#18 USAO Wins by 69 Against Central Christian on Senior Day
CHICKASHA, Okla. – Saturday afternoon, the No. 18 ranked University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (22-4, 16-4 SAC) celebrated their senior class with a 98-29 victory against Central Christian College (0-24, 0-20 SAC). With the win, the Drovers are now 12-0 all-time against the Tigers, dating back to 2017.
With two games remaining in the regular season, the Drovers sit 2.0 games back of #17 Texas Wesleyan University for the top spot in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings. The last time Science & Arts won the regular season title was in 2017-18, when Coach Darrick Matthews led the Drovers to a 27-6 record.
On Saturday, the Drovers got off to a quick start offensively and used tenacious defense to shut out the Tigers in the opening half. USAO held a 17-0 lead going into the second quarter and outscored CCC by a margin of 23-13 to take a 40-13 lead into the break.
Following halftime, the Drovers continued to dominate, outscoring the Tigers 37-7 in the third quarter and took a 74-20 lead into the fourth. USAO outscored Central Christian 24-9 in the final 10 minutes of action.
At the conclusion of the game, the Drovers shot 37-83 (.446) from the field, and 10-25 (.400) from three-point range. In comparison, the Tigers went 10-44 (.227) from the field, and 5-28 (.179) from deep.
USAO held a 49-40 advantage in the rebounding battle, and the Drovers outscored the Tigers in the paint 50-8. CCC committed 37 turnovers and USAO only fumbled the ball four times. Science & Arts stole the ball from Central Christian 24 times and scored a whopping 52 points off turnovers.
Furthermore, Science & Arts was whistled for 13 fouls, while Central Christian was called for only 14 infractions. USAO went 14-20 (.700) from the free-throw line, while the Tigers converted on 4-8 (.500) from the charity stripe.
All 12 Drovers that entered the game scored in the blowout victory, and four of those players scored in double figures. Diaka Berete delivered an incredible performance, tallying 20 points, six rebounds, and four steals.
Tonijah Fortune concluded with 14 points and four steals in 16 minutes of action off the bench. Jordan Bloomfield recorded 12 points on 4-7 shooting from the field, and she also hauled in five rebounds. Lainey Morrow added 10 points on 4-6 shooting from the field.
Tahlia Sloan-Casey delivered the best performance of her career, tallying seven points, seven rebounds, and four assists, followed by Zaria Dorsey with seven points and five rebounds.
Qadira Hamilton closed with six points, four rebounds, and four assists.
Brayanna Polk, Madison Crandall, and Alexia Corrales each finished with five points. Jessica Palmer chipped in four points, six rebounds, and three assists. Jaylee Willis knocked down a three-pointer on her first attempt of the game.
--2023 SENIOR CLASS—
ZARIA DORSEY
In 75 games played, Dorsey has tallied 1046 points, 588 rebounds, 141 assists, and 112 blocks.
The 2-time All-American is the 6th member of the program's 1000-point club. Dorsey is a two-time first-team all-conference selection, and she was selected as the SAC Newcomer of the year in February of 2021.
JESSICA PALMER
In 94 games played, Palmer has tallied 540 points, 290 rebounds, 144 assists, and 138 steals. During her time at USAO, she has helped lead the team to an 80-28 record.
TAHLIA SLOAN-CASEY
In 21 games played, Sloan-Casey has tallied 21 points, 31 rebounds.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Drovers will hit the road for the final two games of the regular season, first battling Wayland Baptist University on Thursday, February 16, followed by the finale at Oklahoma Panhandle State University on Saturday, February 18. Tip-off at WBU is scheduled for 6:00 PM in Plainview, Texas.
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