Women's Basketball 2/13/2019 8:22:00 AM Chris Brannick

UCO Visits Emporia

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EMPORIA, Kan. – The University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team continues its road trip Thursday with a 5:30 p.m. matchup against Emporia State at White Auditorium.

The Bronchos enter the contest with a record of 15-8 on the season and are 6-7 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. ESU is 18-5 overall and 9-4 in league play.

"Emporia is a tough place to play, we all know that, but I think if we go out there and play our game, we've seen that we're a team that win some games," UCO head women's basketball coach Guy Hardaker said. "When we play up to our potential and we play the style of play that is UCO basketball, we can do very well. That needs to be our focus."

Central Oklahoma goes to Emporia averaging 67.4 points per game and as a team, shoots 41.8 percent from the field. The Bronchos average 7.7 made 3-pointers per game and shoots 33.9 percent from behind the arc.

Micayla Haynes leads all scorers at Central, averaging 11.6 points per game. The junior guard is approaching 100 made shots this season. She's 95-for-220 overall this season. Haynes is also 40 of 102 on 3-pointers this season, the most makes from behind the arc for any Broncho.

Ireon Smith joins Haynes as a leading scorer, averaging 11.2 points per game. Smith has a team-high 110 made shots this season and also leads the Bronchos with 7.7 rebounds per game. Also a junior, Smith is third in the MIAA in total rebounds (177) and sixth in the league in rebounds per game.

Shatoya Bryson is the third Broncho to average double figures. And also a junior, Bryson averages 10.3 points per game this season. Bryson has hit 33 threes, second to only Haynes, but has the team high for made free-throws with 44. She also leads the team with 3.0 assists per game and 1.6 steals per game.

Blake Blessington and Megan Hartness combine to average 15 points per game chipping in on the scoring load. Blessington (8.8) and Hartness (7.3) are both seniors and have alternated as leading scorers on more than one occasion this season. Blessington has scored in double figures in 11 games this season and Hartness has hit that mark in six games, including four straight and five of the last six.

Emporia State is led by Tyra Jones, who averages 16.4 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game. Jessica Wayne averages 14.2 points per game, Emily Miller 13.2, and Addie Lackey 10.8. ESU's 74.0 points per game team average is third in the MIAA.

ESU holds a 21-6 lead in the all-time series. The Bronchos are looking for their first in in Emporia since the 1992-93 season.

Central Oklahoma will play at Washburn on Saturday, wrapping up a three-game road trip. The Bronchos then finish the regular season with four-straight home games, concluding with a second matchup against Emporia State on Saturday, March 2.

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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

#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

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

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