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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Jo'Nah Johnson
58
Arkansas-Fort Smith UAFS 6-5
67
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 9-1
Arkansas-Fort Smith UAFS
6-5
58
Final
67
Central Oklahoma UCO
9-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Arkansas-Fort Smith UAFS 12 15 7 24 58
Central Oklahoma UCO 20 11 19 17 67

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Chris Brannick

UCO outlasts Arkansas-Fort Smith

EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team edged out a pesky Arkansas-Fort Smith squad 67-58 Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Field House in non-conference action.
 
Central had five players score in double figures, led by Shatoya Bryson's 13 off the bench. Jo'Nah Johnson also had a big game off the bench scoring 11. Jesheon Cooper, Blake Blessington, and Madison Lee each had 10 points.
 
"Fort Smith is one of the most athletic teams we have played and they went small against us, which kind of surprised us, but our guards did a good job of matching up and going right back at them," UCO head coach Guy Hardaker said. "Shatoya had a great game, and Jo'Nah kind of had a growing-up game. That was big for us."
 
Arkansas-Fort Smith grabbed the early lead Saturday, scoring the game's first basket after two and a half minutes of play. UCO quickly responded though, tying the game on the next possession and taking the lead moments later on a Lee 3-pointer.
 
UCO led the rest of the quarter, building its lead up to 10 points when Megan Womack scored a layup with 37 seconds to go. UCO was up 20-12 after one.
 
The Bronchos built their lead on good ball control, turning the ball over only once in the opening quarter. Central also forced seven Fort Smith turnovers.
 
The Lions got back in the game in the second quarter by flipping the script. UAFS forced seven Broncho turnovers. Fort Smith took their second lead of the game with 5:28 to play in the second. But UCO was ready again to respond. Melinda Murillo scored on a layup on the next possession to give the Bronchos the lead again, 24-23. UCO then stretched its lead to as many as six before taking a 4-point lead to the half, 31-27.
 
UCO pulled away in the third, scoring the first seven points. A layup by Lee gave UCO its biggest lead of the game, 38-27. That lead continued to grow. A Bryson three made it a 13-point lead. Johnson followed with a three to put UCO up 16 at the close of the quarter, 50-34.
 
Central soon led by 18 early in the final period before Fort Smith made one final push. After going up by 18 on a Womack layup with 8:25 to play in the game, Fort Smith started a run that cut the lead to single digits, 57-48, with 4:47 to go. Fort Smith got it as close as six on a 3-pointer with 3:05 to play before UCO put the game away.
 
Bryson made 1 of 2 free throws. Cooper made a pair of free throws. And Johnson sank her third 3-pointer of the game with 44 seconds left to put the Bronchos up 67-55.
 
Cooper notched a double-double, grabbing a 15 rebounds to go with her 10 points. The senior, who as at least 15 rebounds three times this season, also added three blocks. Murillo scored seven points and had five assists. Womack scored four off the bench, and Ireon Smith added two.
 
The Bronchos are off for more than a week. UCO doesn't play again until Monday, Dec. 18, when the Bronchos host Cameron. Central will play Southern Nazarene the next night. Both games are at Hamilton Field House.
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