSU traded shots with the Warriors dipping below a 20 point lead twice before a Jeylyn Sharpe tip-in with 13:55 to go put the Hillcats ahead by 21 points. Coach Justin Barkley's squad didn't allow the lead to dip below 20 points the rest of the way to secure the 106-79 victory.
 
Bacone (2-4) was led in scoring by Evan Stewart  with 20 points while Brandon Scott added 14 along with 13 by Richie Spiller and JaMael Windom-Haynes adding 12 points in the loss. The Warriors shot 44.4 percent from the field but committed 18 turnovers resulting in 26 points off turnovers by the Hillcats.
 
Rogers State (3-1) was led by Hester with 29 points while Jeylyn Sharpe added 19 points and eight rebounds. Baron Smith went 3-of-3 from 3-point range to finish with 17 points as 12 of the 13 Hillcats that played scored.
 
RSU returns to action Wednesday, November 23 on the road facing Cameron University in Lawton, Okla. at 5:30 p.m. Live play-by-play coverage will be provided as an audio stream on the Hillcat Network at www.rsuhillcats.com/live.