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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Ireon Smith
71
Winner Pittsburg State PSU 15-5, 8-3 MIAA
65
Central Oklahoma UCO 16-3, 7-3 MIAA
Winner
Pittsburg State PSU
15-5, 8-3 MIAA
71
Final
65
Central Oklahoma UCO
16-3, 7-3 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Pittsburg State PSU 21 13 17 20 71
Central Oklahoma UCO 17 19 16 13 65

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Chris Brannick

No. 16 UCO falls to Pitt State

EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma dropped a 71-65 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association contest Thursday night at Hamilton Field House to Pittsburg State. The 16th-ranked Bronchos dropped to 16-3 on the season with the loss, and 7-3 in league play.
 
"I don't think we gave our best effort tonight," UCO head coach Guy Hardaker said. "I think Ireon Smith played her best game since she's been here, and Madison Lee did what she does best in holding their best player to way less than her average. But overall, I don't think we did enough and we didn't shoot the ball very either."
 
Melinda Murillo led UCO with 23 points Thursday night, adding seven rebounds and four assists. Blake Blessington added 15 points, nine rebounds, three steals, and also had a block and an assist.
 
Smith added eight off the bench in just 14 minutes of action. Lee held PSU's leading scorer, Mikaela Burgess to five points. The senior guard averages 16 per game.
 
Pittsburg State built a 21-17 lead after one quarter of play. The Bronchos held the lead for just 1:24 of the first quarter. Blessington (nine) and Murillo (eight) were the only Bronchos to score in the opening frame.
 
UCO had a strong second quarter response though, tying the game on a Smith layup with 5:33 to play, and taking a lead when Murillo put in a layup with 4:27 to go.
 
The Bronchos led the rest of the way through the quarter, leading by as many as six when Shatoya Bryson drove to the bucket and earned a layup. That made it 36-30. Pittsburg State added a free-throw, and a 3-pointer with nine seconds left to cut into the Broncho lead. UCO led at the half 36-34.
 
In the third the game went back and forth, with Pittsburg State taking the lead after three 3-pointers to start the quarter. Pitt led 43-38 just three minutes into the quarter, and by as many as six with 6:18 to play.
 
Then came the Bronchos. UCO stormed back to tie it at 46 with 3:37 to play. The Bronchos would lead by as many as four when Lauren Chancellor put in a layup with 1:38 to play that made it 52-48.
 
Pittsburg came back from down six in the fourth, tying the game 57-57 with 7:03 to play. But UCO responded, and was ahead by four when Blessington scored a layup with 4:48 to play.
 
However, Pittsburg took the lead shortly after behind a 7-0 run. UCO never recovered. Pittsburg State's free-throw with one second left made it 71-65.
 
Jesheon Cooper and Jo'Nah Johnson added six points apiece for the Bronchos. Cooper also had nine rebounds and three blocked shots. Cooper's three blocks pulled the senior into a tie for the UCO all-time lead with 153.
 
Bryson finished with five. Chancellor had two.
 
Central Oklahoma wraps up a three-game homestand Saturday afternoon with Missouri Southern visiting Hamilton Field House at 1:30 p.m.
 
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