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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Aliyah Llanusa
70
Emporia St. ESU 8-3,8-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
77
Winner Central Okla. CentOK 8-4,8-4 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Emporia St. ESU
8-3,8-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
70
Final
77
Central Okla. CentOK
8-4,8-4 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Emporia St. ESU 19 21 17 13 70
Central Okla. CentOK 17 20 23 17 77

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Chris Brannick

Central Oklahoma Rallies Past Emporia State

Bronchos Hold ESU To 13 Fourth Quarter Points

EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team turned up its defensive efforts in the fourth quarter Thursday night and came away with a 77-70 victory against Emporia State.
 
Central is now 8-4 with the win – which avenged the three-point loss at Emporia State last week.
 
"Our defense really helped us late," UCO head coach Guy Hardaker said after the game. "They helped with forcing turnovers and they helped with limiting open shots. Emporia was making everything in the first half and the girls did a good job tonight of responding with a really good second half."
 
UCO forced 17 turnovers Thursday night and scored 21 points off those turnovers. Caley Young and Brooke Rayner each had three steals and Taylor Dement had two. Maddie Harelson and Tayler Factor also stole one ball each to aide in the effort.
 
A well-rounded offensive effort also helped Central Thursday night. Kelsey Johnson, Rayner, Young, and Avery Allen all scored in double figures.
 
Johnson led all Central scorers with 18 points and added four rebounds and two blocks. Rayner scored 15 points, thanks in part to three made 3-pointers, and added eight rebounds, six assists and three steals. Young scored 12 points to go with a game-high 13 rebounds and her three steals. And Allen, who also made three 3-pointers on the night, scored 11 points and dished out four assists.
 
Thursday's game had plenty of similarities to the matchup between these two schools a week ago. There were six lead changes in the first quarter alone. Central Oklahoma only managed to get ahead by as many as two points while ESU found a nine-point lead late in the first quarter. The Lady Hornets hit five 3-pointers in the opening 10 minutes but only led 19-17 at the first break.
 
It was more of the same in the second quarter as Emporia State hit four more 3-pointers. UCO though was tough in its response and never let the game get away. Allen hit one of her threes and added a layup on the next possession to put UCO ahead 33-31, but Emporia responded and took a 40-37 lead to the locker room at halftime.
 
Then the defense kicked in for the Bronchos.
 
Emporia shot just 25 percent from the floor in the third quarter and made only two 3-pointers. And after a 6-0 run midway through the quarter via a Young jump shot, a Rayner layup, and a Kaci Richardson layup, Central finally regained the lead, 50-49. The Bronchos led by as many as six near the end of the quarter when Jaci Littell hit a pair of free-throws. UCO led 60-57 heading into the final quarter.
 
A 6-2 run to start the fourth quarter did allow ESU to take the lead back and the Lady Hornets led by as many as three with six minutes to play. But Richardson hit a 3-pointer for the Bronchos to tie the game and Johnson made a layup shortly thereafter to give UCO a two-point lead with just over four minutes left to play in the game and the Bronchos never trailed again.
 
Another Littell free-throw gave UCO an eight-point lead with 45 seconds left in the game, and two Johnson free-throws put the Bronchos up by nine with 31 seconds to go. ESU made a layup with 10 seconds left to settle on the 77-70 final score.
 
Littell and Richardson both scored six points, Clary Donica scored four, Aliyah Llanusa three, and Dement added two to round out the scoring for the Bronchos.
 
Central shot 43.9 percent from the floor Thursday night, hitting 29 of 66 shots. The Bronchos made eight 3-pointers and went 11-for-15 from the free-throw line.
 
Central Oklahoma will continue a brief two-game homestand this weekend when the Bronchos take on Washburn Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
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