Men’s and Women’s Basketball
Men Claim Season Opening Win

CHICKASHA – For the first time in four years, the University of Science and Arts started its season with a win as the Drovers gave Saturday’s homecoming crowd plenty to cheer about with a 74-58 win over Langston inside the USAO Fieldhouse.

Junior Tim Nelson scored 13 second-half points and returning starter Thomas Woods posted a game-high 19 points as the Drovers outscored the Lions 47-33 in the second half. The win was the team’s eighth straight home win over Langston and ended a drought of season opening losses. The last time USAO won a season opener, the team finished 21-8 and advanced to the Sweet 16.

Woods, the lone returning starter, was solid in his 35 minutes of play. The senior from New Orleans, La., connected on 8-of-10 from the floor, pulled down eight rebounds and came up with four steals. Junior Allen Harris came off the bench to score 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting and dished out a game-high six assists. Jorge Parra helped the Drovers win the rebounding battle with a game-high 12 rebounds.

The Drovers converted on 44.8 percent from the floor as a team while holding Langston, which received votes for the national top-25 preseason poll, to only nine field goals and a 28.1 percent shooting night. After going 0-for-10 from 3-point land in the first half, USAO knocked down 5-of-8 in the second.

USAO improves to 1-0 on the season and will try to make it two in a row on Monday with a 7 p.m. game at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kan.

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