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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

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Josh Holliday
Josh Holliday
73
Winner NW Missouri NWMBB 7-0, 1-0 MIAA
66
Central Oklahoma UCO 3-2, 0-1 MIAA
Winner
NW Missouri NWMBB
7-0, 1-0 MIAA
73
Final
66
Central Oklahoma UCO
3-2, 0-1 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
NW Missouri NWMBB 29 44 73
Central Oklahoma UCO 32 34 66

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

UCO Drops Tough Battle To No. 3 Bearcats

EDMOND (Nov. 30) – Josh Holliday scored a career-high 22 points and Central Oklahoma hung tough with No. 3-ranked Northwest Missouri most of the game before dropping a 73-66 decision Wednesday night at Hamilton Field House.
 
It was the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association opener for both teams and the Bronchos led most of the first 24 minutes before the three-time defending league champion Bearcats surged in front.  NWMSU went on to lead by as many as 11 in the final minutes in staying unbeaten (6-0) on the season.
 
UCO fell to 3-2 with its second straight loss and will look to bounce back Saturday when it hosts intrastate rival Northeastern State for a 3:30 p.m. league tilt.
 
"It's a disappointing loss because we're not looking for moral victories, but I thought we did a lot of good things and gave ourselves a chance to win the game," head coach Tom Hankins said.  "We kept our composure against one of the best teams in the country and battled hard."
 
Holliday led the way with his 22-point outing, hitting 8-of-14 field goals with one 3-pointer and all five free throw attempts.  The sophomore guard added four rebounds, one steal and one assist.
 
Jake Hammond was the only other player in double figures for the Bronchos with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field.
 
The Bearcats clamped down on Marquis Johnson and Jordan London, who entered the night averaging a combined 27.3 points a game as UCO's top two scorers.  The duo made just 2-of-17 shots, with London scoring six points and Johnson two.
 
NWMSU shot 56.3 percent (27-of-48) from the field and was paced by junior star Justin Pitts.  The reigning MIAA Player of the Year had 28 points and seven assists while playing all 40 minutes.
 
It was a back-and-forth game throughout the first half with 12 lead changes and two ties.  Corey Alpough put the Bronchos on top 26-24 with a layup and then blocked a Pitts shot on the other end, leading to a 12-foot Holliday jumper that made it 28-24.
 
UCO took its largest lead of the game at 30-24 with 2:36 left in the half when Holliday drained another mid-range jumper and the Bronchos were up 32-29 at intermission.
 
Hammond knocked down three straight shots in the first two minutes of the second half to keep UCO in front and the lead was 41-36 after Demari Edwards swished a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 16:26 left to play.
 
The Bearcats ripped off eight unanswered points to move in front 44-41, with a Holliday layup and Alpough free throw tying it at 44-all at the 14:20 mark.  But Pitts made a 3-pointer 23 seconds later to put NWMSU in front to stay and the lead grew to 11 (70-59) with 2:58 remaining.
 
UCO was down six (72-66) after a Holliday three-point play with 24 seconds left, but there would be no miracle comeback for the Bronchos.
 
 
 
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