TULSA, Okla. -The No. 5 seed Rogers State Men's Basketball team tipped-off their 2019 Heartland Conference tournament with a 70-61 upset victory over the No.4 seed Newman Jets.
 
The Hillcats (20-11) outshot the Jets (20-9) in both halves which made all the difference on Friday afternoon.  On the day, RSU was 21-46 from the field with five three-pointers and 23 made free throws. The Jets shot just 12 percent from three and made a total of 12 free throws. 
 
Rogers State was led by senior guard Tate Turner who had 19 points. Two other players scored in double-digits, with senior guards Saint Hilaire and Chase Littlejohn both scoring 12. 
 
The Hillcats outrebounded the Jets 33-30, despite being outscored in the paint by eight points. Tied for the lead in rebounds were junior guard Tavian Davis and senior forwards Latrell Tidwell with six each. 
 
With Friday's victory, the Hillcats secured their first win in the Heartland Conference tournament and head coach Justin Barkley's first win in three attempts. 
 
"Our last postseason win goes back to our first couple of years, so it's been a while," said Barkley following the game. "You want to get that feeling back in the locker room. March basketball is hard. Every possession is crucial."
 
Barkley and RSU will have a chance to pick up win number two in the Heartland Conference semifinal tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. when they take on No. 1 seed and No. 4 nationally-ranked St. Edward's (25-3) at the Union Multipurpose Athletic Center in Tulsa.