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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Corbin Byford
69
Nebraska-Kearney UNK 10-13, 6-8 MIAA
77
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 16-7, 9-5 MIAA
Nebraska-Kearney UNK
10-13, 6-8 MIAA
69
Final
77
Central Oklahoma UCO
16-7, 9-5 MIAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Nebraska-Kearney UNK 34 35 69
Central Oklahoma UCO 39 38 77

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

UCO Rallies Past Lopers

EDMOND (Feb. 8) – Kole Talbott scored eight of his season-high 12 points during a game-changing first-half run that put Central Oklahoma in front and the Bronchos went on to topple Nebraska-Kearney 77-69 Thursday night at Hamilton Field House.
 
UCO ended the half with a 24-5 spurt to turn a 14-point deficit into a 39-34 lead en route to securing its second straight Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association victory behind a balanced attack that saw four players in double figures.
 
"Kearney kind of changed their game plan early and got out to a big lead, but we were able to weather the storm," said head coach Tom Hankins, whose team improved to 16-7 overall and 9-5 in the league.  "We got good looks early and missed some easy shots and wide-open shots.
 
"Our defense picked up once we started putting the ball in the basket and we came out with a good win."
 
Marqueese Grayson hit 8-of-13 shots – including all four 3-point tries – in scoring a team-high 20 points to go with four assists.  Talbott was 5-of-8 from the field with a pair of treys in his 12-point outing off the bench.
 
The Bronchos also got 10 points, a season-high 12 rebounds and two blocked shots from Jake Hammond, while Corbin Byford had 10 points.  Marquis Johnson chipped in nine points, five assists and four steals, with Josh Holliday adding five points, three assists and two steals off the bench.
 
 "Marqueese has been great and has really stepped up," said Hankins of Grayson, who has averaging 20.0 points in the past six games.  "We knew he could score and he's in a rhythm.
 
"Jake was a big, big difference defensively for us.  Josh Holliday was really good tonight and so was Marquis Johnson.  And Kole Talbott played great."
 
The Lopers came out firing from long range and bettered their per-game average of 7.4 3-pointers in the first 13 minutes, hitting eight treys to open up a 29-15 advantage.
 
Central responded, outscoring UNK 24-5 the rest of the half.  The Bronchos started that spurt with 14 unanswered points, ending it with a Talbott 3-pointer and five straight Hammond points to pull even at 29 with 2:58 left.
 
 UNK went back on top with another trey, but UCO came back with a 10-2 run to grab a 39-34 halftime edge.
 
 Talbott scored off a baseline drive and drilled a 3-pointer from the wing, Grayson followed a Johnson steal with a long triple from the top of the key and Johnson had a coast-to-coast layup after another steal during that surge.
 
The Lopers came back to tie it at 44-44 five minutes into the second half, but a layup by Talbott and 3-pointer by Grayson put the Bronchos in front 49-44.  UCO stretched its lead to 14 (72-58) on Grayson's layup in traffic at the 3:18 mark and coasted in from there.
 
Central is back in action at home Saturday, hosting league foe Fort Hays State at 3:30 p.m.
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