Box Score
WEATHERFORD, Okla. (Jan. 17) – Lizzie Brenner and Cristina Yarbrough keyed a second-half scoring spurt that put Central Oklahoma in control and the No. 20-ranked Bronchos went on to a 64-44 Lone Star Conference North Division drubbing of Southwestern Oklahoma here Saturday afternoon.
Brenner and Yarbrough combined for 13 points in a 16-2 run that turned a 30-27 deficit into a 43-32 lead and UCO pulled away down the stretch in winning its second straight LSC North contest.
Yarbrough came off the bench to score a team-high 16 points for the Bronchos as she made 6-of-7 shots – including all four 3-point tries – while Brenner finished with 14 points, a game-high eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Mallory Markus added seven points, six boards and five assists.
UCO improved to 12-3 overall and 2-0 in the LSC North, while the Bulldogs fell to 4-11 and 0-2.
“It wasn't pretty, but we did some good things in the second half and came out with a good road win,” UCO coach Guy Hardaker said. “We did a much better job offensively in the second half, but our defense was really the key today.”
The Bronchos limited SWOSU to 32.7-percent shooting (18-of-55) from the field, including a mere 28.6 percent (8-of-28) in the second half when UCO outscored the Bulldogs 39-19.
Depth also played a key role, with the Bronchos holding a big 30-6 advantage in bench scoring.
UCO appeared in control early after taking an eight-point lead (13-5) on a Yarbrough trey with 13:28 left in the opening half, but the Bulldogs came back to tie it 25-all at intermission.
SWOSU took a 30-27 lead early in the second half before the Bronchos took charge.
A Yarbrough 3-pointer tied the game and ignited the decisive 16-2 run, with Brenner scoring eight points and Yarbrough five in the four-minute spurt that ended with a Markus trey and a 43-32 UCO lead with 12:51 left to play.
The Bulldogs got no closer than nine the rest of the way, the final time at 51-42 at the 3:16 mark, and Yarbrough answered back 22 seconds later with her fourth and final 3-pointer off a Brenner assist to up the lead back to 12.
UCO did the rest of its damage from the free throw line, ending the game by making its final eight foul shots.
The Bronchos resume LSC North Division action on the road Wednesday, going to Ada to take on East Central at 6 p.m.
