Box Score

Lubbock Christian LCU 7-0,1-0 Lone Star

Central Okla. CentOK 6-2,0-0 Mid-America Intercollegiate

Lubbock Christian LCU

7-0,1-0 Lone Star

Final

Nov. 30, 2019

Central Okla. CentOK

6-2,0-0 Mid-America Intercollegiate

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	OT 1	F
Lubbock Christian LCU	16	11	18	14	9	68
Central Okla. CentOK	9	21	15	14	4	63

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 11/30/2019 4:20:00 PM | Chris Brannick

Central Oklahoma Falls In Overtime To Lubbock Christian

Next Game:

at Rogers State

12/5/2019 | 5:30 p.m.

Next Game

Full Schedule

Dec. 05 (Thu) / 5:30 p.m.

at Rogers State

Recap
Roster

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team gave the defending national champions everything it had and more Saturday afternoon but ultimately fell short 68-63 in overtime.

"I'm really proud of this team for the way they played today," UCO head coach Guy Hardaker said. "They didn't care about rankings or being champions or anything, they just played. They believed they could win and they almost did. We've learned a lot from this and I think it's going to help us moving forward."

Kelsey Johnson led the Bronchos with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The junior forward came up big in the clutch moments of the game Saturday. She grabbed an offensive rebound and drew a foul in the final seconds of regulation, making both free-throws to tie the game, 59-59.

She also hit a layup whilst drawing a foul on the first possession in the extra period. Her free-throw gave the Bronchos a 62-59 lead. Unfortunately for the Bronchos, UCO didn't make another basket. Johnson hit one more free-throw with 1:12 to play in overtime that cut the Lubbock lead to 64-63. But four free-throws to close the game by LCU and a cold shooting performance in the final five minutes did the Bronchos in on Saturday.

Central Oklahoma shot just 32 percent from the floor Saturday, making 23 of 71 shots. UCO hit 7 of 24 from outside the arc, and made 10 of 14 free-throws.

McKenna Pulley joined Johnson in double figures, scoring 11 off the bench. All of those came in the first half.

Central started Saturday the way it did Friday, struggling to find a made basket. But UCO's defense kept it close. The Bronchos were only down 4-2 after five minutes of action in the first quarter. UCO trailed 16-9 after the first quarter though, hitting only 4-for-18 from the floor in the opening 10 minutes of play. Johnson led that charge, scoring four in the opening quarter and grabbing three rebounds. Clary Donica and Shatoya Bryson also scored for the Bronchos in the opening frame.

UCO came back with a strong second quarter. Kaci Richardson made a layup to start the quarter off, and the Bronchos began chipping away. A pair of free-throws by Jaci Littell cut the lead to five points midway through the quarter. A 3-pointer by Micayla Haynes did the same a couple of minutes later. Then a three from Brooke Rayner cut the lead to two, 25-23, with 2:23 to play.

Pulley tied the game with a jumper with 1:21 to play, then Johnson knocked in a jump shot to give the Bronchos their first lead of the game, 27-25, with 45 seconds to play. After LCU tied it up again, 27-27, Haynes hit her second 3-pointer of the quarter and gave the Bronchos a 30-27 lead, which UCO kept going into the locker room at halftime.

The second half went back and forth throughout the final 20 minutes. There were 16 lead changes in the game and it was tied 10 times, including 45-45 after three quarters, and 59-59 after four quarters.

Bryson finished with seven points, hitting a pair of 3-pointers and one free-throw. Haynes added six, also hitting two from behind the arc. Donica, Rayner, and Lauren Chancellor each had five points. Littell and Richardson scored four.

Central Oklahoma is now 6-2 on the season and will finish the non-conference portion of its schedule with that record. The Bronchos open MIAA play next week with a road trip to Claremore, Okla. on Thursday to take on league newcomer Rogers State. UCO will also play at Northeastern State next Saturday and at Newman later in December before returning home in the new year.

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