Women's Basketball 1/9/2018 10:53:00 AM Chris Brannick

Central Visits Emporia State Wednesday

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EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team is slated to take on Emporia State in a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association showdown Wednesday evening in Emporia, Kan. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.

The Bronchos head up to Kansas with a 14-1 record, are 5-1 in conference play, and take a nine-game win streak with them. The nine consecutive wins is tied for the second-longest streak in school history. UCO also won nine in a row last season.

Central Oklahoma is also ranked 15th in the country in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association Top 25 heading into Wednesday's game. The Bronchos moved up one spot from last week's poll.

SEE THE COMPLETE WBCA TOP 25 HERE

"Emporia State is one of the hardest places to play," UCO head coach Guy Hardaker said. "Everyone knows that. They're a really talented team, a well-coached team, and they have kind of a rabid fan base. This is probably going to be our toughest game. It'll be a really tough test for us."

UCO is led into Wednesday night's matchup by Melinda Murillo, who is averaging 16.7 points per game. The senior guard however, over the past three weeks, is averaging 22 points per game.

The change could be attributed to Jo'Nah Johnson's shift into the starting lineup. Johnson, averaging 6.8 points per game on the season, is averaging just over 12 per game since becoming a starter three weeks ago.

The Bronchos as a team have four players scoring on average in double figures since Hardaker made the move on Dec. 19. Jesheon Cooper averages 11.4 points, and Blake Blessington averages 10.9 points.

UCO has also bumped its shooting percentages up since the move.

The Bronchos are shooting .396 overall on the season. That number jumps to .432 with Johnson as a starter. UCO shoots .314 on the season from three. That number jumps to .391 with Johnson as a starter.

Of course, Central's defense is the main reason the Bronchos got off to a 5-0 start to the season and continues to be the primary means of winning ball games after two months of play.

UCO junior guard Madison Lee heads up a stalwart defense with a smothering, shut-down style of play along the perimeter. Lee is always tasked with stopping the opponent's top scoring player, and has led the Bronchos to having one of the best defenses in the league, and in the country. Central Oklahoma's 56.5 points allowed per game is third in the MIAA and 21st in all of Division II.

Lee, along with Murillo and Johnson and Blessington, and really all of Central's defenders have become better pressure-defenders in part because of Cooper's play in the paint. Cooper is averaging 2.5 blocks per game this season. That's tops in the conference. She is also second in the league in rebounds per game (10.9), with 8.2 boards per game coming on the defensive end.

UCO has another rim protector in Megan Womack, who has eight blocks on the season. Blessington has also deterred eight shots. As a team, the Bronchos average 5.1 blocks per game.

Emporia State welcomes Central Oklahoma right on the heels of the Bronchos in the early conference standings. The Hornets are 9-3 overall, and 5-1 in conference play. Emporia's lone MIAA loss was at Lindenwood. UCO beat Lindenwood by 10 points this past Saturday.

Emporia State is led by Tyra Jones, who averages a team-high 15.7 points per game this season. Jones also leads the team in field goal percentage (71.3), rebounding (8.5/game), and blocked shots (10).

Emily Miller (13.0) and Jacee Kramer (10.4) also score in double figures for the Hornets. Morgan Laudan and Marissa Preston also both average eight points per game.

Emporia State has won the last two matchups in the series. The Bronchos upset the Hornets in Edmond last season when ESU was ranked No. 2 in the country. Emporia then won its home game against UCO, and bested the Bronchos again in the MIAA Championship game in Kansas City, Mo.

Wednesday is the first of two scheduled meetings between the teams this year. The Bronchos will welcome Emporia State to Edmond on the final day of the regular season, Feb. 24.

UCO is making the short trek up I-35 Wednesday and will return home following the game. The Bronchos will then return to the Sunflower State to visit Topeka this weekend, where Central Oklahoma is scheduled to take on Washburn at 1 p.m. Saturday.

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Players Mentioned

#13 Blake Blessington: G; 5' 9"; Junior

#42 Jesheon Cooper: F; 6' 5"; Senior

#4 Madison Lee: G; 5' 8"; Junior

#22 Melinda Murillo: G; 5' 5"; Senior

#30 Megan Womack: F; 6' 2"; Senior

#23 Jo'Nah Johnson: G; 5' 7"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#13 Blake Blessington
: 5' 9"; Junior
: G

#42 Jesheon Cooper
: 6' 5"; Senior
: F

#4 Madison Lee
: 5' 8"; Junior
: G

#22 Melinda Murillo
: 5' 5"; Senior
: G

#30 Megan Womack
: 6' 2"; Senior
: F

#23 Jo'Nah Johnson
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: G