Women's Basketball 2/25/2019 9:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

Central Hosts Northeastern

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EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team hosts Northeastern State on Tuesday night at Hamilton Field House. The Bronchos will tipoff at 5:30 p.m. in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association game.

Central Oklahoma is 16-11 on the season and 7-10 in the MIAA. NSU is 6-20 on the season and 3-14 in league play.

Tuesday night will be the third of four home games to close out the regular season for the Bronchos. UCO will also host Emporia State on Saturday. Central Oklahoma will honor seniors Blake Blessington, Madison Lee, and Megan Hartness before the game, their last at Hamilton Field House.

Central Oklahoma comes into Tuesday night's matchup looking for a win streak. The Bronchos beat Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday afternoon to snap a three-game slide.

The Bronchos enter the game averaging 67 points per game, and hold opponents to 64.8 per game. UCO shoots 41 percent from the floor, 34.1 percent from behind the arc, and 70 percent from the free-throw line.

Central's defense holds opponents to 40.6 percent from the floor and 34.1 percent from three. The Bronchos also force 15.6 turnovers per game and average 8.7 steals per game.

Blessington is one of four Bronchos actively scoring around 10 points per game. The senior from Harrah, Okla. averages nine per contest. Blessington ranks near the top of every category for the Bronchos. She is second on the team rebounds (5.0/game), assists (2.3/game), and blocks (10). She is also third on the team in made 3-pointers (39) and made free-throws (36).

Lee could be described as the backbone of the Broncho defense. Not only does she guard the best player on the opposing team on a nightly basis, Lee's nearly one steal per game average sparks the defense. She also averages 4.9 points per game and 2.3 rebounds per game. Her 23 made 3-pointers this season is the fourth-best mark on the team.

Hartness, who comes off the bench, averages 6.4 points per game. She's had stretches of dominant scoring efforts. The senior from Arkansas is also one of the better shooters on the team, making 44 percent of her shots from the floor.

UCO's junior class leads the Bronchos in scoring. Micayla Haynes (12.1), Ireon Smith (10.9), and Shatoya Bryson (10.9) all have taken turns taking over games.

Central Oklahoma met Northeastern State just a few weeks ago in Tahlequah, Okla. The Bronchos came away with a 73-66 win over the longtime rival.

Haynes had a team-high 19 that afternoon. Blessington had 13 and Hartness, 12. The Bronchos knocked down 11 of 24 threes in the win.

UCO will wrap up the regular season with Emporia State before preparing for the MIAA Postseason Tournament. The Bronchos will play Wednesday, March 5 at Municipal Auditorium. UCO's standing and opponent are still to be determined. Central is currently tied for eighth place and could finish anywhere from seventh to 10th in the 10-team tourney in Kansas City next week.

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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