CLAREMORE, Okla. – Rogers State handed Drury their first loss of the year in an 85-71 win over the Panthers Wednesday night in the Claremore Expo Center in Claremore, Oklahoma.
 
Drury went to 2-1, while the Hillcats improved to 2-1.
 
Rogers State pulled away from the Panthers late the in the first half to go ahead by 11, but a late flurry by Drury cut the margin to seven, 42-35, at halftime.
 
The Hillcats opened the second half with a three-point play on a basket and free throw by Joey Saracco. Rogers State kept the lead at double-digits and held off a rally by the Panthers to win by 14.
 
The Hillcats shot 55 percent in the game, hitting 30 of 55 shots and connecting on 6 of 13 three-point attempts. Drury, meanwhile, was just 37 percent from the floor as they went 21 for 54 while going 7 for 25 from three. The Hillcats also limited Drury to just two offensive rebounds in the contest.
 
"We had a tough start, they put us on our heels, and then they took advantage of our turnovers," said Drury head coach Chris Foster. "Once they got rolling, it was tough for us to get back into the game. We've got to do a better job of coming out with the right focus and the right approach."
 
Kofi Hamilton led Rogers State with 15 points, while Chris Whitaker added 12.
 
Brock Wakefield had 15 points to lead Drury. Logan Applegate had 11 points, with Adam Moore and Preston Cook both scoring 10.
 
The Panthers are idle until Nov. 22, when they host Southwestern Oklahoma State in the DoubleTree Thanksgiving Classic. Tipoff is at 7:45 pm in the O'Reilly Family Event Center.
 
 
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