Box Score
EDMOND (Nov. 25) – David Thomas and No. 6-ranked Central Oklahoma found a cure to their early-season long-distance shooting woes Tuesday night – Hamilton Field House.
Thomas tied a single-game school record for 3-point accuracy by making all six of his long-range tries and the Bronchos celebrated their home-opener by making 12-of-23 (52.2 percent) from beyond the arc in racing past Midwestern State, 92-78.
UCO entered the contest shooting a mere 28.6 percent (22-of-77) from 3-point range and Thomas was just 4-of-19 (21.1 percent) before he found the range early and often to spark the unbeaten Bronchos to their fifth straight win.
Thomas was 8-of-10 overall from the field and added 4-of-5 free throws in scoring a career-high 26 points while adding seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals as UCO stretched its home winning streak to 16 in a row.
The Bronchos also got 16 points and nine rebounds from Lance Harper, with Chance Hardaker adding 13 points, Eric Cazenave 11 points and six steals and Tyler Phillips 10 points, six boards and four assists.
“We did a great job of moving the ball around and hit some shots, which we hadn't been doing,” UCO coach Terry Evans said. “It was good to finally play at home, but I was disappointed with our defensive effort and we're going to have to do better than that.”
A Thomas trey and two short Michael Sosanya jumpers staked UCO to a quick 7-0 lead, but the Mustangs answered with eight straight points for their only lead of the game at 8-7.
It was quick-lived, however, as Sosanya came right back with a 10-foot baseline offering to put the Bronchos in front to stay at the 15:27 mark. Thomas had three 3-pointers and Hardaker two in a four-minute span that turned a 19-12 advantage to a 34-16 one and UCO went on to a 46-30 halftime lead.
MSU tried to get back in the game in the second half and pulled within nine on a couple of occasions, but the Bronchos stayed safely in front and built the lead to 24 (92-68) on two DeAngelo Garrett free throws with 1:49 left before the Mustangs scored the final 10 points of the game to arrange the final margin.
UCO, which has won 35 of its last 37 home games, returns to Hamilton Field House this weekend to host the OSSO Thanksgiving Classic. The Bronchos play Langston at 8 p.m. Friday and Washburn at 8 p.m. Saturday.
