CLAREMORE, Okla. – Rogers State men's basketball (6-5) head into 2024 on a high note as they defeated winless Southwestern Christian(0-7), 97-84, Saturday afternoon at the Claremore Expo Center.
 
Kofi Hamilton led the team in scoring with 19 points and was one rebound shy of a double-double, as he tallied nine rebounds. Caden Fry and Anthony Marshall Jr. also shined with 18 points, while Issac Johnson scored 11 points and tallied five rebounds.
 
The first half was a tightly contested one, as the game was tied at 26 with nine minutes to play. However, RSU went on a 9-0 run in a span of three minutes to gain momentum before the halftime break with 48-41 lead at halftime.
 
Hamilton led the Hillcats with 11 points in the first half. He also tallied five rebounds and a pair of assists.
 
Five minutes into the second half, SCU cut into the deficit by six points. However, Fry scored two layups to get RSU back to a 10 point lead. Fry scored 11 of the first 18 points to start the second half. 
 
SCU responded midway through the second half with some made buckets and trailed by three points. The Hillcats responded with a 10-2 run with plays from Anderson, who dove on the floor for a loose ball. RSU pulled its starters with less than two minutes to play. At this point, RSU was ahead 93-77 and would go on to win the game 97-84.
 
RSU will return to the court in 2024, as they open the year with a two-game MIAA homestand beginning with Missouri Western on Thursday, Jan. 4. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.