Men's Basketball 11/20/2020 1:30:00 PM Chris Brannick

Bronchos Welcome Pittsburg State

Central Oklahoma Continues Opening Weekend

EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma men's basketball continues its return to play opening weekend with at Saturday showdown against Pittsburg State. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. inside Hamilton Field House.

UCO is looking to bounce back after a tough season-opening loss Thursday night. The Bronchos held a one-point lead over No. 21 Missouri Southern with less than 30 seconds to play but lost 75-74.

Camryn Givens showed up and showed out in the 2020-21 season opener Thursday night. The junior forward from McKinney, Texas put up a career-high 27 points and added a game-high 12 rebounds. Givens was 7 of 13 from the field, 2-for-5 from behind the arc, and 11 of 13 from the free-throw line in 32 minutes of play. Last season as a sophomore and junior college transfer, Givens was named All-MIAA Honorable Mention after averaging 10.4 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game.

Justin Nimmer had an impressive season debut for the Bronchos. His put back dunk on some Missouri Southern player's head on the first play of the game earned him a technical foul. He went on to score 11 points, grab nine rebounds, and also dished out five assists. Nimmer didn't shoot particularly well, but his ability to get to the basket is where he made his money.

Callen Haydon, a junior college transfer, made his Broncho debut Thursday and scored eight points. He added a pair of rebounds and a steal. Haydon had one assist as well. He's looking to improve on that number after leading the country in assists while at Conners State last season.

Seth Hurd scored five points Thursday night and pulled down two rebounds. Isaiah Wade, Colt Savage, D.J. Basey, and Davon Richardson all scored four. Wade, who fouled out and was severely limited because of early foul trouble, should have much bigger numbers moving forward. The 6-7 forward is capable of scoring 20 or more on any night.

Central Oklahoma shot 39.3 percent from the floor as a team, hitting 24 of 61 shots. The Bronchos made 5 of 19 threes and 21 of 26 free-throws. UCO scored 74 points in the season opener, which is plus-5 to its season average from 2019-20.

Pittsburg State posted a 12-16 record last season. The Gorillas have three players back from that squad that started at least 10 games. Dejon Waters Jr. averaged 8.9 points per game, Antonio Givens II scored 8.2 per outing, and Xavier Womack scored 4.9 per contest.

Central Oklahoma first played Pittsburg State in the 1938-39 season, with the Gorillas of southeast Kansas taking a 40-38 victory. The Bronchos however own a 17-13 advantage in the all-time series. And Central won 78-73 last season in Pittsburg. UCO is 7-5 against PSU since joining the MIAA in 2012.

Central Oklahoma is off next week for Thanksgiving. The Bronchos will take on Washburn in Topeka, Kan. on Monday, Nov. 30 before visiting Emporia State on Saturday, Dec. 5.

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Players Mentioned

#12 D.J. Basey: F; 6' 10"; Sophomore

#33 Camryn Givens: F; 6' 6"; Junior

#5 Seth Hurd: F; 6' 6"; Sophomore

#0 Justin Nimmer: G; 6' 6"; Sophomore

#2 Isaiah Wade: F; 6' 7"; Senior

#1 Davon Richardson: G; 6' 3"; Freshman

#14 Callen Haydon: G; 5' 11"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#12 D.J. Basey
: 6' 10"; Sophomore
: F

#33 Camryn Givens
: 6' 6"; Junior
: F

#5 Seth Hurd
: 6' 6"; Sophomore
: F

#0 Justin Nimmer
: 6' 6"; Sophomore
: G

#2 Isaiah Wade
: 6' 7"; Senior
: F

#1 Davon Richardson
: 6' 3"; Freshman
: G

#14 Callen Haydon
: 5' 11"; Junior
: G