Women's Basketball 3/1/2019 8:27:00 AM Chris Brannick

Central Oklahoma Hosts Emporia State In Regular Season Finale

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EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team hosts Emporia State Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in Hamilton Field House. It's the final game of the 2018-19 regular season.

The Bronchos are 17-11 on the season. ESU is 22-6.

"We want to end the regular season on a good note," UCO head women's basketball coach Guy Hardaker said. "We played Emporia pretty good at their place a few weeks ago but came up short. I think if we play as well as we did at times for the whole game, we can get a win and go into the conference tournament with a little momentum."

Central Oklahoma is 8-10 in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association games. The Bronchos are currently tied for seventh place in the league standings ahead of next week's postseason tournament. The Bronchos qualified for a sixth-straight MIAA Tournament last weekend.

UCO enters Saturday's finale looking for its first three-game win streak since it started the season 9-0. The Bronchos have won two in a row on three separate occasions since then, including its last two. Central beat Nebraska Kearney 93-92 in overtime last Saturday before beating Northeastern State 70-57 earlier this week.

The Bronchos average 67.1 points per game this season, and allow 64.5. UCO has a trio of juniors averaging double-digits in the scoring column and those three have led the Bronchos for most of this season.

Micayla Haynes leads UCO with 12.3 points per game. She has a team-high 51 made 3-pointers this season and also averages two assists and one steal per game.

Ireon Smith averages 11.3 points per game this season and leads the team in rebounds with a 7.8 per game mark. Smith is also among the league leaders in rebounds, she ranks fifth, and field goal percentage (53.8). Smith's 1.8 blocks per game is also fifth in the MIAA.

Shatoya Bryson averages an even 11 points per game. She is close behind Haynes with 45 made 3-pointers this season and leads the team with 58 made free-throws. Bryson also averages 3.0 assists per game and 1.3 steals per game and leads the team with 30.9 minutes played per game.

UCO's senior class will be recognized before the game. Sadie Mason, who transitioned into a managerial role this season, Blake Blessington, Madison Lee, and Megan Hartness, will all be honored. The group has combined to go 83-37 over the past four seasons with four-straight trips to the postseason and one NCAA Tournament appearance.

Blessington averages 8.7 points per game this season and is second on the team in rebounds (5.0), assists (2.3), and is third on the team with 39 made 3-pointers. Lee, whose defense sparks everything for the Bronchos, has also hit 23 shots from outside this season and is one of three Bronchos shooting better than 84 percent from the free-throw line. Hartness averages 6.5 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game, and is one of five Bronchos averaging at least one steal per game.

Emporia State averages 73.5 points per game and allows 62.6. ESU is led by Tyra Jones' 15.9 points per game. She is also the team's leading rebounder at 7.7 per game. Jessica Wayne averages 13.9 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per game. Emily Miller (13) and Addie Lackey (10.7) also score in double figures for the Hornets.

UCO lost 71-64 at Emporia State on Valentine's Day. The Bronchos knocked down 13 3-pointers that night, the most in a loss this season. It was one of only two games this season that Central hit at least 10 threes and did not win.

Central Oklahoma will play next in Kansas City, Mo. at historical Municipal Auditorium next week. The MIAA Postseason Tournament begins Wednesday, March 5. The Bronchos will either play in the 6 p.m. game featuring the 8-9 seeds in the tournament or in the 8:15 p.m. game featuring the 7-10 seeds.

The final season standings and tournament seedings will be announced following the completion of Saturday's games.

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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

#5 Sadie Mason: F; 6' 0"; Junior

#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

#5 Sadie Mason
: 6' 0"; Junior
: F

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

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