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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Carson Calavan
64
Neb.-Kearney UNK 16-12,10-9 Mid-America Intercollegiate
68
Winner Central Okla. CentOK 11-17,8-11 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Neb.-Kearney UNK
16-12,10-9 Mid-America Intercollegiate
64
Final
68
Central Okla. CentOK
11-17,8-11 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Neb.-Kearney UNK 34 30 64
Central Okla. CentOK 30 38 68

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Chris Brannick

Bronchos Take Regular Season Finale

EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma men's basketball team improved its win streak to four in a row with a 68-64 victory over Nebraska Kearney Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Field House.
 
The Bronchos are now 11-17 on the season and ended the league scheduled with an 8-11 mark. UCO clinched the eight-seed in the MIAA Tournament and will play Lincoln next Wednesday, March 4, in Kansas City.
 
"I'm really proud of our team for the way they've played down the stretch this season," UCO head coach Bob Hoffman said. "We could have given up when things got tough, and they got really tough, but our guys kept competing for each other now we've extended our season just a little bit."
 
UCO will head to the MIAA tournament for the seventh time in eight years since joining the league in 2012. The Bronchos are returning to the postseason after a one-year absence.
 
Saturday, all-around solid performances led the Bronchos to victory.
 
Dashawn McDowell and D.J. Basey both scored team highs with 13 points, but Camryn Givens, Carson Calavan, and Justin Nimmer all added nine while Dashon Bell scored eight. All but two Bronchos that played scored.
 
Central was solid shooting, making 46.5 percent of its shots overall. The Bronchos hit just two 3-pointers on the night, but used a 26-for-31 effort from the free-throw line to spark the offense.
 
UCO held an early lead Saturday, but had to fight for most of the first half. There were three lead changes in the first 20 minutes, but when UNK went ahead 18-17 on a layup and-1 with just over eight minutes to play, the Lopers held the lead for the rest of the half. Central trailed by as many as 10 on two occasions, including with 2:55 to play. UCO whittled the lead down to four by halftime, 34-30, ending the half on a 6-0 run.
 
Central then scored a 6-0 run to start the second half. Bell made a layup on the opening possession, Nimmer hit a jumper to tie the game, 34-34, then Bell did too to give the Bronchos the lead.
 
There would five lead changes in the second half.
 
UNK made a run following a 53-53 tie with 5:38 to go. A jumper with 3:04 to play gave the Lopers an eight-point lead, their biggest of the second half. But the Bronchos chipped away at it again.
 
A 7-0 run followed, with Givens' 3-pointer with 1:33 to play putting the Bronchos down by just a point. Although UNK answered that with a layup to go ahead 64-61, the Bronchos wouldn't allow another score.
 
Central finished the game on another 7-0 run to earn the victory.
 
Central Oklahoma now makes its return to the MIAA Tournament and will face Lincoln. UCO beat Lincoln 79-65 in the only meeting this season between the two schools back on Jan. 6.
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