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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Brooke Rayner
72
Emporia St. ESU 6-4,1-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
74
Winner Central Okla. CentOK 7-3,3-1 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Emporia St. ESU
6-4,1-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
72
Final
74
Central Okla. CentOK
7-3,3-1 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Emporia St. ESU 22 18 10 22 72
Central Okla. CentOK 24 20 14 16 74

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Chris Brannick

Bronchos Holds Off Hornets

EDMOND - The University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team beat Emporia State Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Field House thanks to a pair of game-winning free-throws from Kelsey Johnson with 0.3 seconds remaining. 

Central Oklahoma 74, Emporia State 72.

Johnson received an inbound pass from Jaci Littell with just over one second to play. She gathered the ball, turned, and was fouled going up for the basket. Johnson hit both free-throws to give the Bronchos the victory. UCO is 7-3 this season and now 3-1 in the MIAA. Saturday was the third consecutive victory for Central.

"I think we played well enough," UCO head women's basketball coach Guy Hardaker said. "We gave up a big lead and that's not something you can ever really afford to do, especiallly against good teams. But we found a way to stay in it and gave ourselves a chance and this time it worked out in the end."

Central Oklahoma led by as many as 14 points midway through the third quarter. The Bronchos held MIAA Player of the Year Tre'Zure Jobe to 0-for-17 shooting for the first 35:57 of the game. She did eventually find the bottom of the net, and hit each of her last three shots to give Emporia State a late lead. 

UCO trailed by three, 68-65, with just over two minutes to play, then again, 70-67, with 90 seconds remaining. Johnson then scored the final seven points of the game for the Bronchos. She made a layup with 41 seconds left to cut it to one before Jobe responded with a layup to make it a three point deficit for UCO yet again, 72-69, with 22 seconds left on the clock. 

Johnson kept working though, and made another layup while being fouled. The three-point play tied the game, 72-72, with 18 seconds left. Emporia called timeout with just over four seconds left, but missed a 3-point attempt. Central got the rebound and called timeout before drawing up a familiar play. 

Two weeks ago in Lawton, Oklahoma, with the game tied and just over one second left on the clock, Littell inbounded to Johnson with a long lob pass into the paint. She hit that shot clear and the Bronchos beat Cameron 65-63. 

Johnson finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, collecting her sixth straight double-double and eighth in 10 games this season. She was 7-for-11 from the floor and a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.

Littell also scored in double figures Saturday, putting up 14 points off the bench for the Bronchos. She was 5-for-11 from the floor and 3-for-8 from behind the 3-point line. Littell also hit one free-throw and added five rebounds, three assists, and three steals. 

Alayzha Knapp made it three Bronchos in double figures. She scored 10 points and had seven rebounds. Brooke Rayner, who scored nine, had a big game with eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Aliyah Llanusa, who spent most of her day shutting down Jobe, had two points and three steals. 

Karly Wadsworth and Clary Donica both scored six points while Rory Geer and Taylor Dement both had three. 

Central Oklahoma has a big road trip on the horizon. The Bronchos visit Fort Hays State and Nebraska Kearney on Friday and Sunday respectively. Fort Hays was No. 1 in the country this week and Kearney, No. 17. UNK beat Hays 61-56 in Hays, Kansas on Saturday. 

UCO will take an extended break following those two MIAA contests. The Bronchos are home again in January. 
 
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