Rangers Upend USAO on the Road

ALVA – Battling through a wacky first half and a cold-shooting second half, the University of Science and Arts fell on the road to Northwestern Oklahoma 76-69 Tuesday night.

That wacky first half started out with a Marcus Hines three-pointer which answered a 4-0 Ranger start. NWOSU scored seven straight points running its lead to 11-3, but the Drovers fought back to tie the score at 21-21 with 10:17 left in the half.

Three consecutive three-pointers by Hines, Stanley Bolden and Avery Stevenson helped USAO run its lead to six points with five minutes left, but NWOSU answered with two three-pointers of its own and took a 36-34 lead to the half.

The Drovers scored only two points during the first 3:18 of the second half and only managed 10 points and two field goals until Kevin Thames got an offensive rebound and put-back with 11:54 left in the game. USAO only trailed 51-44, but the Rangers went on a 16-6 run basically ending the Drovers’ hopes.

Thames scored 11 second-half points to lead USAO with 15 points. Hines finished with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, and Stevenson scored 11. USAO fell to 11-13 overall and 7-7 in the Sooner Athletic Conference. The team will travel to No. 6 Oklahoma City on Thursday before hosting Oklahoma Christian at 8 p.m. Saturday in the home finale.

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