Story byClaremore Daily Progress, Okla. Claremore Daily Progress, Okla. Sat, December 27, 2025 at 4:47 AM UTC·3 min readWOMEN'S BASKETBALLThe Rogers State Hillcats women’s basketball team erased a 4-point deficit entering the final quarter and exploded for 27 fourth-quarter points to defeat Oklahoma Christian Eagles 70-66 last Saturday at the Claremore Expo Center. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRSU [4-8] leaned on pressure defense and efficient ball movement to flip the game, scoring 19 points off turnovers and piling up 40 points in the paint. Despite Oklahoma Christian [5-6] leading twice and tying the game five times, the Hillcats’ late surge proved decisive. RSU set the tone early, opening the game on a 7-0 run sparked by an Ella Hafer layup and a fast-break 3 from Samantha Shanks. The Hillcats controlled the paint throughout the opening quarter, building an 18-12 lead behind inside buckets from Destiny Jones and Michelle Arens. The Eagles rallied late in the second quarter, capitalizing on RSU turnovers to edge ahead 25-24 at halftime. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOklahoma Christian maintained momentum into the third quarter, but steals from Hafer and Kate Melton helped keep the Hillcats within striking distance. RSU entered the final frame trailing 47-43. Everything changed in the fourth. Shanks drilled a 3-pointer at the 6:53 mark to tie the game at 50, and the Hillcats never looked back. Bailey Layman buried a clutch 3 with 2:05 remaining to give RSU the lead, then added a jumper moments later.
