CLAREMORE, Okla. – Senior guard Baron Smith Jr. hit two free throws with 10 seconds left to propel the Rogers State men's basketball team to a 72-70 upset victory over No. 16-ranked Dallas Baptist University on Saturday (Jan. 6) at the Claremore Expo Center.
 
With the scored tied at 70-70 in the final seconds, Smith was fouled as he was going to drive to the basket. The Hillcats (10-5, 1-3) were in the double bonus so Smith went to the line and knocked down the two free throws with 10 seconds on the clock for the 72-70 advantage.
 
DBU (12-2, 3-1) missed a late jumper with five seconds left and a scramble for the basketball saw it go out of bounds with 0.1 seconds on the clock. The Patriots' JT Harris had a tip, but it didn't go in and might have been after the buzzer as the Cats earned the win, their first over a nationally-ranked team since Nov. 13, 2016 when RSU won, 71-50, over Metro State in Fort Smith, Ark.
 
In a close back-and-forth contest where neither team led by more than eight points, RSU used a quick 6-0 run late in the game to go from down one at 60-59 to up 65-60 on a Saint Hilaire basket with 2:47 remaining. Hilaire scored the final four points of the quick spurt and Smith started the run with a hoop.
 
The Patriots cut the margin to one at 65-64 at the 1:48 mark on two free throws, but Smith pushed the score back out to 68-64 with a three-point play with 1:29 left. The Cats went back up four again on another Smith basket with 53 seconds remaining for a 70-66 score. After two free throws by DBU, a steal in the backcourt and a layup tied the score at 70-70 with 25 seconds on the clock to set up the dramatic ending.
 
Smith posted a game-high 29 points on 8-of-15 shooting. He went 11-of-13 from the free throw line. He added five rebounds, two assists and two steals in 37 minutes. Hilaire totaled his first career double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds in 35 minutes. Also in double digits was Tate Turner with 12 points.
 
RSU shot 50 percent (25-50) from the field, including 58.3 percent (14-24) in the second half. The navy and red finished at 82.6 percent (19-23) from the free throw line.
 
DBU's Boy Van Vliet went for 16 points and a game-high nine assists. Chandler Jacobs registered 14 points off the bench, and Jordan Manse had 12 points.
 
The Cats limited the Patriots to 37.3 percent (22-59) from the field in the game, their second-lowest output this season. The 70 points scored also was the second lowest for DBU this season.
 
The Hillcats host Lubbock Christian on Wednesday (Jan. 10) at 7:30 p.m. inside the Claremore Expo Center. Coverage will be available on the Hillcat Network at www.rsuhillcats.com/live.