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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Callen Haydon
65
Neb.-Kearney UNK 1-4,1-4 Mid-America Intercollegiate
72
Winner Central Okla. CentOK 1-3,1-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Neb.-Kearney UNK
1-4,1-4 Mid-America Intercollegiate
65
Final
72
Central Okla. CentOK
1-3,1-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Neb.-Kearney UNK 34 31 65
Central Okla. CentOK 25 47 72

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Chris Brannick

Bronchos Top Lopers In Saturday MIAA Affair

EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma men's basketball team earned its first win of the season Saturday, beating Nebraska Kearney 72-65 at Hamilton Field House. The Bronchos improved to 1-3 on the season following the MIAA win.
 
"I'm really proud of our guys for battling today," UCO head men's basketball Bob Hoffman said. "We've been unfortunate early in the season and we didn't play very well in the first half. But the guys responded well. I think the second half was our best half all season and we were able to get the win. I'm really proud of our guys."
 
Camryn Givens led the Bronchos with 15 points and also had six rebounds. He was joined in double figures by Callen Haydon, who scored 13 off the bench, and Isaiah Wade, who scored 10 points and added seven rebounds.
 
Central trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half but that after holding an early lead. UCO was up 3-1 on a Givens 3-pointer and led 5-1 after Carson Calavan scored fastbreak layup after a Colt Savage steal. Nebraska Kearney followed that with a run and led by as much as eight halfway through the first half. UNK eventually built that 11-point lead, going up 34-23 with 1:11 to play in the first half. Central got the last basket of the half and trailed by nine, 34-25, at the break.
 
Central started the second half much better. The Bronchos opened the half on a 7-0 run, sparked by a Wade two, a Givens layup and-1, and a Savage layup. Nebraska Kearney ended the run with a 3-pointer, but Calavan hit one of his own on the next possession to bring UCO to within two points, 37-35.
 
Shemar Smith tied the game one minute later but Kearney kept fighting to keep its lead. The game was tied once more when Givens put in a basket, then UNK went on a 5-0 run to take a 44-39 lead. Then UCO made its biggest run of the night – and maybe the early season.
 
Jaden Wells hit a 3-pointer. Haydon hit one too. Then Givens hit another one. The latter giving Central a 48-46 lead with 9:43 to play in the second half.
 
Central's work to get the lead again continued in the ensuing moments and the Bronchos led 58-48 after Seth Hurd made a layup with 6:15 to play in the second half.
 
UNK never went away. The Lopers cut the lead to three with just over two minutes to play, but Central Oklahoma did well to keep the lead in check down the stretch and come away with its first victory of the season.
 
Central shot 41.8 percent from the floor on the night, hitting 28 of 67 shots. The Bronchos hit 6 of 26 threes and went 10-for-14 from the free-throw line, 71.4 percent, for the game.
 
Wells added eight points with a pair of 3-pointers for the Bronchos. Smith scored six to go with a team-high eight rebounds. Calavan and Davon Richardson both scored five. Hurd scored four. Savage, Justin Nimmer, and Jalyn Turner each scored two points.
 
Central Oklahoma has only one game again next week, playing at Newman on Saturday, Dec. 19.
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