Women's Basketball 12/17/2020 10:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

Central Visits Newman For 2020 Finale

UCO Wraps Up Front End Of 2020-21 Schedule Saturday

WICHITA, Kan. – The University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team heads to Newman University Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. MIAA matchup.

Central Oklahoma heads into the weekend with a 2-3 record and is looking to stop a three-game losing streak. The Bronchos opened the season with a pair of wins over Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State, but after taking Week 2 off, Central has lost each of its last three games.

"Most importantly we need to just start making shots," UCO head coach Guy Hardaker said. "The last two games we have not been able to make anything and that changes the game. It changes the way teams defend you, it changes the way you run an offense, and it certainly changes the way you feel. We just need to come out and hit a few shots and get some confidence going."

Central is averaging 65.6 points per game this season and shooting just 39.3 percent overall from the floor. The Bronchos are shooting 24.2 percent from behind the arc and 69 percent from the free-throw line. UCO is outrebounding its opponents 39.6 to 36.2 per game, but a minus-2 turnover margin is another obstacle Central is fighting to overcome.

UCO is led by Kelsey Johnson. The senior forward is averaging 24.8 points per game through five games played this season. Johnson is also leading the team with 9.8 rebounds per game. She is a single rebound away from averaging a double-double. She has 49 rebounds in five games. She was the only player in the league and one of just 15 in the country to average a double-double before slipping below that line after a game earlier this week.

Johnson is also shooting 60.8 percent from the field. She set a new UCO record last season by hitting 60.2 percent of her shots throughout the season. Johnson has made 48 of 79 shots this season, including 3 of 6 from behind the arc. She is also the team's leader at the free-throw line, having made 25 of 32 attempts from the charity stripe.

Central Oklahoma has a group of players working together to help Johnson carry the load.

Avery Allen and Jaci Littell both average 6.4 points per game. Taylor Dement averages 6.0 per game. Brooke Rayner averages 5.8 points per game. Kaci Richardson (4.6), Karly Wadsworth (4.4), and Clary Donica (4.3) also chip in on offense.

Wadsworth has a team-high six made 3-pointers in five games. Allen leads the team with 17 assists, or 3.4 per game. And Maddie Harelson, who averages 3.4 points per game, leads the team with seven steals. Allen, Rayner, Littell, and Dement all have five steals through five games.

Newman is 2-4 this season. The Jets are led by Brooke Haney, who averages 12.7 points per game. Haney has played in all six games but has yet to make a start. She has a team-high nine made 3-pointers this season as well as 25 made free-throws. Faith Mason-Vestal is second on the team in scoring at 9.8 points per game. Madison Birnbaum, who averages 3.2 points per game, leads the team with 5.5 rebounds per game.

Central Oklahoma and Newman have only met a handful of times. UCO won 106-35 – the 71 points the largest margin of victory ever by a Broncho squad – during the 1996-97 season. That game did not count toward Newman's record as the school was still in NAIA at the time. But it did count for the Bronchos.

The teams didn't meet again until 2011-12, when Central was an independent between transitioning from the Lone Star Conference to the MIAA. UCO won that contest 93-86.

Then another big break. The teams met again last year, twice at that, as Newman joined the MIAA. Central won both meetings in 2019-20, taking the first meeting in Wichita 76-52 and the second meeting in Edmond, 68-60.

Central Oklahoma will be off for the holidays following Saturday's game. The Bronchos will have some practice next week before taking the NCAA mandated break for Christmas. After Central returns and the calendar changes to 2021, UCO will take a trip to Northeastern State on Jan. 7 and Rogers State on Jan. 9.

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Players Mentioned

#1 Avery Allen: G; 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman

#3 Clary Donica: F; 6' 0"; Junior

#32 Maddie Harelson: F; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#33 Kelsey Johnson: F; 6' 3"; Senior

#13 Jaci Littell: G; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#11 Brooke Rayner: G; 5' 7"; Junior

#44 Kaci Richardson: F; 5' 10"; Senior

#4 Taylor Dement: G; 5' 5"; Redshirt Freshman

#21 Karly Wadsworth: G; 5' 8"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#1 Avery Allen
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman
: G

#3 Clary Donica
: 6' 0"; Junior
: F

#32 Maddie Harelson
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: F

#33 Kelsey Johnson
: 6' 3"; Senior
: F

#13 Jaci Littell
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: G

#11 Brooke Rayner
: 5' 7"; Junior
: G

#44 Kaci Richardson
: 5' 10"; Senior
: F

#4 Taylor Dement
: 5' 5"; Redshirt Freshman
: G

#21 Karly Wadsworth
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: G