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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Shatoya Bryson
Shatoya Bryson
82
Lindenwood LWU 14-16
84
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 25-6
Lindenwood LWU
14-16
82
Final
84
Central Oklahoma UCO
25-6
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Lindenwood LWU 22 17 12 31 82
Central Oklahoma UCO 15 20 25 24 84

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Chris Brannick

Bronchos headed to the MIAA Championship

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team will play for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Championship Sunday following an 84-82 semifinal win over Lindenwood Saturday night at Municipal Auditorium.

The Bronchos entered the MIAA Tournament this season with three wins in three appearances. And none of those came in Kansas City. Now the Bronchos have won three in this tournament including two in KC.

"Hats off to Lindenwood," UCO head coach Guy Hardaker said after the win. "They are such a good team and they played really well tonight."

Fifth-seeded Central Oklahoma will play Emporia State in the championship game Sunday at 3:30 p.m. UCO beat Emporia in Edmond. Emporia beat UCO in Emporia. This will be the third meeting of the season. Emporia State, the three-seed in the tournament, is looking to win its fifth consecutive MIAA title.

UCO only led for nine minutes of the game Saturday. Melinda Murillo led the way, scoring 18 points. But it was an unlikely star that, as Hardaker called it, bailed out the Bronchos.

Shatoya Bryson, a freshman, scored 17 points, grabbed six rebounds, and made two steals. The Spencer, Okla. native shot 6 of 8 from the floor, hit all three of her 3-point attempts, and made 2 of 4 free throws.

"She bailed us out," Hardaker said. "I've seen her do that in high school, just take over a game. She can do that and that sure helped us tonight."

The Bronchos had five players score in double figures for the second-straight game. Jesheon Cooper continued her dominant play in the MIAA Tournament with 16 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots.

Cooper's six blocks Saturday is second-most in an MIAA Tournament game ever. She has 10 blocks for the tournament in three games, tying her for seventh-most in one MIAA tournament all-time.

Then there was Marley Anderson, scoring 12 points and dishing out five assists. Anderson's 5 of 6 night at the free throw line was her best asset Saturday.

Finally, for the double-digit scorers, there's Olivia Mason. The senior forward scored 10 points and had four rebounds. She added one block and one steal. Mason hit two 3-pointers to continue inching closer to the Central Oklahoma career record of 190. Mason has 181 in her four seasons.

Hayley Bryan had a big six points off the bench and Megan Womack added three. Blake Blessington scored two points and grabbed three rebounds.

The Bronchos trailed from the start Saturday. Lindenwood scored the first basket, then the Bronchos tied it up just one minute into the game. But that 2-2 score would be the only tie for the next 13:45 and it would take UCO even longer to get ahead. Lindenwood took a four-point lead into halftime, 39-35.

In the third quarter, the Bronchos took over.

UCO tied it up 45-45 with 5:30 to go, just the third tie of the game. Then the Bronchos tied it again at 4:15, 47-47. The latter came via two Bryson free throws.

And UCO's first lead of the game was also thanks to Bryson. It came on a 3-pointer with 3:06 to play.

The freshman scored nine points in a 3 minute, 53 second span. The Bronchos scored 11 in that stretch. Lindenwood score just four.

The stretch continued.

Anderson got a layup, Cooper sank a jumper, Bryson hit another 3-pointer, and then Anderson drilled a three on a pass from Bryson. Suddenly it was 60-49, UCO. A 15-2 run by the Bronchos put UCO in a good spot heading to the fourth quarter.

Lindenwood though, wouldn't go away. The Bronchos took their foot off the gas for a moment, and just as fast as they had built a lead, the lost it. Lindenwood took the lead 64-63 on a jumper from Lindsey Medlan with 5:37 to play.

Lindenwood led by as many as four on two separate occasions in the fourth before the Bronchos retook the lead with 1:56 to play, and yes, that came from Bryson via a wide open layup.

The Bronchos last field goal came with 1:06 to play, a 3-pointer from Murillo, but UCO managed to fend off the Lions with free throws in the end to get the win.
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