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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Jordan Hemphill
65
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 6-1
61
Missouri Western MWSU 2-6
Winner
Central Oklahoma UCO
6-1
65
Final
61
Missouri Western MWSU
2-6
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Central Oklahoma UCO 36 29 65
Missouri Western MWSU 30 31 61

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

UCO Survives Missouri Western

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (Nov. 30) – Marqueese Grayson scored four points during a late-game 10-0 run that gave Central Oklahoma the lead and the streaking Bronchos went on to topple Missouri Western 65-61 in the Mid-America America Athletics Association opener for both teams here Thursday night.
 
It was the five straight win for UCO, which improved to 6-1 on the season and 1-0 in the league heading into Saturday afternoon's showdown with top-ranked and defending NCAA Division II national champion Northwest Missouri in Maryville, Mo.
 
"It's tough to win on the road in this league, so we're happy to come out on top in this one," head coach Tom Hankins said.  "We played well in stretches, but weren't as consistent as we needed to be.  It was a hard game and we made some big plays down the stretch."
 
Marquis Johnson and Corbin Byford scored 14 points apiece to lead the Bronchos, with Byford hitting 6-of-8 shots while adding six rebounds.  Jordan Hemphill added 12 points and Grayson had eight.
 
Central's suffocating defense was once again the key as the Griffons shot just 38.8 percent from the field.
 
The Bronchos led most of the way, but found themselves trailing 49-48 with 7:48 left to play.
 
Jake Hammond's layup put UCO ahead to stay and sparked the 10-0 run.  Johnson followed with a steal and coast-to-coast layup, then Byford's dunk off a Hemphill feed made it 54-49.
 
Grayson kept the run going with a 3-pointer after an MWSU turnover and the senior guard made one of two free throw throws 45 seconds later to compete the game-changing run that gave the Bronchos a 58-49 advantage with 4:34 remaining.
 
The Griffons made things interesting, pulling within 62-59 at the 16-second mark, but Hemphill made two pressure-packed foul shots a second later to seal the deal.
 
Johnson and Grayson hit 3-pointers as UCO jumped out to a 10-3 lead early in the game, but MWSU rallied to tie it at 10-all and it was close the rest of the half.  Kole Talbott drilled a trey just ahead of the halftime buzzer to give the Bronchos a 36-30 lead to set up the second-half drama.
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