Central Oklahoma junior Jesheon Cooper, left, blocks a shot against Emporia State on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017 in Edmond. The 24th-ranked Bronchos play at No. 13 Emporia State Saturday. [UCO Photo Services]
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EMPORIA, Kan. – The University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team is set to play its final regular season game Saturday afternoon, when the 24th-ranked Bronchos take on 13th-ranked Emporia State at 1:30 p.m.
There is plenty at stake in the season finale. There is a bit of a log-jam atop the MIAA standings and both teams are right in the mix. Here's a quick rundown of how things could shape up heading into next week's MIAA Tournament.
Pittsburg State is the top seed in the tournament and plays Saturday at Central Missouri, which is currently second in the league. Emporia State is tied with Central Missouri and sits in third place, while UCO is fourth. Missouri Western is one game back of the Bronchos in fifth place. Western hosts Lindenwood Saturday.
Remember, the top four teams in the conference get a first-round bye and advance directly to Kansas City for the quarterfinals. UCO, on the final day of the 2016-17 regular season, can move up to No. 2, or down to No. 5. A lot can happen.
How does UCO get the No. 2 seed in next week's conference tournament? Win at Emporia State, plus, a Pittsburg State win at Central Missouri.
UCO gets the No. 3 seed with a win at Emporia State and a Central Missouri win vs. Pittsburg State.
UCO will be the fourth-seed if they lose and Missouri Western loses against Lindenwood. If Missouri Western beats Lindenwood and UCO comes up short Saturday, the Bronchos will be the No. 5 seed in the tournament and host a first-round game in Edmond on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
The Bronchos beat Emporia State on Jan. 12 in Edmond 70-64. Emporia State led early, the game was tied at halftime, UCO led big in the third and fourth quarter, and Emporia State battled back to make a game out of it.
UCO got four players in double figures in that game. Melinda Murillo led the way with 16 points, Marley Anderson added 14, and Olivia Mason and Jesheon Cooper each had 10.
Those four have been the constants for the Bronchos this season. The group all average at least 10 points per game, and each of them has taken their turn leading UCO in scoring this season. Out of 27 games Central has played, one of those four has led the team in scoring in 24 games.
Murillo has led UCO in scoring in 10 games, Mason in seven games, Cooper in six, and Anderson in three games.
Murillo leads UCO in scoring overall, averaging 14.5 points per game. Mason 11.2, and Cooper 10.9 are second and third. And Anderson, who scored 34 Thursday in an overtime win at Washburn, is averaging 10.1. Anderson's 34 also tied the mark for third-most points in a single game in UCO history.
Mason recently hit the 1,000-point mark for her career. The senior from Fairview has played 108 career games for the Bronchos and is ninth in career scoring with 1,012 points.
The 2016-17 season has been filled with records. Cooper's 80 blocked shots, the two longest win streaks, Mason has moved into rarified air in four separate statistical categories. There is only one game left for something else to happen. That is Saturday afternoon at Emporia State.
