Men's Basketball | 11/23/2019 6:04:00 PM

Box Score BETHANY, Okla. -   The Oklahoma Panhandle State University men's basketball team found itself down by double-digits early and it proved too big an obstacle to overcome, falling in a Sooner Athletic Conference bout at Southwestern Christian University, 93-76.  The loss dropped the Aggies to 3-4 overall and 0-2 in the SAC, while the Eagles upped their record to 5-2 overall and 1-1 in the conference, at the Pickens-Springer Gymnasium.
 
OPSU took the early 3-0 lead at the 18:45 mark of the opening half. SCU answered with an 8-0 run over the next two minutes and had out-scored Panhandle by the midway mark of the opening stanza, 29-14.
 
The Aggies would trail going into the locker room, 58-39. OPSU had to combat a 17-for-34 shooting effort by the Eagles in the first 20 minutes, including 12 made from beyond the arc. Neither team was able to work the offensive glass in the first half, combining for just six rebounds on the offensive end.
 
SCU extended its lead to 24 points in the early going of the second half, 63-49, at the 18:17 mark. But the Aggies began to chip away a bit, cutting the Eagles' advantage to 14 points (65-41) on a bucket from Eli Edwards at 15:18.
 
Edwards would reel off three-consecutive hoops for Panhandle over the next minute, but was matched each time by SCU to keep the host's double-digit cushion intact. With the SCU cushion vacillating between 15 to 20 points over the next 11 minutes, OPSU finally cut into the deficit further in the final five minutes.
 
Down 84-64, four unanswered buckets by Panhandle – from Garret Hoffman, two by DK Sumo IV and one from Waters – got the Aggies to within 12 with 4:04 remaining. But that would be as close as OPSU could get down the stretch, as it suffered its second SAC setback on the road.
 
Maurice Waters shared game-high scoring accolades – with SCU's Derek Dantzler-Fulner – by pouring in 19 points. Waters recorded his first double-double as an Aggie by also corralling co-game high rebound totals, with 11 boards. Teammate Auston Chatman also cleaned the glass for 11 rebounds.
 
Sumo finished his afternoon with 16 points, hitting 5-of-10 from the floor. Among Sumo's baskets were a pair of three-pointers. Jalen Williams rounded out the OPSU double-digit scorers with 10 points, to go along with his three rebounds and three assists.
 
Edwards contributed nine points, as did Brett Williams, to the Panhandle coffers. Quentin Fankhouser and Chatman each booked five points. Tristan Womble and Hoffman had three and two points, respectively, to round out the Aggies' ledger.
 
OPSU out-rebounded the Eagles, 40-32. SCU held a slight advantage in shooting – 47 percent to 44 percent by Panhandle – but made eight more from three-point range (14-to-6) than did OPSU.
 
Panhandle will play a pair of exhibition games versus NCAA II foes next weekend on November 29-30. The Aggies will travel to West Texas A&M University on Friday (5 p.m.) and to Lubbock Christian on Saturday (5 p.m.).