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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Kaci Richardson
78
Winner Central Okla. CentOK 6-1,0-0 Mid-America Intercollegiate
71
St. Mary's (TX) SMU-TX 2-3,1-1 Lone Star
Winner
Central Okla. CentOK
6-1,0-0 Mid-America Intercollegiate
78
Final
71
St. Mary's (TX) SMU-TX
2-3,1-1 Lone Star
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Central Okla. CentOK 10 21 27 20 78
St. Mary's (TX) SMU-TX 15 18 23 15 71

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Chris Brannick

UCO Storms St. Mary's In San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team used a big rally in the third quarter to outpace St. Mary's Friday night and walked away with a 78-71 win in the host school's Thanksgiving Classic.
 
Central Oklahoma improved to 6-1 with the win. UCO will wrap up the two-day festival against Lubbock Christian at 2 p.m. Saturday in what will be the final non-conference game of the season for the Bronchos.
 
"We just didn't come out playing at the level we needed to today," UCO head coach Guy Hardaker said. "But credit to this team for not giving up and for working hard to stay in the game. Once we started to make some shots there in the third quarter, that changed a lot for us. We were never out of the game and that gave us a chance."
 
UCO scored the game's first points to hold a 2-0 lead, but after giving up a 3-pointer on the other end, the Bronchos fell behind and would play from there for most of the night. UCO battled back to tie the game, 28-28.
 
Most of Central's first-half struggles were a result of bad shooting. UCO missed all seven attempts from behind the arc in the first quarter Friday and only hit 1 of 4 threes in the second quarter. The Bronchos were a combined 14-32 in the first half, 1-for-11 from outside, and only managed three free-throw attempts in the first 20 minutes, making two of those.
 
However, the Bronchos only trailed 33-31 at halftime. A tough defense that forces tougher shots and constantly applies turnover-inducing pressure kept UCO close.
 
Then the Bronchos found the bottom of the net in the third quarter. Central made 10 of 14 shots in the quarter. Micayla Haynes and Shatoya Bryson both hit 3-pointers early in the quarter, and Jaci Littell made two late.
 
Littell's first 3-pointer, with 2:19 to play in the third quarter, gave UCO a 51-49 lead. It was the first lead for the Bronchos since going up 2-0 30 seconds into the game. The second gave the Bronchos a 58-56 lead, which UCO held as the team's took their final break.
 
Brooke Rayner also hit a 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter and give Central a 5-point lead. UCO never trailed again, leading by as many as 10 down the stretch.
 
The Bronchos did struggle from the floor in the fourth quarter, making just 4 of 17 shots. But a pair of 3-pointers and a 10-for-14 performance from the free-throw line in the final 10 minutes helped UCO continue its winning ways for a third-straight game.
 
UCO ended up forcing 17 turnovers on the day. The Bronchos had six steals, led by Bryson's four.
 
Bryson, a senior, finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Haynes led UCO in scoring Friday, putting in 14 points to go with four assists. Kaci Richardson scored 10 off the bench to add a third Broncho in double figures. Littell finished with nine points. Kelsey Johnson also had nine points and five rebounds.
 
Central Oklahoma will play Lubbock Christian Saturday at 2 p.m. The Bronchos will play two more road games next weekend, then take a week off before a fifth consecutive road game Dec. 21.
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