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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Lauren Chancellor
88
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 12-3, 6-1 MIAA
86
Pittsburg State PSU 8-6, 4-2 MIAA
Winner
Central Oklahoma UCO
12-3, 6-1 MIAA
88
Final
86
Pittsburg State PSU
8-6, 4-2 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Central Oklahoma UCO 18 21 24 25 88
Pittsburg State PSU 13 20 24 29 86

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Chris Brannick

Central Fights Off Pitt State

PITTSBURG, Kan. – The University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team fought off a pesky Pittsburg squad and came away with an 88-86 victory Saturday afternoon. The Bronchos led wire-to-wire and improved to 12-3 on the season with the win and are now 6-1 in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play.
 
"We played really well on offense today and that helped us get a lead and keep it," UCO head coach Guy Hardaker said. "A few mistakes in the end almost cost us the game, but we found a way. I think our defensive pressure was good all afternoon and it was on that last possession and that helped us get the win."
 
Pittsburg State rebounded a missed UCO free-throw with 8.5 seconds to play, but missed a contested 3-pointer as time expired. Central has its third three-game win streak of the season following Saturday's triumph.
 
Kelsey Johnson led UCO with 17 points on a 7-for-9 shooting performance. She hit her only 3-point attempt and both of her free-throw attempts. Johnson also had four rebounds, two blocks, and two assists.
 
UCO got a big game off the bench from Lauren Chancellor, who scored a career-high 12 points. She was 3-for-5 from the floor, knocking down both her 3-point attempts and all four of her free-throw attempts. Micayla Haynes, who was also 2-for-2 from behind the arc, scored 12 points, Clary Donica finished with 11, and Shatoya Bryson added 10 points.
 
UCO was 8-for-16 from outside Saturday afternoon and finished the game 31 of 58 overall, a 53.4 percent mark. The Bronchos hit 18 of 25 free-throw attempts as a team.
 
Central Oklahoma got off to a hot start Saturday afternoon, scoring the game's first seven points. Donica got an easy layup to get UCO on the scoreboard. Johnson followed with a 3-pointer, and then got a layup of her own that put the Bronchos up 7-0 after two and a half minutes.
 
UCO shot nearly 50 percent (8 of 17) from the floor in the first quarter and forced seven PSU turnovers to build an 18-13 lead.
 
In the second quarter, Central continued a balanced offensive attack and a stifling defense. Central shot 55 percent (10 of 18) in the second and forced four more Pitt State turnovers to hold onto its lead.
 
An 8-0 run early in the quarter played a big role too. Pittsburg guard Kaylee DaMitz made one of two free-throws with 7:41 to play to cut the UCO lead to three, 20-17. Johnson followed with another layup on the other end to start the run. Haynes made a layup on the next possession, Brooke Rayner made a layup shortly after that, and Johnson capped off the 8-0 run with another basket in the paint to give UCO a 28-17 lead.
 
That was UCO's biggest lead of the first half. The Bronchos also led by 11, 35-24, with 2:47 to play.
 
Central extended its lead to 14 points early in the third quarter, going on another 8-0 run to start the second half.
 
Haynes gathered a rebound and took it all the way for a clean layup, then Bryson knocked down both of her 3-pointers on the day on the next two possessions, putting the Bronchos ahead 47-33 just 68 seconds into the third quarter.
 
PSU responded though, cutting back into the lead. After three quarters of play, UCO maintained the six-point lead it took to halftime.
 
The fourth quarter saw more of the same. Every time Pitt State got close, a big shot fell for the Bronchos. PSU cut the lead to four, but Haynes knocked down a 3-pointer. Four points again, Kaci Richardson drew a foul and knocked down both of her free-throws. Three-point deficit, Chancellor gets to the line and makes both free-throws.
 
UCO had a response to every effort Pittsburg State made on Saturday.
 
Jaci Littell added eight points, including a 6-for-6 performance from the free-throw line. McKenna Pulley also scored eight points and Richardson had six. Rayner finished with four.
 
Central Oklahoma will return home from its two-game MIAA road trip with two wins. UCO is back in action when Bronchos welcome Northeastern State to Hamilton Field House on Wednesday.
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