EDMOND —
Central Oklahoma built a 20-point halftime lead and hung on down the stretch to knock off No. 8-ranked Washburn 72-67 Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Field House.
The Bronchos never trailed and roared out to a huge 42-22 halftime cushion, but the defending Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association champion Ichabods rallied to within three in the final minutes before UCO closed out the stunning upset.
The win ended a frustrating four-game home losing streak — all by three points or less — and improved the Bronchos to 4-8 overall and 2-2 in the league. WU dropped to 8-2 and 1-1.
“That was a huge win for us and I’m proud of the way our guys battled today,” UCO coach Terry Evans said. “We really played well in the first half and then made enough plays at the end to beat a great team.”
The Bronchos shot a sizzling 61.5 percent (16-of-26) in the first 20 minutes to seize their commanding lead, but hit only 7-of-24 shots (29.2 percent) in the final 20 minutes as WU rallied. A 45-35 rebounding advantage helped UCO offset 55.6-percent (20-of-36) shooting from the foul line.
Josh Gibbs led the with 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Spencer Smith added 15 points and seven rebounds, while June Carter had 13 points, five boards and two blocked shots.
The Bronchos did a great defensive job on WU’s Will McNeill, the league’s leading scorer with a 20.6 average. McNeill was just 1-of-13 from the field and finished with 14 points because of a12-of-14 showing from the line
The Ichabods opened the second half with a 10-1 spurt to quickly trim UCO’s 20-point bulge to 11 (43-32), though the Bronchos still appeared safe when a short Josh Davis jumper made it 58-46 at the 9:11 mark.
Nine straight points got WU within 58-55 just two minutes later, but UCO made six straight free throws to re-establish a seven-point lead at 67-60 with 3:32 remaining.
It was a 70-66 lead at 1:36 after two Washburn foul shots and the Ichabods got the ball right back on a turnover. The Bronchos survived three missed shots before Jamell Cormier was fouled, with the senior guard making one of two charity tosses at 0:44 for a 71-66 lead.
McNeill made one of two free throws at 0:39 to make it 71-67 and UCO missed two freebies at 0:32 to give WU a chance. Again the Ichabods missed three shots — with Carter blocking one of them — before Cal Andrews was fouled at 0:09.
The freshman hit one of two free throws to make it 72-67 and Smith rebounded a last-second 3-pointer by McNeill to seal the deal.
UCO never trailed after Carter and Gibbs opened the game with back-to-back layups and the Bronchos had a double digit lead at 16-6 on a Smith layup.
The Bronchos kept piling it on and the advantage reached 20 at 38-18 on Christian Huffman’s steal and breakaway dunk. UCO’s lead peaked at 22 (42-20) on Smith’s layup off a Gibbs steal before WU scored the final bucket to make it 42-22 at the break.
UCO Women fall to No. 6 Lady Blues
A late Central Oklahoma rally came up short and the Bronchos fell to No. 6-ranked Washburn 62-58 in a hard-fought Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association battle Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Field House.
UCO trimmed a 12-point second-half deficit to three seven seconds remaining, but the Bronchos couldn’t come up with a turnover and the defending league champion Lady Blues held on.
Savannah Hamilton led UCO with 14 points and a pair of blocked shots, while Britney Morgan had 10 points and Chelsi Dennis nine off the bench.
The Bronchos shot just 37.3 percent (19-of-51) from the field, including only 33.3 percent (4-of-12) from 3-point range. UCO also committed 12 of its 19 turnovers in the second half in falling to 8-4 on the season and 1-3 in the league.
WU had a 12-point lead at 56-44 with 8:04 left to play before the Bronchos started their comeback, getting back-to-back layups from Dennis and Hamilton along with two Morgan free throws in a 6-0 spurt that made it 56-50 at the 6:14 mark.
Stifling defensive pressure gave UCO several opportunities to cut into that lead even more, but the Bronchos couldn’t take advantage and the Lady Blues went up by eight (61-53) with 1:13 left.
A Morgan 3-pointer cut the deficit to 61-56 at 0:50 and UCO forced a turnover with 20 seconds left, though the Bronchos couldn’t get off a shot until Hamilton was fouled at 0:07.
The senior guard made both foul shots to make it 61-58, but UCO couldn’t force a quick turnover and Washburn made one of two free throws at 0:06 to clinch the win.
The Lady Blues jumped out to a quick 18-8 lead in the game before UCO battled back, pulling within one (29-28) by intermission on Jordan Ward’s driving layup with 14 seconds left.
Rachel New opened the second half with a deep 3-pointer from the corner to put the Bronchos head 31-29 and it was a 33-32 lead after two Alyssa Fuxa free throws, but WU responded with a 12-0 run to take the lead for good at 44-33 before holding off UCO down the stretch.
The Bronchos go on the road for two MIAA road games next week, traveling to Truman State Thursday and Lindenwood Saturday.
Sports
UCO men knock off No. 8 Washburn
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Edmond Santa Fe's Taylor heading to Central Florida
Danielle Taylor, fresh off a Central District Youth Rowing Championship victory on the Oklahoma River at the start of the month, followed up the success by signing a letter of intent in rowing with Central Florida at Edmond Santa Fe High School.
Though Santa Fe does not offer rowing as a team sport, Taylor competes for OKC Riversport on the Junior Crew which competes on the Oklahoma River.
Taylor missed her junior season due to an injury, but Coach Brian Ebke knew the Santa Fe athlete would be raring to go her senior season.
“She’s an extremely hard worker,” Ebke lauded. “Her work ethic is impeccable.” -
Bronchos hit final match play spot in first round
Dillon Rust got off to a blazing start and ended up shooting a one-under-par 70 to lead Central Oklahoma in the second round of the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championships in Hershey, Pa. Tuesday.
Rust birdied four of his first five holes en route to his under-par round and the Bronchos ended up with a 300 on the day, giving them a 36-hole total of 597. The 300 leaves UCO eighth in the 20-team field heading into final round of stroke play, with the top eight teams advancing to match play that will determine the national champion. -
Area players earn All-State honors on the diamond
Three area baseball players were selected to the All-State Team this week.
Right-handed pitcher Holden Lyons from Edmond North, made the team after posting a perfect 7-0 mark with an ultra-low 1.29 earned run average.
Deer Creek’s Cole Lindley made it as an outfielder and Oklahoma Christian’s Austin Brooks landed on the list in the designated hitter’s spot.
The threesome will compete on the Large West squad on July 30 at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. -
Tennis camps offered in Edmond
Edmond Raquet Club is offering a pair of tennis camps beginning May 28.
For ages 5-8, a camp is offered from 8:45-9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and for ages 7-15 a tennis camp is available from 6-6:55 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Both camps run from May 28-June 13 and cost is $99 per camp.
A camp session for ages 8-16 will run on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30-9:25 a.m. May 29-June 12 for the identical cost.
For more information concerning these camps and others, call 341-4241. -
UCO winds up 10th nationally
Taylor Neidy fired a final-round 75, but Central Oklahoma failed to move up in the team standings at the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championships in Daytona Beach, Fla. Saturday.
The Bronchos closed with a 323 — making 11 double bogeys and three triples — and finished 10th in the four-day, 72-hole tournament with a 1,298 total on the 6,228-yard, par-72 Arthur Hills Legends Course at LPGA International.
Lynn ended Nova Southeastern’s four-year reign as national championships, finishing with a 1,187 total to edge the Sharks by three strokes. -
Central Oklahoma softballers make World Series again
Hayley Hudson gave Central Oklahoma a 5-4 lead with a run-scoring single in the fifth inning and the No. 19-ranked Bronchos staved off a seventh-inning Winona State threat to capture the NCAA Division II Central Super Regional championship Saturday afternoon at Edmond North High School.
The Warriors put two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the seventh in a bid to pull out a late win and force a deciding game in the best-of-three series, but left fielder Devyn Frazier made a running catch in foul territory for the final out to set off a wild celebration on the field.
UCO improved to 47-11 — a school-record for wins — with its 23th consecutive home victory and advanced to the Division II World Series for the second straight year. The Bronchos will face Armstrong Atlantic in the eight-team World Series at 11 a.m. Thursday in Salem, Va.
“I’d say that was a nail-biter,” head coach Genny Stidham said. “It was a good game, both teams played well. Winona has a great team and they didn’t give up, but we came up with some big plays and came out on top. -
Central Oklahoma golf coach picks up award
Central Oklahoma’s Michael Bond has been named the NCAA Division II Central Region Coach of the Year by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association, with Aly Seng and Erica Bensch both earning All-Central Region honors.
Bond led the Bronchos to perhaps the best season in school history in 2012-13 with top-five finishes in 10 of their 12 tournaments. UCO won three titles, including the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association crown and its first-ever regional championship, and finished 10th in the Division II national tournament. -
Workman's blast cranks UCO's engine; Bronchos cruise to 5-2 win
Nicole Workman’s solo home run gave Central Oklahoma a lead it would never relinquish and the No. 19-ranked Bronchos went on to topple Winona State 5-2 in the first game of the NCAA Division II Central Super Regional Friday night at the Edmond North High School Softball Complex.
Workman blasted her 14th homer of the season to lead off the second inning, with UCO adding three runs in the third and one more in the fifth to take a commanding 5-0 lead before the Warriors created some anxious moments in their final at bat.
WSU scored two runs and had runners on second and third on with just one out in the top of the seventh, but Kalynn Shrock got the final two batters to close out her fourth straight complete-game outing of the postseason and put the Bronchos in control of the best-of-three series. -
Richters rip competition at KickingBird
The KickingBird 2-man scramble was won by Jeff and Josh Richter, finishing with a 57.9 on May 11.
Jeff Jester and Kevin Wright wrapped up second-place honors with a 59.9 and Rick Morales and Ronnie Roberts placed third (60.1).
In the second flight, the top score was 60.4 by Jerry Bernhardt and Ted Carter. Picking up silver was the tandem of Jerry Fuller and Ramona Jacobi (61.2) and the third-place squad was Dyke Hoppe and Mark VanSickle at 62.0.
Morales was closest to the pin on No. 6 and Jeff Richter landed a dart on hole 14. -
Eagles' season finished; Lopez earns national honor
Southeastern, Fla. eliminated Oklahoma Christian 4-0 om the National Christian College Athletic Association World Series in Mason, Ohio today to advance to the tournament semifinals, while OC closes at 26-26.
OC would have advanced to the semifinals with a win, but completed a terrific turnaround from an 8-34 season in 2012. The Eagles made only the second national-tournament appearance in the program's history, with the other coming in 1972, when OC finished third in the NAIA World Series. - More Sports Headlines
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