BOLIVAR, Mo. -- The #5 SBU Bearcats raced out to an early lead and never looked back as they topped the Emporia State Hornets 81-70. Reigning MIAA Athlete of the Week Matt Rogers had a career high 37 points.

Matt Rogers finished with 37 points, the fourth time this season he's set a new career high.

Rogers started the early onslaught for the Bearcats with 13 of the Bearcats' first 17 points. He finished the first half with 22 points, which equaled the entire team total of the ESU Hornets. For the game, he shot 12 of 18 from the field and knocked down five three-pointers. On Monday, he was named MIAA Athlete for the Week for the third time this season. Ironically, his previous career high of 35 points came after being named Athlete of the Week on December 1.

Rogers praised his teammates after his career night. "We have a great team, who kept getting me the ball. They're a great group of guys, who help each other out."

Also in double figures for the Bearcats (19-3, 12-3 MIAA) were Tomas Brock with 13 points, D'Ante Harris with 11 and Johnnie Harris with 10 points. Rogers and D. Harris led the 'Cats with 7 boards apiece.

Coach Jeff Guiot also praised his team for getting Rogers the ball. Guiot said, “We have a size advantage over them and we used it to our advantage. Our defense was good in the first half, but we fouled too much in the second half. This was the second game in a row with good defense. Emporia is good team who can shoot the ball well.”

The Hornets (15-8, 9-7 MIAA) out-shot the Bearcats from long range, making nine treys to seven for the Bearcats. The Bearcats, however, shot 57% from the field for the game compared to 42% for the Hornets.

The win was the 27th consecutive victory at the Meyer Sports Center for the Bearcats, dating back to February 24, 2007, when SBU defeated Emporia State 108-89.

The Bearcats will host the Washburn Ichabods on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The Ichabods handed the Bearcats their first loss of the season, 83-72, on January 7 in Topeka, Kansas.

final stats