EDMOND —
Britney Morgan scored 19 of her career-high 23 points in the second half to carry Central Oklahoma to a big come-from-behind 88-79 victory over Lincoln Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Field House.
The Bronchos overcame a nine-point second-half deficit in snapping a frustrating 10-game losing streak, with Morgan hitting two straight 3-pointers in an 18-6 run that put UCO in front.
Coach Guy Hardaker's squad pulled away in the final four minutes and outscored the Blue Tigers 36-18 the last 11 minutes of the game to win going away. The Bronchos improved to 9-12 on the season and 2-11 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
"We've lost a lot of tough games the last few weeks and really needed (the win)," Hardaker said. "The girls have been working hard and we did a great job not getting discouraged when we got down in the second half. It's a big win for us and hopefully we can build on it."
Morgan hit 5-of-9 shots from the field with two treys and was 11-of-12 from the foul line in her 23-point effort and had a fantastic all-around game in adding adding five assists, four steals and four rebounds.
Alyssa Fuxa hit all six of her free throws in scoring 15 points, while McKenzie Solberg had all 12 of her points in the second half and Savannah Hamilton finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
UCO finished with 21 assists on 28 baskets, getting five each from Morgan and Jill Bryan and four from Jordan Ward.
The Bronchos trailed 42-40 at intermission and fell behind by nine (61-52) with 11:04 left to play before starting their comeback.
Rachel New hit a 3-pointer from the corner to start a 13-4 spurt that Morgan ended with a trey from the wing to pull UCO even at 65-all and Morgan answered a LU layup with another shot beyond the arc to put the Bronchos on top 68-67 with 7:17 remaining.
It was tied at 70 and again at 72 before UCO went ahead to stay on a Solberg 3-pointer from the top of the key and the freshman followed a Hamilton steal with a fast-break layup to make it 77-72 at the 4:00 mark.
Morgan and Solberg hit two foul shots apiece to push the advantage to 81-73 at 3:01, but the Blue Tigers got to within four at 83-79 at 0:55 before Morgan made four straight free throws -- two after being fouled on a drive and two more after a technical foul was called -- five seconds later to make it 87-79 and clinch the win.
UCO wraps up a three-game league homestand Wednesday, hosting Emporia State at 5:30 p.m.
UCO MEN WIN 3RD STRAIGHT IN LEAGUE
Josh Gibbs and Spencer Smith each had a double-double to spark Central Oklahoma to an 89-80 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association triumph over Lincoln Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Field House.
Gibbs scored 25 points and pulled down 10 rebounds while Smith had 20 points to go with a game- and career-high 13 boards as the Bronchos won their third straight league game.
UCO outscored the Blue Tigers 17-3 the final 5:25 of the first half to turn a seven-point deficit into a seven-point lead and never trailed the rest of the way in improving to 10-11 on the season and 7-5 in the conference.
“We got off to a slow start and didn’t have much intensity early on, but we got it going toward the end of the half and played pretty well the rest of the way,” head coach Terry Evans said. “We got good contributions from a lot of guys and came out with a good win.”
Gibbs was 9-of-16 from the field and 7-of-10 from the line in his 25-point outing and also handed out three assists. Smith hit 7-of-12 shots with three 3-pointers and all three foul shots.
Cal Andrews hit four 3-pointers in adding 14 points, while Jamell Cormier finished with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists and Nic Combs had seven points off the bench.
UCO jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead and was up 18-13 before Lincoln scored seven unanswered points to move in front and the Blue Tigers went on to take a 30-23 lead at the 5:39 mark.
The Bronchos came back with nine straight points – four by Gibbs – in going ahead 31-30, with LU regaining a 33-31 lead at 2:52.
UCO then scored the final nine points of the half to take a 40-33 lead into the break, getting back-to-back 3-pointers form Seth Heckart and Andrews before Smith capped the spurt with an old-fashioned three-point play.
Andrews opened the second half with another trey to give the Bronchos a double-digit advantage and UCO’s lead peaked at 13 (71-58) with 8:08 left on a Gibbs layup.
The Blue Tigers tried to rally and got within five at 82-77 with just 1:44 left, but Cormier and Combs made two foul shots apiece to make it a nine-point game (86-77) at 1:01 and the Bronchos coasted in.
UCO finishes up a three-game MIAA homestand Wednesday, taking on Emporia State at 7:30 p.m.
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UCO basketball sweeps Lincoln
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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
