EMPORIA, Kan. – The Rogers State men's basketball team saw its four-game winning streak snapped with an 82-70 loss at Emporia State on Saturday night (Dec. 1) at the William L. White Auditorium.
 
The Hillcats (6-3) took an early 4-3 edge on a Tavian Davis jumper about two minutes into the game, but the Hornets totaled 12 straight points to pull out to a 15-4 lead with 13:47 remaining in the first half.
 
Late in the first half, ESU extended the margin to 19 points, the largest lead of the game, at 40-21 with two free throws with 1:33 on the clock, but RSU posted four straight points for a 40-25 halftime score.
 
The navy and red started the second half fast and cut the deficit to five points at 42-37 with a 12-2 run in the first four minutes of the second stanza. The five points mark was the closest RSU would get in the second half.
 
ESU moved back to a double digit advantage midway through the second half at 54-43 on a basket by Aaron McGee. The lead stayed in double digits until a Brewster Peacock 3-pointer with 3:42 left made it 69-60. Another triple by Peacock pulled RSU to within eight at 71-63 with 2:49 remaining, but the host Hornets went on to win 82-70.
 
Jordan Johnson scored a team-high 17 points, hitting three 3-pointers. Saint Hilaire went for 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Davis and Peacock each added 10 points.
 
RSU shot 43.5 percent (27-62) from the field and was a perfect 9-for-9 shooting from the free throw line.
 
ESU finished at 44 percent (22-50) from the floor and held a 20-point advantage at the free throw line as the Hornets hit 29-of-37 free throws for 78.4 percent.
 
Malik Hluchoweckyj posted a game-high 20 points. Kooper Glick totaled 19 points, and Hassan Thomas just missed a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds.
 
The Hillcats return home to play host to Ecclesia College on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Claremore Expo Center. Coverage will be available on the Hillcat Network.