UCO Rallies Past Crimson Storm

11/29/2013 10:23:00 PM

Josh Gibbs

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EDMOND (Nov. 29) – Josh Gibbs scored 21 of his career-high 29 points in the second half and Central Oklahoma overcame a 14-point deficit to rally past Southern Nazarene 82-78 Friday night at Hamilton Field House on the first day of the UCO Classic.

The Bronchos won their third straight game in improving to 5-1 and avenging their only loss of the season, a 100-89 setback to the Crimson Storm two weeks ago in Bethany. UCO returns Saturday to face Oklahoma City at 4 p.m., with SNU and Oklahoma Christian playing at 2.

Gibbs made 10-of-15 shots -- including his only 3-point try – in the final 20 minutes after hitting only 2-of-8 field goal attempts in the first half. The 6-foot-5 senior standout also had a game-high 12 rebounds for his sixth straight double-double of the season.

Cal Andrews scored 14 points, with Jarrod McDaniel and Aaron Anderson adding 13 apiece. McDaniel (11) and Anderson (nine) combined for 20 second-half points to help spark UCO's comeback.

The Bronchos shot a mere 27.8 percent (10-of-36) in the first half to trail 40-27 at the break before coming back to hit 20-of-33 (60.6 percent) second-half shots.

UCO committed just seven turnovers in the game and kept SNU scoring leaders Quan Conner and CJ Smith under wraps most of the game. That duo was limited to 23 points after combining for 58 in the Crimson Storm's earlier win over the Bronchos.

"We couldn't make a shot and didn't do a lot right in the first half," head coach Terry Evans said. "We came out more aggressive on both sides of the floor in the second half and did a great job coming back to win the ball game."

SNU jumped on top with a 3-pointer in the opening seconds of the game, went on to take the 13-point lead into intermission and was up 14 (50-36) with 16:24 left to play when the Bronchos rallied.

Seth Heckart's 3-pointer from the wing ignited an 18-4 run that tied the game, with Gibbs scoring eight points in that spurt. Anderson's baseline drive and one-handed dunk off a McDaniel pass pulled UCO even at 54-all with 11:13 remaining and the Bronchos took their first lead of the game at 60-57 on another Heckart trey at the 10:01 mark.

It was tied again at 65-65 following an SNU 3-pointer before McDaniel's driving layup at 6:51 put UCO in front for good. The senior speedster converted another layup in traffic at 2:30 to up the lead to 78-71 and he made one of two free throws at 1:59 to give the Bronchos a 79-71 cushion.

The Crimson Storm managed to get within a bucket after hitting a 3-pointer with five seconds to play, but Andrews swished two free throws at 0:02 to seal the verdict.

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