Women's Basketball 1/16/2019 8:47:00 AM Chris Brannick

UCO Hosts Pittsburg State

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EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team returns home to face Pittsburg State Thursday evening in a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association affair. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Hamilton Field House.

The Bronchos are 11-5 on the season, 2-3 in league play, and are looking to snap a three-game losing streak. Pittsburg State is 13-2 this season and 5-2 in the MIAA. PSU beat UCO six weeks ago in the schools' first matchup.

Central Oklahoma is led by Micayla Haynes, who scores 11.9 points per game. The junior guard has hit a team-high 30 3-pointers, which is tied for eighth in the MIAA. Haynes is shooting 41.7 percent from behind the arc as well, which is also among the best in the league.

Ireon Smith also averages 11 points per game for the Bronchos. The junior center is scoring 11.2 points per contest this season and is the team's leading rebounder with an even 8.0 per game average. Smith also has the most rebounds (128) in the MIAA. Smith has had double-digit rebounds in six games this season and recently had a three-game double-double streak where she averaged 12 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Shatoya Bryson, also a junior, also averages 11 points per game for the Bronchos. The point guard averages 10.7, just under the mark. Bryson is second on the team in made threes with 26 and has a team-high 31 free-throws made this season. She is also the team's leader in assists (3.1 per game) and steals (1.9 per game).

The junior class for UCO has been strong this season, but the seniors are helping out in multiple roles too. Blake Blessington averages 8.9 points per game and is second on the team in both rebounds (5.0 per game) and assists (2.4 per game). Megan Hartness (5.6) and Madison Lee (5.4) also chip in on the scoring load for the Bronchos.

UCO averages 66.5 points per game this season and is shooting as a team 41.4 percent. Those marks rank 11th and 10th in the league respectively, but the Bronchos shoot 35.3 percent from behind the arc this year, which ranks third in the MIAA.

Pittsburg State as a team is averaging 76.3 points per game this season and shoots 46 percent from the floor. Shelby Lopez leads the team in scoring 12.4 points per game. Athena Alvarado averages 10.9 points per game and leads the team with 7.1 rebounds per game. Kaylee DaMitz's 10.0 points per game is the third-most for Pitt State.

Central Oklahoma is home for the weekend. The Bronchos host Missouri Southern on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in Hamilton Field House before heading back on the road next weekend with Missouri trips to Lindenwood and Lincoln.

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Players Mentioned

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

#21 Shatoya Bryson: G; 5' 8"; Junior

#32 Megan Hartness: G; 5' 9"; Senior

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

#24 Ireon Smith: F; 6' 0"; Junior

#34 Micayla Haynes: G; 5' 5"; Junior

Players Mentioned

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

#21 Shatoya Bryson
: 5' 8"; Junior
: G

#32 Megan Hartness
: 5' 9"; Senior
: G

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

#24 Ireon Smith
: 6' 0"; Junior
: F

#34 Micayla Haynes
: 5' 5"; Junior
: G