CLAREMORE, Okla. –  The Rogers State men's basketball team picked up a big win in MIAA play, defeating Newman 73-56 on Thursday night at the Claremore Expo Center.
 
Senior Brewster Peacock scored 15 points, as the Hillcats (4-5, 4-5 MIAA) defeated the Jets (2-6, 5-2 MIAA) for their second home victory in a row to begin 2021.
 
How It Happened: Junior Joey Saracco got the scoring going for the Hillcats after he made a layup on a fast break following a steal from at the 19:21 mark in the first quarter to give the Hillcats an early lead. After Newman took a 4-2 lead, the Hillcats tied the game at four and then led the Jets for the remainder of the half
 
After Peacock hit a deep three-pointer at the 9:41 mark in the first half, the Hillcats would go on a 7-0 run to take a 20-9 lead.
 
The Hillcats led the Jets by as many as 16 in the first half and they would head into the locker with a 29-18 advantage.
 
Senior Devin Pullum got the scoring going for the Hillcats early in the second half with a two-point jumper at the 18:31 mark.
 
The Hillcats went on their best scoring run in the game at 11, after freshman Christopher Harris hit a pair of free-throws at the 12:35 mark in the second.
 
Key Statistic: Rogers State's bench outscored the Newman bench 34-18 and the Hillcats also outscored the Jets 24-18 in the paint.
 
Players of Note:  Peacock finished with a game-high 15 points, shooting 3-for-4 from behind the arc. He also recorded seven rebounds, one steal, and an assist.
 
Destin Eke finished the game with a double-double, scoring 11 points and 10 rebounds, along with three assists and one block. Eke's double-double is the first for the Hillcats this season.
 
Saracco finished the game with eight points, shooting 3-for-4 from the field. He also finished with two rebounds and a steal.
 
Harris finished the game with six points, shoot a perfect 3-for-3 from the free-throw line.
 
Pullum led the Hillcats with four assists. He also had six points and five rebounds.
 
Notables: Eke scored his fifth double figure game of the season. He also had his first double figure rebounding effort of the year.
 
Peacock led the Hillcats in scoring for the second time this season. His 15-point performance moves him up to 954 points in his career. He also moved into fourth in all-time rebounds with 376, passing Saint Hilaire and John Boyd.
 
With Eke's 11 points, the Hillcats have had a double-digit scorer come off of the bench for the seventh time this season.
 
The Hillcats had 11 different players contribute to the scoring in the game.
 
Up Next: Due to a postponed game with Central Oklahoma, the Hillcats are set to have an eight-day break before returning to action next Saturday against Northeastern State. The Hillcats and RiverHawks will tip off at 3:30 p.m. on January 16 inside the Claremore Expo Center.