Monday, October 25, 2010

RSU men's basketball strive toward common goal in new season

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Consider the 2010-2011 basketball season for the Rogers State’s men’s team a season of rebuilding for the program. With a cast of seven new players in addition to eight returnees, coming together will be the main focal point for the team.

Last season, RSU relied heavily on 6’6’’ power forward Sylvester Spicer and 6’1’’ point guard Lance Sullivan with good reason. The pair ended their senior year earning all-conference honors while leading the Hillcats to its second straight SAC championship game.

This season, much will be expected from the returning seniors. Along with Matt Kellogg and Joey Twilley the Hillcats will look to guard Deverick Taylor and power forward John Boyd in putting up big numbers.
Taylor earned All-America honorable mention accolades after averaging 12.3 points and making 63 3-pointers during the 2009-10 season. In just 22 games of play last season Boyd averaged 11.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 46.7% from 3-point range.

Guard Chris Francis is also looking to step into the forefront to help guide the team.

“As a senior I think it’s my job to step up and lead some of the guys that hasn’t been in the SAC league before and just help them out and do the best I can on and off the court,” said Francis.

He started 15 out of 30 games averaging 7 points per game and shooting 37% outside the perimeter.

Guard Matt Kellogg rounds out the returning seniors. He shot 43.4 % beyond the arc and 44.3% from the field last season.

Point guard Maurice Rutherford will sit out for the first half of the season due to eligibility purposes. Rutherford took a medical redshirt after suffering an injury early in the 2009-10 season. He will be back on the court in time for conference play.

Head Coach Justin Barkley is hoping his new additions can step up to the challenge as well.

Power forward Brandon Mims is a senior transfer who appeared in 65 games over the last two seasons for LSU-Shreveport of the NAIA making him one of the most experienced players on the RSU roster.

Center Ajuma Jaramogi is a junior transfer who appeared in 11 games as a sophmore for the NCAA Division II University of Arkansas at Monticello. He’s originally from Trinidad.

Power forward Alburey Doss is a senior transfer from Missouri Southern. He began his basketball college career at Langston University where he averaged 16.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as sophomore in 2008-09. Doss was a teammate of Sullivan in the same year.

Larry Cox is a junior transfer from the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie Junior College. As a sophomore in 2008-09 he led the team in scoring with 12.5 points per game and rebounds with 8.7 per game.
Sterling Jackson is a junior transfer from Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa. He helped lead the team in scoring, assists and rebounds in the point guard position.

Barkley’s newly acquired freshmen will also have major roles to take on for the Hillcats. C.J. Sidorakis from Jenks High School will be a threat from the outside. As a senior he held a 37% 3-point average and averaged 9.8 points per game. His older brother Nick is a senior for Oklahoma State this season.

Until Rutherford is back in action, RSU will look to Jordan Burrell to help lead the way for the Hillcats. Burrell is from Valliant, Okla. And was an All-State selection during his senior season in 2009-2010.

To help prepare the men’s team for conference play, Barkley has scheduled three exhibitions against NCAA Division I competition.

“For us to get better we want to play the best,” said Barkley. “I think it’s a good way for us to see where we’re at.”

RSU will travel to battle Texas Christian University, Oral Roberts and the University of Houston.

In addition to the new faces, Hillcat fans can expect to see a new coaching staff. Though not new to the program Barkley is entering his first season as head coach for the men’s basketball team. The Hillcats will also be in the leadership of new assistant coaches Kyle Blankenship and Mike Cyprien. Blankenship come from Lamar State College-Port Arthur where he coached for one season and spent three seasons prior as an assistant coach as LSU-Shreveport.

It will be a challenge to replace Spicer and Sullivan but with the new mixture of experienced players added to the solid group of returnees, RSU fans can expect to see a growing team coming together for a common goal.
Photo: 2010-11 RSU men's basketball team
by gssphotography.com
Special thanks to former Hillpost Sports Editor Josh Haley.

New pieces fire up women's basketball quest for successful season

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On March 3, 2010 the Roger State women’s basketball team suffered a bittersweet season ender against No. 4 ranked opponent Oklahoma Baptist University.

Although the opportunity of making their first national tournament appearance was put to a halt, the Hillcats reached high levels competing in the SAC tournament semifinals for the first time in the program’s history.

Last season the dominant All-Conference post duo of Yoda Woods and Jenny Harding were the driving force behind the team’s successful season.

RSU women’s head basketball coach Amy Williams says the graduation of Woods and Hardin along with former all-conference point guard, Autumn Thompson, may have left a hole in the team’s program. But with the addition of five new players, the Rogers State’s women’s basketball team is going into the 2010-2011 season with a new look and a new attitude.

All five newcomers are guards. Angie Criner comes to RSU by way of the University of Georgia looking to add spark to the team with explosive athleticism on the wing.

The Tulsa native played her freshman season at Arkansas State while averaging 9.3 pointers per game. As a sophomore she played at Butler Community College in Kansas during the 2008-09 season. She averaged 17.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 3.4 steals per game for the Grizzlies. Criner played in 14 games before missing the second half of the season due to a shoulder injury.

Courtney Crockett, senior transfer from Delaware State University, holds the point guard position for the Hillcats. Crockett averaged 8.4 points and 2.8 rebounds while starting 27 games at Delaware State last season. She was a teammate at DSU of current Hillcat Candice Stewart from 2007 to 2009

“I think she will have a really special impact on our team because she is very solid in a lot of different areas,” said Williams.

Kristi Henderson is a senior transfer from the University of Great Falls where she led the team in scoring last season with 19.4 pointer per game.

Sasha Barnes is a junior transfer from Johnson County Community College. She played in all 32 games averaging 8.2 points and 3.7 assists per game.

Freshman Taylor Jeffs from Oologah High School pose threats for other teams with shooting capabilities.

Williams has the pleasure of returning six Hillcats that poured in big numbers for the Hillcats. Seniors Hunter Peterson and Andrea Miles are the last two remaining Hillcats from the 2007-2008 inaugurated season to lead the way for the team this year.

“They know what to expect in this league,” said Williams. “They can help relay that information and be good leaders for the rest of our team.”

Peterson earned honorable mention all-conference accolades last season for the second time in her career. She averaged 9.6 points per game while shooting over 30% from three-point range along with 46 steals of the season.

Miles is a defensive threat accumulating 102 steals in her three years as a Hillcat. She shot nearly 40% from the field and averaged 4.3 rebounds per game last season.

In the post position, 6’0’’ senior Candice Stewart who played mostly on the wing last season will now join Sophomores Logan Froese, Madison Harris and junior Brittany Smith in the paint.

Stewart started 24 out of 32 games last season averaging 6.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. She led the team in steals with a season total of 52.

Froese will also be force to reckon with in the paint this season. In her rookie year, she led the team in rebounding averaging 6.5 per game while shooting 52% from the field.

All four post have experienced significant minutes along side Woods and Hardin making vast improvements going into their second season as a Hillcat.

Though short-hand on posts, that hasn’t taken away from the team’s determination.

“I feel like it’s something we can adjust to because we’re more focus and people are willing to do what ever to sacrifice or go the extra mile for the team,” said Miles.

Meanwhile, the load of athletic guards is helping to even things out which is what the Hillcats are looking to use to their advantage.

“We have players that can create their own shot and go make plays,” said Williams. “We have some good solid post players that understand post positioning and how to seal and that gives us a little balance.”

Going into the new season, the women’s basketball team say they are more determined than ever before. The Hillcat roster is packed with upperclassmen who are hungry to reach the next level. With their eyesight on nationals, the women are focusing their pre-season on minor details.

“Coach says it everyday; just doing the little things,” said Peterson. “We need to capitalize on those little things; that’s what’s going to make us a better team.”

Williams says she has a talented group of girls that are capable of another 20-win season with a shot of making nationals but knows talent is not enough to get them there. Still in the early stages, RSU women are looking to smoothen out all the wrinkles as they prepare for the 2010-2011 season.

Photo: 2010-11 RSU women's basketball team
Photo by gssphotography.com

Special thanks to former Hillpost sports editor Josh Haley!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Difficult matches spurs men's soccer to stay on top

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Usually winning nine games straight for any team in any sport is a pretty big deal. But for the Roger State men’s soccer team, they’re concentration is focused on taking one game at a time and as a result, winning streaks tend to follow.

The Hillcats tremendous defense is to credit during their two week road trip. RSU accumulated a total of 15 offensive points while only being scored on twice in five games.

RSU men defeated Avila University 2-0 and Ottawa University 5-2 earning their sixth straight win of the season. Junior Griffin Kane played big in both matches to give the Hillcats early leads.

Rogers State kept their winning streak alive in their Sooner Athletic Conference opener easing past Southern Nazarene 1-0. Senior Sergio Guerra scored the lone goal in the 23rd minute of the SNU match.

Later in the week, the Hillcats cruised past Wayland University 6-1 giving RSU their 8th straight win of the season.

Once again the Rogers State men’s team pulled away with a victorious win on the road and it wasn‘t easy. The Hillcats claimed their ninth game streak with a 1-0 win over No. 26 nationally ranked Oklahoma City University.

“To play a team of that caliber after being on the road, tired, playing with out a starter or two, it was really big for them,” said Derek Larkin, Head soccer coach.

“We had some late night trips coming back off the road. We went to Kansas city twice in the same week. We’ve been to west Texas, Oklahoma city, a couple of times, so it took its toll on them and that’s what made the Oklahoma city game that much sweeter.”

Going into their conference home opener, the Hillcats may have met their match. The men’s team were handed their first loss of conference play against Oklahoma Baptist University. The Bison snapped the Hillcats winning streak with a 4-1 victory.

RSU was able to take avenge of their loss with a 6-0 domination over St. Gregory University. Junior Henrique Sousa and senior Des Fitzgerald scored a combined five goals while senior Carlos Zuta added the final goal, propelling the Hillcats to victory. Fitzgerald leads the team with six goals of the season.

In the same week, RSU suffered a disappointing defeat against John Brown University. The Hillcats were unable to overcome a two-goal halftime deficit. They had several chances to get back in the game in the second half but were unable to capitalize eventually falling to JBU 3-0.

“We gave up a couple shots and they scored when they had their opportunities and we didn’t score when we had our opportunities,” said sophomore Justin Friesen.

Five games remain before the start of the SAC conference tournament. Currently RSU men are ranked No. 2 in the conference. The Hillcats look to continue staying on top to gain home field advantage.

Update: RSU men fell 2-1 in double overtime to USAO. For more results go to rsuhillcats.com
Go to the soonerathletic.org website for current conference standings.

In photo: Senior goalkeeper Sean Surridge
Photo by gssphotography.com

Tough losses serve as motivation for RSU women soccer

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The Roger State women’s soccer team has battled through a month long of stunning victories and disappointing defeats. As conference play winds down, the Hillcats will look to count on the one thing that has proven to pay off which is hard work.

RSU started their five game road trip on a down hill dropping a pair of games to Avila University 3-0 and to Ottawa 2-1.

The following week the Hillcats snapped their two game losing streak with a turnaround performance taking down Southern Nazarene 4-3 on the road in their Sooner Athletic Conference opener.

“For us to steal that win on the road was just huge,” said Derek Larkin, RSU head soccer coach. “It wasn’t one we were necessarily counting on because they’re a very good team but our girls worked really hard and they deserved the victory. “

Four different Hillcats scored on Southern Nazarene. Junior Chelsea Myers scored her third goal of the season with an assist by Junior Abby Rickner to give the Hillcats a 1-0 lead. Five minutes later freshman Demi Mullin added to the scoreboard giving RSU a 2-0 advantage.

Rickner earned another assist with a corner kick to junior Morghan Saliba for the 3-0 goal. Senior Tiffany Roberts kept the momentum going in the second half, scoring within 30 seconds of the half to put the Hillcats on top 4-0.

In the latter part of the night, the Crimson Storm came roaring back scoring three straight goals on RSU.

The Hillcats were able to hang onto the win, with freshman goalkeeper Chelsea McMullin earning the win in goal.

RSU battled for their second victory on the road topping Wayland Baptist University 1-0. Saliba scored the lone goal of the contest in the 76th minute and McMullin captured the shutout win, making four saves.

Larkin knows that when his girls work hard together they are able to bounce back from any defeat.

“They saw what was happening after two losses and were able to come out and perform,” said Larkin.

RSU winning streak was short lived as after No. 23 nationally ranked Oklahoma City University slipped past the Hillcats 1-0 giving RSU their first SAC conference loss of the season.

After a hard fought five-game road trip, the Hillcats ended their home conference opener in a 0-0 draw with Oklahoma Baptist University. McMullin tallied up nine saves in the OBU match up.

The women’s offense came alive running away with a 9-0 victory over St. Gregory University. Junior Lauren Hager filled up the stat sheet taking six shots with four on goal and two through the net while making an assist in the game.

The Hillcats took another blow falling to John Brown University 3-0. Both teams battled tough not allowing any points for either team in the first half . Yet in the second half the Golden Eagles came out hard taking a total of 16 shots compared to two shots for RSU.

Five games remain before the start of the SAC conference tournament. Currently RSU women are ranked No. 6 in the conference. As long as the Hillcats can continue to work hard and come away with wins, their chances of gaining home field advantage for the start of tournament play is still within reach.

Update: RSU women fell to USAO 1-0. For more results go to rsuhillcats.com athletic website.
Check out the soonerathletic.org website for current conference standings.

In Photo: Freshman goalkeeper Chelsea McMullin
Photo by gssphotography.com

Steady progress gives RSU cross country confidence boosters

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RSU’s inaugural men’s and women’s cross country teams battled through challenging courses and fatigue while still managing to improve on personal times in the recent month.

RSU cross country ran at the OBU Bison Cross Country Invitational in Shawnee, Okla. A much flatter course compared to the hills of the OSU meet.

Seven out of eight Hillcat men completed the race all improving their personal best times. Leading the way for RSU was Brandon Payne crossing the finish line under 27 minutes.

Oscar Reyes finished the race improving his time by 30 seconds and redshirt freshman Jarrett Sanders finished over seven seconds faster than his personal best.

On the women’s side Breana Harrison and Tiffany Russell competed impressively in the OBU meet. Harrison ran a personal best by over a minute and Russell ran a personal best by 50 seconds. Both were happy with their performance.

“I think it just helps to build confidence and motivation as well as to try to beat that time and just keep improving,” Harrison said.

Battling through fatigue Kendall Clement and Jessie Zingo were still able to lead the Hillcat women through the 5k event.

In gearing up for the Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark., the Hillcats had to prepare for their longest meet ever prepared. The men ran a 10k event and the women ran a 6k. The meet was also the largest for the Hillcats with over 900 runners and up to 30 NCAA Division I schools in attendance.

Junior Caleb Clark led the Hillcat men with a strong performance finishing 113th in the individual competition with a time of 31:53 out of 463 runners.

Clark started the race falling early to the back of the pack but in his remaining 5k, the junior runner kicked it into high gear catching over 100 runners.

“It wasn’t the best race strategy, I should have tried to get out a little faster but it ended up working out,” said Clark.

The good showing earned Clark the distinction of the sixth place finisher of NAIA in attendance.

Sanders also competed in the 10k event completing the race with a time of 34:1 for a 290th place finish as an unattached runner. Rounding out the Hillcat men’s contingent were freshmen Brandon Payne and Oscar Reyes. Payne finished with a time of 35:05 for a 353th placing with Reyes finishing 307th, with a time of 36:04.

Zingo led the Hillcat women with a time of 21:55 placing 427th. Clement finished the 6K course in 22:22 for a 433rd placing out of the 470 competitors in the Festival.

Harrison completed the course in a time of 22:51 finishing 441st while Russell placed 460th with a time of 25:07

The Hillcats will travel to Ada, Okla. for the East Central Tiger Chase on October 23rd to close out the regular season schedule before heading to the SAC regional tournament Nov. 6th.

Update: For results of the East Central Tiger Chase meet visit rsuhillcats.com athletic website
In Photo: Junior Caleb Clark
Photo by gssphotography.com

RSU golf looking to improve with more competition

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The Rogers State’s men’s golf team slips through a close race taking tenth out of 17 teams in the U.C. Ferguson Classic, in Oklahoma City, Okla.

The Hillcats wrapped up the event with an 872 total and two shots behind Northwood (Texas) and Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) who tied for eighth.

Though overall team performance could have been better, RSU golf coach Lynn Blevins was pleased with individual efforts

RSU Freshman Landon Morgan finished with a score off 212 tying him for 17th place out of 89 golfers. It was Morgan’s first tournament since the season’s opener.

“I was happy with how I played since I hadn’t played that much golf recently,” said Morgan.

“I was very impressed with Landon Morgan,” said Blevins. “As an incoming freshman, he played to the level that I thought he could and would, so that was very encouraging.”

Not to far behind were Tanner Owens tying for 36th with a 219 total and Bo Sarratt tying for 38th place at 220. Mariano Newton tied for 46th with a 223 total and Jared Ward tied for 61st.

The Hillcat women’s golf team concluded their fall schedule with a sixth place finish in the OCU Stars Fall Classic in Oklahoma City, Okla. After shooting 335 as a team the first day, RSU bested their team total in day two with a 333 card.

RSU was led by a strong first day performance of freshman Whitney Hocutt as she shot a seven-over 79. The Claremore native finished the two-day event with a 161 tying for 19th. Jennifer Almy followed tying for 23rd after carding a total of 162.

Amy Aday finished tying at 37th with a two-day total of 170 and teammate Katy Seegar finished five strokes behind tying for 39th. Kelsey Short improved upon her first day total to shoot a 92 in the second day to tie for 49th.

Good ball striking are keeping the men’s and women’s teams competitive, but RSU is looking to improve in the scoring club in order to have an edge over their opponents.

“We’re losing mostly all of our shots compared to the schools that are beating us, from a hundred yards in,” said Blevins.

Along with eliminating mental mistakes Blevins says improvements in those areas will come with more competition.

RSU women will resume golfing competition in March while taking the off-season to improve their golf game.

“They now have a good idea where they are on the competitive scale with the other teams, and what they have do to get there,” said Blevins. “Come spring, we kind of have to step it up a notch and I think all the girls understand that.”

RSU men will close out their fall competition Oct. 24-26 as they travel to Mansfield, Texas to compete in the Northwood Fall Shootout.

In Photo: Freshman golfer Whitney Hocutt
Photo by gssphotography.com

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Huge Win Over LCU Bumps RSU Women to 4th

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"We really wanted this win and it showed today."

The teamwork put forth by Rogers State women’s soccer team was no match for the Lubbock Christian Lady Chaps. RSU’s turnaround performance against John Brown on Saturday led them to a 3-0 victory over LCU in Tuesday’s match up.

The Hillcats showed that hard work and team work go hand in hand.

“I thought we worked well together today,” said junior defender Abby Rickner. “We worked on defense well as a team and we all attacked together as a team.”

The first half of the game was an even battle for Rogers State and Lubbock Christian. Each team took a total of four shots, with RSU hitting three shots on goal and LCU hitting just one. Both teams walked away scoreless to end the first half.

By the start of the second half, the Hillcats were on the loose scoring their first goal in just 17 seconds of play. Junior Chelsea Myers dribbled down the line crossing the ball into the box for sophomore Jessica Turner who buried it past the Lady Chaps goalkeeper putting RSU on the board 1-0.

In the 78th minute, freshman Melissa Subu found herself in the right place at the right time. The freshman received a corner kick pass from junior Shereen Clarke sending a diving header through the net to give the Hillcats a 2-0 advantage.

The final score of the day came in the 88th minute again by Turner. The sophomore midfielder dribbled down the sideline racing past LCU’s defense and delivered the scoring goal to seal the deal for the Hillcats for a 3-0 victory.

“This win was extremely important for us,” said Clarke.

Going in today’s match up, RSU women were ranked 6th in the SAC conference. The win over the Lady Chaps bumped the Hillcats up two sports tying them for 4th place. The win was necessary to push the Hillcats in the running for home field advantage come playoff time.

“If we would’ve lost this game we would have been in 9th place, so this was a huge win for us,” added freshman goalkeeper Chelsea McMullin. She ended the game with a total of four saves for RSU and earned her fifth shutout win of the season.

The Hillcats (8-4-1, 4-2-1 SAC) will resume action on the road Saturday to battle No. 5 team in the conference USAO (7-5-1, 3-4 SAC). Kick off is set for 2 p.m.

Check out the Sooner Athletic website for the complete list of conference standings.

In Photo: Shereen Clarke
Credited by gssphotography.com

Saturday, October 9, 2010

THE RSU-OBU BREAK DOWN (Women)

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Coach Larkin: “They’ll be ready.”

After a hard fought 5-game road trip, the Rogers State women’s team will face conference opponent Oklahoma Baptist University.

The Hillcats kicked off their conference season on a 2-game winning streak but received their first lost of the conference going into Saturday’s game. OBU is also entering the match with a conference loss under their belt.

RSU STATS

Overall record: (6-3)
SAC record: (2-1)
Longest Streak: Won 4

LAST GAME

RSU suffered their first conference lost Tuesday to the No. 23 nationally ranked, Oklahoma City University 1-0.

WHY RSU COULD WIN

The Hillcats play hard together. After suffering defeats, RSU knows how to come back with a vengeance bouncing back to take down Southern Nazarene 4-3.

Tiffany Roberts: “If we come out hard, we won’t have a problem against them (OBU).”

OBU STATS

Overall record: (5-4-1)
SAC record: (2-1)
Longest Streak: Won 4

WHY OBU COULD WIN

In each win of their season OBU has beaten their opponents 4-0. The Bison appears to have a strong defense leaving their losing opponents scoreless.

RSU-OBU HISTORY MATCH-UP

2007 RSU defeated OBU 6-1
2008 RSU defeated OBU 2-1
2009, Oct. 7 OBU defeated RSU 1-0
2009, Nov. 7 RSU defeated OBU 1-0 in the SAC tournament

Friday, October 8, 2010

THE RSU-OBU BREAK DOWN (Men)


Coach Larkin: “This is probably one of the toughest team’s we’re going to play all season.”

After coming off a 5-game road trip, the Rogers State men’s soccer team will go heads up against conference opponent Oklahoma Baptist. RSU currently holds the No. 1 spot in the conference with OBU not too far behind in third. The Hillcats are determined in staying focus for Saturday’s match up.

RSU STATS

Overall record: (9-1-1)
SAC record: (3-0)
Longest Streak: Won 9

LAST GAME

RSU closed their two week road trip with a crucial win on Tuesday taking down the No. 26 ranked team in the nation Oklahoma City University 1-0.

WHY RSU COULD WIN

“Defense wins games”: RSU has proven that to be true. Out of twelve games, the Hillcats have only been scored on a total of three times meanwhile tallying up 28 points on the offensive end, in addition to leaving some of their opponents scoreless.

Jaime Perez: “We’re taking it game by game.”

OBU STATS

Overall record: (7-2)
SAC record: (2-1)
Longest Streak: Won 6

LAST GAME

OBU claimed an overtime victory against Southern Nazarene in the final seconds of the game Tuesday winning 2-1.

WHY OBU COULD WIN

There’s no doubt that the Hillcats are facing a tough Bison team. OBU is a different team with a new style compared to last year, being more aggressive with attacks on offense.

RSU-OBU HISTORY MATCH-UP

2007 RSU defeats OBU 4-1
2008 RSU ties OBU 2-2
2009 RSU defeats OBU 3-0

Sean Surridge: “It’s another big game for us, so hopefully if we get that win we’ll be 4-0 and stay on top of the conference.”