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Connors State College

Cowboys Claim Share of OCAC Regular Season Title

The Cowboys had an emotional roller coaster from start to finish as they battled their way to a 77-73 overtime victory over the NEO Norse to claim a share of the Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship

Cowboys Claim Share of OCAC Regular Season Title
Box Score
March 4, 2024

Warner, OK- The Cowboys had an emotional roller coaster from start to finish as they battled their way to a 77-73 overtime victory over the NEO Norse to claim a share of the Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship

The game went back and forth until the Cowboys opened a 46-39 lead with 12:30 to play. But about that time, starters Braydn Hubbard and Buddy Hammer both drew their fourth personal fouls and had to go the bench and the Norse took advantage drawing back to within three points.

When Hubbard and Hammer returned with just under 5 minutes left, Connors opened the lead back to 57-49 with 2:47 left. But NEO's James Locke, who hit the last-second three-pointer that beat the Cowboys at Miami in January, hit a couple down the stretch including the game-tying trey with :01 left.

Connors used the charity line to keep the game close in OT with Donyae Mae and Khamani Cooper converting 6-of-6 combined. But it was Hammer's block of a Gusto Belton shot with four seconds left and the Cowboys clinging to a 75-74 lead that was the difference maker. Percy Green got the loose ball for Connors and put an exclamation point on the win with a jam at the other end as time expired.

"Both teams have great players and NEO is well-coached and we had to fight for 45 minutes to pull it off," said Cowboys coach Bill Muse. "We had a chance to win it in regulation when we were up six with a minute to go but turned the ball over and NEO hit those 3s to tie it. We just fought and hung on to get through it."

Hubbard led Connors (27-2, 14-1 OCAC) with 20 points while Hammer had 16 and Cooper added 11. Treyvon Byrd was the leading scorer for NEO (24-4, 13-2 OCAC) with 18 points.
 
The Cowboys can capture the OCAC outright title Thursday night when they host Eastern in the regular season finale. If they win, it will mark the first time since 2011 that both the men and women would enter the NJCAA Region 2 tournament as top seeds. That tournament will be at Muskogee's Rougher Village March 14-16.