Bronchos Fall In MIAA Finals

3/9/2014 6:26:00 PM

Philip Brown

Box Score

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 9) – A spirited post-season run came to an abrupt end for Central Oklahoma in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Post-season Tournament finals here Sunday afternoon.

The depth-challenged Bronchos used just six players and fatigue was a factor in the second half as Missouri Southern claimed an 84-72 victory to capture the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division II national tournament.

Fifth-seeded UCO, playing for the third straight day, fell to 20-10 and is doubtful to earn an at-large bid into the playoffs when the full 64-team field is announced late Sunday night. The Lions improved to 24-5.

The Bronchos led 40-39 at halftime, but missed five straight shots during a key second-half stretch when MSSU stretched a 45-44 lead to double digits at 54-44 with 14:21 remaining. UCO never got closer than eight the rest of the way and ended up making just 10-of-31 field goal tries (32.3 percent) in the final 20 minutes.

"I thought we played well the first half, though we gave them a few baskets," head coach Terry Evans said. "Their big guys are a load inside, but we still had the lead at halftime and then it got away from us early in the second half.

"We started missing shots we normally make and then we didn't get back in transition. They got some easy buckets that way and it was the difference in the game. We're just not real deep and that definitely hurt us.

"Give Missouri Southern, they're a great team. I'm proud of my team and how hard we played, but we just ran out of gas."

Josh Gibbs led the way in his final game with the Bronchos with 24 points and nine rebounds in earning all-tournament honors, but he was limited to just six points in the second half. Aaron Anderson added 19 points, three assists and three steals, while Philip Brown chipped in 15 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots.

The Lions shot 57.4 percent (31-of-54) from the field, including 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from 3-point range. Marquis Addison had 21 points and tournament MVP Slim Magee 15 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.

Gibbs had 18 first-half points and UCO took a 40-39 lead into the locker room on Seth Heckart's step-back 3-pointer with three seconds left as the Bronchos overcame an early 10-2 deficit.

Gibbs connected on back-to-back treys from the wing off passes from Heckart to fuel a 15-2 run that turned the early eight-point hole into a 17-12 lead. MSSU came right back to quickly tie it at 19-all and it went back-and-forth the rest of the half.

The Lions moved in front 37-32 with 2:08 remaining, but Heckart drilled his first long-range dagger 30 seconds later and Anderson tied it with a driving left-handed layup.

MSSU scored with 29 seconds left to go up by two and Heckart dribbled the clock down to 0:03 before nailing his second 3-pointer to give the Bronchos their 40-39 halftime advantage.

The Lions moved in front quickly to open the second half and UCO's shooting woes helped MSSU get out to the 54-44 lead barely five minutes in.

The deficit grew to 16 (67-51) before the Bronchos made their final push, getting two free throws from Jarred Bairstow, a driving layup from Anderson and a 3-pointer from Gibbs in a 7-1 spurt that made it 68-58 with 6:32 left.

But UCO could get no closer and the Lions were able to close out their ninth straight win.

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