BROWNWOOD, Texas — In just three years,
Marley Rokas has worked hard to reach the milestone of scoring 1,000 career points.
Entering Saturday's contest with Howard Payne, Rokas was just five points away from joining the exclusive club.
Rokas tallied a double-double, however the Sul Ross State women's basketball team came up short, 78-76, Saturday afternoon at the Brownwood Coliseum.
>> HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Lobos trailed by six in the first quarter before going on an 8-0 run to take a two-point lead. Rokas scored six points during the run while
Emily Bunger added with a jumper in the paint.
Sul Ross State extended its lead to four on two made free throws by
Cierra Zapata.
The Lobos closed out the quarter with a 4-0 run to lead by six. Rokas and
Victoria Aguayo each scored in the paint in the final 1:19.
Sul Ross State went on an 8-0 run early in the second quarter. Bunger had four points during the run while
Kayley Diaz scored on a layup after a steal by Aguayo.
Trailing by 11, Howard Payne began to chip away at the deficit to trail by as little as seven at halftime.
The score was tied four times in the third quarter.
After Aguayo made two free throws, Rokas scored with a layup off a dish from
Cheyanne Bonilla to put the Lobos up by six at the end of three.
Sul Ross State had the lead up until the 3:59 mark in the fourth quarter when Howard Payne tied up the score at 65-all.
The game was deadlocked three more times until Howard Payne made two free throws late in the contest to pull ahead.
>> RECORDS: Sul Ross State (8-17); Howard Payne (9-16)
>> GAME NOTES:
- Rokas finished with 32 points and 13 rebounds. She shot 10 for 12 from the free throw line and 11 of 18 from the field despite fouling out of the contest.
- Rokas has 1,027 career points to put her eight all-time on the program's scoring leaderboard.
- Rokas becomes the eighth Lobo in the program to tally 1,000 or more career points.
- Bunger had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
- Aguayo tallied 11 points, three rebounds and two steals.
- Diaz added with six points and four steals.
- The Lobos grabbed 37 rebounds while shooting 18 for 23 from the charity stripe.