KIRKSVILLE, Mo. —
Josh Gibbs scored a season-high 27 points and Central Oklahoma rode its outside marksmanship to an 85-80 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association victory over Truman State here Thursday night.
The Bronchos shot an amazing 72.2 percent from long range in hitting 13-of-18 shots beyond the arc, but UCO’s second straight league win wasn’t secure until the final seconds.
Jamelle Cormier hit two pressure-packed free throws with four seconds left and the Bronchos clinging to an 81-80 lead, with a quick turnover and Seth Heckart layup at 0:02 clinching the victory.
UCO improved to 5-8 on the season and 3-2 in the MIAA with the victory.
“Anytime you can win a game on the road in this league you’ve done something right and we played well tonight,” UCO coach Terry Evans said. “We got a lot of good looks at the basket and guys were knocking shots down. We made some big plays down the stretch and came out with a great win.”
Gibbs was 9-of-15 from the field with two 3-pointers in his 27-point outing while adding a team-high seven rebounds and four assists. Freshman Cal Andrews drained 5-of-6 attempts from long range in a 15-point outing and Heckart had three treys in scoring 13 points.
UCO led 49-40 at halftime, but the Bulldogs opened the second half with a 10-1 run to tie it and eventually went ahead 58-57. The Bronchos went back in front 66-58 before Truman used an 11-2 run to go back on top 69-68 with 7:26 remaining.
A Cormier layup and three-point play by Gibbs put UCO ahead to stay and the Bronchos extended their lead to 78-71 on two Spencer Smith free throws with 3:26 left.
Truman pulled within 78-77, but one free throw by Gibbs at 0:39 and Heckart’s layup at 0:22 made it 81-77 before the Bulldogs got within a point on a three-point play at 0:07 to set the stage for UCO’s late heroics.
The Bronchos fell behind 7-1 in the opening minutes, but Gibbs had five points in a 15-5 run that gave UCO a 16-12 lead and it became a 10-point advantage at 27-17 on back-to-back 3-pointers by Heckart and Andrews.
UCO’s lead peaked at 14 (39-25) on another Heckart trey before the Bronchos settled for their nine-point halftime cushion.
Central continues its road trip Saturday, taking on Lindenwood at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in St. Charles, Mo.
UCO women take lopsided loss
The worst shooting game of the season led to a lopsided loss for Central Oklahoma here Thursday as Truman State handed the Bronchos a 72-39 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association setback.
It was the third straight league loss for UCO, which fell to 8-5 on the year and 1-4 in the MIAA. The Bulldogs, winning their ninth straight home game, improved to 11-2 and 4-1.
The Bronchos shot a mere 29.1 percent from the field, hitting just 16-of-55 shots. UCO was 3-of-16 (18.8 percent) from 3-point range and 4-of-10 (40.0 percent) from the line.
Freshman Whitney Dunn was the lone scorer in double figures with 12 points.
Alyssa Fuxa hit a 3-pointer in the opening seconds to give UCO the early lead and it was an 8-5 advantage just two minutes in on Britney Morgan’s conventional three-point play and Jill Bryan’s layup.
But the Bronchos soon went cold, hitting just one of their next seven shots while also committing six turnovers as Truman went on a 19-2 run to move in front 24-10 at the 11:18 mark.
UCO came back with eight unanswered points to pull within 24-18 and it was a 26-20 deficit at 6:21 following a Morgan layup, but the Bulldogs ended the half with a 7-2 spurt to take a 33-22 lead into intermission.
TSU put the game away in the first four minutes of the second half, going on an 11-0 run to make it 44-22 when the Bronchos missed eight straight shots — six field goals and two free throws — while turning the ball over four times. UCO got no closer than 20 the rest of the way.
The Bronchos continue their road trip Saturday with a 1:30 p.m. contest against Lindenwood in St. Charles, Mo.
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UCO basketball splits with Truman State
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Blake Shelton brings relief concert to Oklahoma City
Blake Shelton has organized and will headline the telethon “Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert” on May 29, to take place at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Grammy Award-winning artists Miranda Lambert, Reba and Vince Gill also will perform. Additional guests for the concert will be announced shortly.
The concert will be televised live at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. It also will air on cable networks Style, G4, Bravo, E! and CMT on either a live or delayed basis. -
OCU’s Wright playing for Moore
Drew Wright’s heart will be with her hometown of Moore when her Oklahoma City University softball team competes in the NAIA Championships this week. Edmond Santa Fe graduate Kayley Humann, an OCU outfielder, is one of Wright’s teammates.
Wright and the fourth-ranked Stars (50-13) opened national-tournament play against fifth-ranked Cal State San Marcos Friday at South Commons Softball Complex.
The senior third baseman said it was difficult to leave Oklahoma City on Tuesday after a destructive tornado leveled several city blocks of Moore and south Oklahoma City on Monday.
Fortunately, Wright’s family is safe from the tornado that has been hailed as the most severe to hit the area. -
Bronchos win 2 straight at NCAA Division II World Series
Kaylee Brunson and Kacie Edwards keyed an 11-hit attack that carried Central Oklahoma to a 7-1 romp over Molloy in the second round of the NCAA Division II Championship Finals in Salem, VA. Friday afternoon at the Moyer Sports Complex.
Brunson and Edwards had three hits apiece and both drove in runs during a big five-run, sixth-inning outburst that turned a precarious 2-0 lead into a comfortable 7-0 cushion as UCO coasted into Sunday’s winner’s bracket finals. -
Area camps start May 28
Girls hoop camp kicks off Tuesday
The three head varsity girls basketball coaches (Dandy Peeler, Edmond Memorial; Karlie Free, Edmond North; Paul Bass, Edmond Santa Fe) of Edmond Schools will be hosting a youth basketball camp for girls entering kindergarten-ninth grades at Edmond Memorial High School May 28-31.
The younger kids, entering grades kindergarten-4th, will run from 9 a.m.-noon. The camp will focus on basic fundamentals of the game including shooting, passing, ball handling as well as defensive and offensive skills.
Girls entering grades 5-9 will be in the afternoon camp from 1-4 p.m. The camp will focus on offensive and defensive fundamental skills along with sharpening individual skills through station work and competitive contests.
Cost is $115. Contact Dandy Peeler at 250-4377 for more information. -
Still time to register for UCO's Endeavor Games
Registration is open online for athletes and volunteers for the 2013 University of Central Oklahoma Endeavor Games, June 6-9, the nation’s largest multi-sport event for athletes with physical disabilities.
Athletes of all ages or sporting experience are invited to register for the event. Community members are also encouraged to register to volunteer with more than 300 volunteer opportunities available.
Similar to the summer Paralympic Games, athletes may register for multiple adaptive sports, which include cycling, indoor archery, outdoor archery, powerlifting, sitting volleyball, shooting, table tennis, track and field, wheelchair basketball, and, for the first time at the UCO Endeavor Games, paratriathlon. The paratriathlon will be limited to athletes over the age of 16 with previous paratriathlon experience. -
UCO opens World Series with a victory
Kalynn Schrock dominated in the pitching circle and Kaylee Brunson came through with a tie-breaking triple to lift Central Oklahoma past fourth-ranked Armstrong Atlantic 5-2 in Salem, Va. Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Division II Championship Finals.
It was the sixth straight postseason win for the No. 19-ranked Bronchos, who improved to 48-11 and moved into today’s 3 p.m. semifinal game against either defending national champion Valdosta State or Malloy.
Schrock gave up just two hits and no walks while striking out 15 — including 10 of the final 12 batters she faced — in improving to 31-6 on the season and 6-0 in the postseason. -
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. - More Sports Headlines
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Blake Shelton brings relief concert to Oklahoma City
