PITTSBURG, Kan. – Down 13 points early in the second half, Rogers State men's basketball (11-7, 8-4 MIAA) rallied for an 86-79 win over Pittsburg State (9-8, 5-6 MIAA) for their fifth-straight win, third-straight on the road, on Wednesday.
 
Five Hillcats finished in double figures on the night. Isaac Johnson led all scorers with 20 points and a team-high seven rebounds with three steals and an assist. Both Rodney Battle and Anthony Marshall Jr. put up 14 points apiece with Battle adding four rebounds and an assist while Marshall Jr. added three rebounds and two steals. Caden Fry posted 13 points with four rebounds and a team high-four assists. Evan Anderson contributed 12 points with three steals and a block. As a team, RSU only turned the ball over five times, matching their season-low against Southwestern Christian on Dec. 30.
 
The first half was an intensely close, back-and-forth period with seven lead changes and five ties. With the Gorillas up 12-7, RSU went on a 13-2 run to take their largest lead of the half nearly midway through the period at 20-14. They managed to stay in front until PSU mounted a quick 5-0 run to jump back in front 27-26 only for Evan Anderson to put the Hillcats back up with a three pointer 30 seconds later with just under seven minutes left. Down 33-31, the Gorillas closed out the half on a 12-2 run to carry a 43-35 advantage into the break.
 
Pitt State kept up the hot shooting to start the second half as they opened on an 11-6 run, that included three-straight three pointers, to take their largest lead of the game at 54-41 five minutes into the period. RSU immediately went to work trimming the deficit as they responded with a 12-1 run of their own to cut the lead down to two points at 55-53. The Gorillas attempted to stall the Hillcats' momentum as the two sides traded buckets over the next several minutes. RSU eventually broke through and retook the lead 64-63 with just under seven and half minutes left. Over the next five minutes there were four lead changes and four ties as the momentum swung back and forth. The Hillcats used a 9-2 run to distance themselves and go back up 81-74 with a minute left to play. In the final minute, RSU went 5-for-5 from the charity stripe for a total of 14-for-15 for the game to seal the 86-79 win. In the second half, the Hillcats outscored the Gorillas 51-36.
 
RSU will close out the road trip on Saturday, Jan. 27 as they look to keep the win streak alive in Joplin, Mo. with a matchup against rival Missouri Southern. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m.