Bronchos Set To Open League Play

12/1/2015 7:33:00 PM

Seth Heckart

Central Oklahoma opens Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play Thursday when the Bronchos go to Joplin, Mo. to take on Missouri Southern for the start of a brutal league-opening road stretch.

Game-time is 7:30 p.m. at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center and it's the first of seven straight conference road games for UCO, which won't play its first home MIAA contest until Jan. 7.

The Bronchos are 4-2 on the young season, while the Lions are 3-3.

UCO follows Thursday's game with a trip to Pittsburg, Kan. Saturday to face Pittsburg State at 3:30 p.m.

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: The Bronchos dropped a 79-74 decision to Southern Nazarene last Saturday on the second day of the UCO Thanksgiving Classic in its last outing.

Thursday's game will be UCO's first against an out-of-state opponent as the Bronchos opened with six straight games against state rivals.

UCO is averaging 77.5 points a game and allowing 72.7. Five of the six games have been decided by six points or less, the lone exception a 90-67 rout by the Bronchos over Oklahoma City.

Junior Cornell Neal leads a balanced attack with a 13.5 scoring average while adding 4.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds. Sophomore Garen Wright is averaging 13.0 points and a team-high 8.8 rebounds, with junior Kendahl Amerson chipping in 12.3 points behind a team-high 11 3-pointers.

Trai Jordan is shooting a team-leading 58.1 percent (18-of-31) from the field in averaging 8.7 points a contest to go with 7.5 rebounds and a team-best 1.7 blocked shots.

UCO has forced 94 turnovers (15.7/game) behind 49 steals (8.2/game).

ABOUT THE LIONS: Missouri Southern has lost its last two games, dropping a 75-72 decision at Arkansas Tech in its last outing on Nov. 28.

The Lions are paced by Taevaunn Prince, who is second in the MIAA in both scoring (23.7) and rebounding (12.2). Charlie Brown adds 14.5 points a game.

MSSU leads the series 5-4 and won last year's meeting 83-78.

ABOUT THE GORILLAS: Pittsburg State is 5-1 and riding a three-game winning streak heading into its league opener with Northeastern State Wednesday at home.

The Gorillas are averaging 81.3 points a game and are led by Josiah Gustafson (19.3) and Trey Starks (12.7).

UCO owns a 14-10 lead in the rivalry and the teams split two meetings last year, each winning at home.

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