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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Bailey Taylor
61
Winner Central Oklahoma UCOWOMEN 10-2, 4-2 MIAA
57
Northwest Missouri State NWMSU 2-11, 0-7 MIAA
Winner
Central Oklahoma UCOWOMEN
10-2, 4-2 MIAA
61
Final
57
Northwest Missouri State NWMSU
2-11, 0-7 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Central Oklahoma UCOWOMEN 15 10 18 18 61
Northwest Missouri State NWMSU 21 14 10 12 57

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Late Rally Lifts UCO

MARYVILLE, Mo. (Jan. 2) – Haley Weathers hit the go-ahead 3-pointer and Jordan Ward scored back-to-back layups to spark a game-ending spurt that carried Central Oklahoma past Northwest Missouri 61-57 here Saturday afternoon.
 
The Bronchos overcame a double-digit deficit for the fourth time this season, climbing out of a 10-point halftime hole in improving to 10-2 on the season and 4-2 in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play.
 
UCO outscored the Bearcats 11-3 down the stretch to complete the rally, taking the lead for good at 56-54 on Weathers' corner trey with 3:44 left to play.
 
Ward then followed a NWMSU turnover with a backdoor layup off a nice McKenzie Solberg feed before upping the lead to 60-54 at the 2:06 mark on a baseline drive as the shot clock expired.
 
The Bearcats converted a three-point play at 1:32 to make it 60-57 and neither team scored again until Olivia Mason hit one of two free throws with 3.9 seconds left to seal the verdict.
 
"We didn't do a very good job on either end in the first half, but I thought we picked up our defensive intensity in the second half and that was the difference," head coach Guy Hardaker said.  "We kept battling and I'm proud of the way we came back, but we've got to quit putting ourselves in those situations."
 
The Bronchos limited NWMSU to 22 second-half points in pulling out their seventh road win in nine tries.
 
Solberg was the only player in double figures, hitting 5-of-9 shots in finishing with 13 points while adding three rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots.
 
Bailey Taylor hit three key 3-pointers in scoring nine points, with Olivia Mason adding eight and Megan Womack seven points and a team-high six rebounds.
 
UCO took a 5-2 lead early in the game on a Weathers trey and Womack layup, but the Bearcats responded with a 7-0 run to go up 9-5 and led 21-15 after the opening quarter.
 
NWMSU stretched its lead to 12 on two occasions in the second period before Solberg's last-second layup got the Bronchos within 10 (35-25) at the break.
 
UCO opened the third quarter with a 13-2 run to regain the lead at 38-37, getting five points from Solberg and four apiece from Womack and Julia Mason.  The Bearcats answered with seven straight points to move back in front 44-38 and led 45-43 entering the final stanza.
 
It was a four-point deficit at 54-50 with 4:32 before the Bronchos began their final rally, getting a 3-pointer from Taylor at 4:10 before Weathers put UCO in front to stay 26 seconds later.
 
The Bronchos wrap-up their conference-opening seven-game road-swing Monday, going to St. Joseph, Mo. to take on No. 16-ranked Missouri Western at 5:30 p.m.
 
 
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