WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Rogers State women's basketball (1-2) couldn't withstand a fourth quarter charge from Midwestern State (1-2) as they came up short 65-53 in their first road trip of the season on Friday.
 
"We knew coming in this was going to be a tough matchup," said Head Coach Heather Davis. "We knew we had to control our turnovers, keep them off the boards and play without fouling. Unfortunately, we struggled with all three of those things, and it ended up hurting us."
 
Bailey Layman led the Hillcats with 13 points to go with six rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal. Cheyan McDaniel put up eight points with four rebounds, three assists and a block. Jaiana Wiggins added seven points, seven rebounds and four blocks. Kate Melton contributed seven points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal.
 
After a slow start by both teams, the Hillcats began to find their footing as they went on a 10-5 run with three minutes left in the first quarter. They eventually took a 13-7 advantage into the second period.
 
The second quarter pushed the game into more of a back-and-forth affair as the Mustangs quickly ripped off a mini 4-0 run to cut the deficit to 13-11 to start the period. RSU answered back and pushed the lead back to six points at 19-13, but a 13-3 run put MSU back in front 26-22. The Hillcats kept fighting and closed out the half on a 5-3 run to only trail 29-27 headed into the break.
 
A layup by Ella Hafer early in the third quarter tied things at 29-29 to start the second half. However, four-straight free throws put the Mustangs up 33-29. Things remained tight for the next few minutes before RSU went on a 7-2 run to carry a slim 40-39 advantage into the final 10 minutes.
 
Foul trouble for some key pieces got the best of the Hillcats in the fourth quarter as a combination of free throws and made baskets helped Midwestern State outscore RSU 26-13 in the period. The Mustangs took their first double-digit lead at 62-51 with under a minute left and eventually took the 65-53 win.
 
The Hillcats return home on Wednesday, Nov. 20 as they face off against East Central on Cherokee Nation Night at the Claremore Expo Center. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.