CLAREMORE, Okla. - The Rogers State men's basketball team's upset bid of No. 1 Northwest Missouri State University came up short on Saturday, as the Hillcats fell 86-78 at the Claremore Expo Center.
 
Senior transfer Devin Pullum led the way in scoring for the Hillcats (0-2, 0-2 MIAA), as five Hillcats finished in double figures against the Bearcats (1-0, 1-0 MIAA).
 
How it Happened: The two teams went back-and-forth as there were 13 lead changes in the first half. Northwest opened up an eight-point lead with 4:32 to go in the half, but a 15-6 run by the Hillcats capped off by Darraja Parnell's deep three-pointer with two seconds left in the half gave the Hillcats a 39-38 advantage at the break.

The two teams continued to battle in the second half, exchanging the lead seven more times until the Bearcats went ahead 57-55 at the 11:05 mark of the second half.
 
The Bearcats grew their advantage to as much as 13 before the Hillcats pulled the game back to single digits in the final minutes.
 
Key Statistics: The big difference in the game came at the free-throw line as Northwest had 38 attempts, making 29 of them. Rogers State was 11-for-15 from the line.
 
Players of Note: Senior Devin Pullum finished the game with 21 points, shooting 9-for-14 from the field and 3-for-6 from the three-point line. He also recorded three assists and one steal.
 
Senior Brewster Peacock was second in scoring for the Hillcats, finishing with 15 points. He shot 6-for-12 from the field and a perfect 2-for-2 from at the free-throw line. He would also finish with four rebounds.
 
Senior Darraja Parnell finished the game with 11 points, shooting a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line. He also recorded two rebounds and two assists.
 
Senior Cole Kinnamon also had 11 points, shooting 5-for-9 from the field. He also recorded two rebounds and two steals.
 
Destin Eke finished in double figures for the second straight game. The sophomore had 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
 
Up Next: Rogers State will step away from MIAA league play and make a short trip to Tulsa to take on Oral Roberts University on Saturday, November 28 following a short Thanksgiving break. The matchup with the Golden Eagles, which will be designated as an exhibition contest for the Hillcats, will tip-off at 7 p.m. inside the Mabee Center.