BETHANY —
Chelsi Dennis and Britney Morgan combined for 14 points in a 20-3 first-half run that propelled Central Oklahoma from a slim deficit to a big lead and the Bronchos went on to throttle Southern Nazarene 86-69 Tuesday night at the Sawyer Center.
UCO committed a season-low 12 turnovers and won its fourth straight game after taking control behind its first-half surge.
Dennis scored eight of her 10 points and Morgan six of her team-high 15 during a nearly seven-minute stretch as the Bronchos went from trailing 19-17 to leading 37-22.
The lead grew to 18 (44-26) by intermission and UCO was up by as many as 30 in the second half before coasting in to prevail in the first meeting between the two teams since Jan. 20, 1987.
“We got off to a little bit of a slow start, but we ... had a good stretch the last 10 minutes of the half,” UCO coach Guy Hardaker said. “It was a little sloppy at the end, but we played really well and beat a good team tonight.”
Ten players scored in a balanced attack that saw the Bronchos get 34 points from their bench, with Morgan’s 15 points leading five double-figure scorers.
Savannah Hamilton hit four 3-pointers in a 14-point outing and Jill Bryan had 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds while Dennis and McKenzie Solberg each had 10 off the bench.
The Bronchos trailed by as many as six early in the contest, but turned the game around when Whitney Dunn hit a layup at the 9:11 mark to pull UCO even at 19-all.
A Solberg jumper put the Bronchos on top for good and the lead continued to grow as Morgan and Dennis took over, with Dennis’ 3-pointer at 2:38 capping the big run that made it 37-22.
Hamilton’s trey with 16 seconds left in the half gave UCO its 18-point cushion at the break and she had another long-distance dagger with 8:38 left to put the Bronchos up by 30, 71-41.
SNU ended the game with a 28-15 run to arrange the final margin, but the outcome was never in doubt.
UCO will take an extended break, not returning to action until making its home debut on Saturday, Dec. 1 against Oklahoma Baptist.
Bronchos shocked by Mid-America
Central Oklahoma’s frantic late-game comeback fell short Tuesday night at Hamilton Field House when the Bronchos missed their final four shots in dropping a stunning 87-84 decision to Mid-America Christian.
Spencer Smith scored 15 of his career-high 22 points in the final eight minutes of the game to rally UCO from a 15-point deficit, with the senior forward’s layup at the 2:01 mark giving the Bronchos an 84-81 lead.
But UCO didn’t score again, missing three shots inside 15 feet and a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer while the Evangels scored the final six points of the game on four free throws and a layup.
The second straight close home loss dropped the Bronchos to 1-2 on the season.
Smith was 8-of-12 from the field with a pair of 3-pointers and 4-of-5 from the line in his 22-point outing to lead UCO. June Carter had an outstanding game before fouling out in the final minutes, hitting 9-of-11 shots and finishing with career highs in both points (20) and rebounds (10).
The Bronchos also got 14 points from Christian Huffman and 10 from Jamell Cormier.
The game went back-and-forth most of the first half before MACU used an 11-2 run to grab a nine-point lead (36-27) and the Evangels were up six (44-38) at halftime.
UCO’s deficit grew to double digits in the opening minutes of the second half and it peaked at 17 (67-50) with 11:51 left to play. The Bronchos were still down 15 at 76-61 when Smith took over.
He hit a 3-pointer to start a 7-0 spurt that cut MACU’s lead to 76-68 at the 6:52 mark, with a pair of Carter layups and another Smith trey getting the Bronchos within 78-75 at 4:20.
The Evangels were up 81-80 after Smith’s follow shot with 2:44 remaining and UCO took its first lead since the first half 22 seconds later when a Seth Heckart steal led to two Huffman free throws.
Smith followed another MACU turnover with a baseline drive and layup that pushed UCO’s lead to 84-81 at 2:01 and the teams traded misses before the Evangels scored with 58 seconds left to make it 84-83.
Another Central miss led to two MACU free throws that gave it the lead at 85-84 at 0:23 and the Evangels blocked Josh Gibbs’ layup try with four seconds left before adding two more foul shots.
Cormier managed to get off a half-court heave at the final horn, but it bounced off the front rim.
UCO returns to action this weekend at the Drury Classic in Springfield, Mo. The Bronchos play host Drury Friday and Missouri-St. Louis Saturday.
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UCO women beat SNU; men fall at home
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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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