Waxahachie, TX – The SAGU Men's Basketball team came out on fire as they defeated No. 15 nationally ranked Science and Arts 105-79 on Saturday afternoon in the Sheaffer Center. As a team, the Lions shot 52% (39-75) from the field and 41% (11-27) from three. With this 105-79 win over the Drovers, the Lions now hold sole possession of first place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings. SAGU has defeated Science and Arts in both matchups during the 2021-22 season. The Lions now improve to 16-3 on the year and 13-1 in Sooner Athletic Conference play.
SAGU came out of the gate hot in the first half shooting 54% from the field (21-29), 50% from three (8-16), and 100% from the free throw line (5-5). As a team they would score 55 points in the first half alone.
Nykolas Mason would give the Lions their first five points with a jumper and a three within the first 1:30 of the game.
Nathan Bailey would then hit back-to-back threes to put SAGU up by six. The Lions would go on to maintain their lead for the rest of the game. With just over ten minutes in the half, SAGU would go on a 9-0 run to put them up 24-9 while the Drovers were able to stay in the game, they couldn't find a rhythm to lessen the Lions lead. SAGU would take a 55-39 lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Drovers would start with a 15-6 run as Cameron Hines started to find his touch from three pulling within seven. SAGU's first half momentum would carry over to their defense though as they held Science and Arts to shooting 39% from the field (14-36) and 32% from three (6-19) in the second half. As a team, the Drover shot 42% from the field (30-72), 34% from three (11-32), and just 50% from the free throw line (8-16). With just ten minutes left in the half, the Lions would go on 22-0 run over seven minutes of play in the second quarter. A Drover's free throw at the 3:46 mark would end their scoreless drought. SAGU would go on to take a 105-79 victory over the No. 15 nationally ranked Drovers.
Nykolas Mason, the Sooner Athletic Conference's leading scorer, went 11-17 from the field with a double-double as he finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Tyler Kinghorn, the big man from Billings, Montana, went 9-11 from the field, 2-2 from three, and 5-7 from the free throw line as he finished the afternoon with 25 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block.
Isaiah Boling would shoot 50% from three giving the Lions 15 points and dishing out 4 assists.
Nathan Bailey added 12 points while
Keenan Gooden gave SAGU 8 points and dished out a team high 10 assists.
Joshua Kashila would once again control the Lions offense as he finished with 6 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists in his 26 minutes played.
SAGU ends their homestretch over the last two weeks going 5-0, and they now sit in sole possession of first place in the Sooner Athletic Conference. They will now travel to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to face the OCU Stars on Thursday, January 27, at 7:45 PM in the Abe Lemons Arena.
As a leading Christian university, SAGU educates and prepares individuals who want to serve Christ and others. SAGU helps students discover and develop their God-given callings in a Spirit-empowered, learning community. We believe in affordable tuition, made possible in part through the financial support of donors who embrace the mission of SAGU and the importance of affordable, accredited programs to train Christians for leadership in ministry, business, education, and service. Most majors are available in-person in Waxahachie, TX, and online through a wide range of associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.
