No. 18 Bronchos play final home game Saturday

2/17/2017 11:51:00 AM | By: Chris Brannick

Central Oklahoma senior Hayley Bryan and the 18th-ranked Bronchos host Fort Hays State on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in Hamilton Field House. [UCO Photo Services]

TICKETS
WATCH
LIVE STATS

EDMOND - The final home game of the 2016-17 regular season arrives Saturday for the University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team.

The Bronchos (20-5) host Fort Hays State in Hamilton Field House at 1:30 p.m. Seniors Marley Anderson, Hayley Bryan, Olivia Mason, and Ashley Stephens will be honored before tipoff as the foursome plays their final home game in Bronze & Blue.

Anderson, who wears number 11, has played in 111 games for the Bronchos over the past four seasons. The Snyder native is averaging nine points per game this season, and has scored 555 in her career.

Bryan has played in 96 career games for the Bronchos. The forward from Copan has played in every game this season after returning from missing all of last season with a hip injury. Bryan is averaging 3.6 points per game this season.

Mason has played in 106 career games for UCO. The forward from Fairview is second place on Central Oklahoma's career 3-point field goals attempted list with 451, third place for career 3-point field goals made with 167. Mason is fifth for career rebounds with 674, and 12th for career points scored with 983. Mason is averaging 10.9 points per game this season.

Stephens came to UCO after her freshman season at UT-San Antonio. The 6-foot-3 center from Kyle, Texas has played in 36 games for the Bronchos over the past three seasons.

Saturday, the Bronchos try to snap a four-game losing streak. UCO won 20 of its first 21 games and worked its way up to No. 8 in the WBCA Coaches' Poll. Now the Bronchos are fighting for positioning the MIAA Tournament, which begins in two weeks, with hopes of making the NCAA Tournament the following week.

UCO was averaging 71 points per game through its first 21 games of this season. But since, the Bronchos have only scored an average of 57 points per game. Offense has slipped into a funk over the past two weeks, with UCO shooting 35 percent from the field during the four-game slide.

Melinda Murillo has been the leading scorer for the Bronchos all season. The junior guard is averaging 11 points per game over the past four, a high for UCO, and she is the only Broncho to average double figures.

Jesheon Cooper, who averaged 11 points and nine rebounds per game after 21 games this season, is averaging just four points and six rebounds per game over the past two weeks.

Fort Hays State is responsible for one of UCO's recent four losses. Hays beat Central 57-44 last week. Fort Hays State is 10-6 in conference play and a win Saturday would put the Tigers in a tie with UCO for fifth place in the league standings, a tie Fort Hays would win based on head-to-head.

The Bronchos need a win Saturday, as well as a win for Pittsburg State over Missouri Western, for UCO to get back to fourth-place in the MIAA heading into the final week of the season.

Print Friendly Version

Related Videos

Related Stories