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Marqueese Grayson
Marqueese Grayson
95
Winner Missouri Southern MSSU 13-8, 8-4 MIAA
89
Central Oklahoma UCO 14-6, 7-4 MIAA
Winner
Missouri Southern MSSU
13-8, 8-4 MIAA
95
Final
89
Central Oklahoma UCO
14-6, 7-4 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Missouri Southern MSSU 61 34 95
Central Oklahoma UCO 36 53 89

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

UCO Rally Falls Short in Loss To Lions

EDMOND (Jan. 27) – An impassioned Central Oklahoma rally fell short Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Field House as the Bronchos dropped a hard-fought 95-89 decision to Missouri Southern.
 
It was a tale of two halves, with the Lions dominating the first 20 minutes only to see UCO do the same in the second half.
 
MSSU had an imposing 25-point halftime lead at 61-36, but the never-say-die Bronchos clawed to within two in the final seconds before the Lions finally closed out the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association thriller.
 
"I was just real disappointed in the first half because we didn't come out ready to play," head coach Tom Hankins said.  "For whatever reason we thought we didn't have to play real hard and that is not the case.  In order for us to be really good, which we can be, we have to bring it every minute of every game.
 
"We just started playing with a lot more passion and a lot more purpose in the second half.  It just came down to wanting it more and trying harder.  We challenged them and they answered."
 
The Bronchos almost answered with a resounding comeback before falling just short at the end.
 
Central was within a bucket twice down the stretch, the first with 1:06 left when two Marqueese Grayson free throws made it 86-84 and again at 0:22 when Grayson splashed through a long 3-pointer to make it 91-89.
 
But the Bronchos wouldn't score again and MSSU iced the game at the foul line.  CJ Carr made two free throws with 16 seconds remaining and then followed a UCO miss with two more at 0:06 to clinch the win.
 
The Bronchos fell to 14-6 on the season and 7-4 in league play with their first home conference loss.  MSSU improved to 13-8 and 8-4.
 
Grayson was sensational for the Bronchos, making 8-of-15 shots with three 3-pointers and all eight free throw attempts in scoring a career-high 27 points.  The senior guard added a team-high seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
 
"Marqueese really stepped up and wanted to win," Hankins said.  "He showed a lot of toughness and I'm really proud of him."
 
Corbin Byford hit 7-of-9 shots in a 16-point outing, while Kole Talbott added 11 points and Jordan Hemphill 10.  Alex Ogunseye provided eight big points in just six minutes off the bench.
 
The Lions hammered UCO on the boards, finishing with a 47-27 rebounding advantage and outscoring the Bronchos 34-12 in second-chance points.
 
MSSU had 14 offensive rebounds in the first half alone and never trailed after scoring the first four points of the game.  The Lions led by 27 (61-34) before Grayson hit a last-second shot to make it a 25-point game at intermission.
 
Central was still down 21 (74-53) with 12:46 to play before getting back in the contest with a 14-2 run.
 
Grayson started that spurt with a 3-pointer – extending UCO's remarkable streak to 900 consecutive games with at least one trey – and the Bronchos were within nine at 76-67 with 8:11 left after Jordan London made one of two free throws.
 
UCO continued to chip away at the lead and finally got within two in the late stages before coming up short.
 
The Bronchos go on the road for two conference games next week, traveling to Central Missouri Thursday and Southwest Baptist Saturday.
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