Drovers Lose Heartbreaker

OKLAHOMA CITY - It isn’t too often any team gets a second chance to win a game. Unfortunately for the University of Science and Arts, they gave Houston Baptist three chances in Friday’s 72-69 loss in the Oklahoma City University Classic.

USAO fell to 2-5 on the season with the loss to the No. 19 team in the country. The Drovers will wrap up its appearance in OKC with a 6 p.m. game against Arkansas Baptist on Saturday.

Lost in Friday’s frantic, heartbreaking finish was the Drovers comeback. HBU jumped out to an early 11-3 lead knocking down shots from all over. USAO had trouble getting any closer than 10 points down through much of the first half.

The Drovers closed the first half with a 16-10 run to make the halftime deficit only 42-36.

In the second half, USAO continued to control the action inching closer to the lead. The team pulled to within one point just six minutes into the second half, but didn’t take the lead until J.J. Walsh scored three of his 19 points with 3:45 left to give USAO a 66-63 lead.

The Drovers held a one-point lead with a minute remaining when an HBU steal led to a three-point play for Corey Thomas and HBU’s final lead.

Thomas was instrumental in the ending as well. HBU held a two point lead with nine seconds remaining when Thomas rebounded the second of two missed free throws by teammate Dwight Jones.

Thomas had HBU’s second chance to ice the game after being fouled and forced to the free-throw line. He missed two straight free-throws but ended up with the rebound after the ball bounced through the hands of three Drovers.

USAO was forced to foul again, and on HBU’s third attempt at putting the game out of reach, Thomas converted and made the final score 72-69.

Walsh led all scorers with 19 points. He also had eight rebounds. Ike Onwuchekwa added 15 points and six rebounds hitting five-of-nine from behind the three-point line. Jose Nava and Avery Stevenson scored 14 points each. Nava also had 13 rebounds.