CLAREMORE, Okla. – Rogers State men's basketball (0-1) came up short in a 72-62 decision to Southwest Minnesota State (1-0) on the first day of the Holiday Inn Express Regional Challenge to open the 2022-23 season on Friday.
Two Hillcats finished in double digits on the day.
Chris Whitaker led RSU with 18 points to go along with three rebounds, three steals, an assist and a block.
Gerren Jackson added 10 points with three rebounds and two assists.
Ugo Obineke contributed eight points with two rebounds and two assists.
Kofi Hamilton pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds with four points and an assist.
Both teams were slow out of the gate as neither team scored in the first three minutes. Whitaker and
Sherwyn Devonish-Prince Jr. combined to give RSU a 3-0 for the game's first points. However, the Mustangs put together a 24-7 run to jump out to a 24-10 lead with 8:25 left in the half. The Hillcats kept grinding and closed out the period on a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to 39-31 going into the break.
Once again, RSU was slow to start in the second half as they let SMSU go on a 21-7 run to take their largest lead of the game at 60-38 with just under 12 minutes left. However, the Hillcats rallied and strung together a 21-4 run of their own to trim the lead to 64-60 with just under three minutes remaining. Unfortunately, foul trouble down the stretch stifled the RSU comeback as the Mustangs were able to take the game 72-62 thanks largely to free throws.
The Hillcats will close out the Holiday Inn Express Regional Challenge on Saturday, Nov. 12 with a matchup against Concordia-St. Paul. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
