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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Corey Alpough
Corey Alpough
74
Winner Washburn WU 12-4, 4-3 MIAA
69
Central Oklahoma UCO 10-6, 5-3 MIAA
Winner
Washburn WU
12-4, 4-3 MIAA
74
Final
69
Central Oklahoma UCO
10-6, 5-3 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Washburn WU 33 41 74
Central Oklahoma UCO 33 36 69

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Washburn Holds Off Bronchos

EDMOND (Jan. 14) – Washburn made six clutch free throws down the stretch to hold off a frantic Central Oklahoma comeback as the Bronchos dropped a 74-69 decision Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Field House.
 
UCO trailed by 10 points (66-56) with just 1:45 remaining before rallying to within three twice in the final 20 seconds only to see the Ichabolds stay safely ahead with their accuracy at the charity stripe.
 
"We gave ourselves a chance at the end, but shouldn't have been in that position," head coach Tom Hankins said.  "We made some defensive mistakes that really hurt us and didn't shoot the ball very well."
 
The Bronchos fell to 10-6 on the season and 5-3 in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play.  Washburn improved to 12-4 and 4-3 in handing 37th-year head coach Bob Chipman his 800th career win.
 
Josh Holliday paced UCO with 21 points and three assists, hitting four 3-pointers – including two in the final 1:34 – and all five free throw tries.  Jake Hammond had 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots before fouling out late in the game.
 
The Bronchos also got 10 points and eight boards from Corbin Byford, with Marquis Johnson chipping in nine points and four assists.
 
UCO led only three times in the contest – 35-33 on a Hammond layup early in the second half, 39-37 following Byford's layup at the 17:28 mark and 45-44 on Johnson's 10-foot jumper with 13:32 left.
 
The Ichabods answered Johnson's bucket with a 9-0 run to surge ahead 53-45, went up 10 (58-48) two minutes later and still had a double-digit advantage at 66-56 with just 1:45 remaining.
 
Holliday started the comeback with a 3-pointer at 1:34 and Corey Alpough followed a WU layup with a follow shot to make it 68-61 with 50 seconds to play.  Byford then stole the inbounds pass and Johnson drained a trey from the corner to pull the Bronchos within 68-64 at 0:30.
 
The Ichabods made it 70-64 with two free throws at 0:26, but Holliday kept UCO in it when he drilled a 25-foot 3-pointer at 0:18.  Two more foul shots pushed WU's lead back to five (72-67) at 0:15 and Alpough's rebound dunk off a Holliday miss had the Bronchos back within three with eight seconds left.
 
UCO barely missed forcing a turnover when Washburn inbounded the ball before being forced to foul and the Ichabods made their final two free throws to arrange the final margin.
 
The Bronchos fell behind early in the first half and trailed by as many as 11 (25-14) before finishing with a 19-8 run to pull even at 33-all by intermission.  Hammond scored seven points and Cooper Clark nailed a pair of 3-pointers to fuel that surge.
 
UCO doesn't play again until going to Tahlequah next Saturday to take on intrastate rival Northeastern State.
 
 
 
 
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