Men's Basketball 12/28/2021 1:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

Central Closes 2021 Thursday At Hamilton

EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma men's basketball team returns to the court for one final time in 2021 when the Bronchos welcome Southwestern Christian to Hamilton Field House. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday.

Central Oklahoma is 9-2 this season and has a 5-1 record in MIAA competition. Southwestern Christian, an NAIA school in Bethany, Oklahoma, is 4-4 this season.

"It'll be good to be back on the court and playing again," UCO head men's basketball coach Bob Hoffman said. "Coming out of our break we're just ready to get back on the floor and get back into the swing of things. This should be a good game, they're a very athletic team, and it'll be good to play them before we go fully into conference."

Central Oklahoma has not played since Dec. 19 but the Bronchos do bring a five game win streak into Thursday's matchup. UCO opened the season with three straight wins before losing two of three around Thanksgiving. The Bronchos have not lost since Dec. 2 and that came on a buzzer beater tip-in at Missouri Southern.

UCO boasts the highest scoring rate of any MIAA school at 84.1 points per game. That mark is also the 37th best rate in the country. Central Oklahoma shoots 50.2 percent overall from the floor, with a 38.8 percent mark on shots behind the 3-point line. The Bronchos also shoot 77.2 percent from the free-throw line and average 15.7 made free-throws per contest.

Central ranks second in the MIAA in field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage while coming in third in free-throw percentage.

UCO's defensive effort holds opponents to 70.2 points per game. The Bronchos keep the opposition at 42.4 percent overall, 31.7 percent from behind the arc, and 64.2 percent from the free-throw line.

Leading the way for the Bronchos is Isaiah Wade, who was named MIAA Player of the Week before the break. Wade averages a team-high 19.2 points per game through 11 games and also averages a team-high 9.1 rebounds per game. He ranks fourth in the MIAA in scoring and second in rebounding.

Wade is also posting these numbers at a highly efficient rate. He shoots 61.6 percent from the field, 69.2 percent from behind the 3-point line, as well as 68.1 percent from the free-throw line. He does all that in 27.3 minutes per contest.

Wade is 49th in the country in scoring, 32nd in rebounding, and 28th in field goal percentage.

Camryn Givens, who was named MIAA Player of the Week before Wade earned the honor, is averaging 16.8 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game. He scored a career-high 40 points in a win earlier this month for the Bronchos.

Givens shoots 54.9 percent overall, 42.4 percent from behind the arc, and 74.0 percent from the free-throw line. His 37 makes on 50 attempts from the charity stripe are both a team high.

Callen Haydon is the third Broncho in double figures scoring the basketball. He averages 13.5 points per game through 11 games played. Haydon, who plays a team-high 32.5 minutes per game, also averages 5.9 assists per game. That mark leads the MIAA and is the 14th-best rate in the country.

Haydon shoots 48.6 percent overall and 42.9 percent from behind the 3-point line while posting a blistering 88.9 percent rate at the free-throw line.

Haydon also averages 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

Jaden Wells gives Central four players averaging double figures. He posts 12.6 points per game and does most of that work from outside.

Wells leads the team with 33 made 3-pointers through 11 games, an even average of three makes per contest. He also does so with a 47.8 percent success rate, which leads the MIAA and is the 15th-best mark in the country.

Wells shoots 43.8 percent overall and leads the team with a 95.7 percent mark at the free-throw line, making 22 of 23 attempts through 11 games. He also is third on the team in rebounding at 4.5 per contest.

Central Oklahoma's fifth starter, in 9 of 11 games, is Jalyn Turner. He averages 3.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.

The Bronchos average 20.4 points per game off the bench.

Preston Aymond leads that charge, posting an even 7.0 points per game in 21 minutes per game. Aymond also averages 4.1 rebounds per game. Davon Richardson adds 4.2 points per game and 2.6 rebounds per game in 15.6 minutes.

Carson Calavan, who averages 3.2 points per game, also averages 4.1 assists per game. He ranks fifth in the MIAA in assists not far behind Haydon. The two combine for 9.8 assists per game.

Second-year freshman Conner Calavan (2.4) and true freshman Danquez Dawsey (2.0) both chip in where they can on offense to help the Bronchos.

Central Oklahoma will have the weekend off before setting up for the final two months of the season as the calendar flips to 2022.

UCO is scheduled to play nine games in January and seven in February and all 16 will be MIAA contests. The 2021-22 MIAA Basketball Championships return to Kansas City this March with the top 10 teams qualifying for the postseason tournament at Municipal Auditorium.

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Players Mentioned

#13 Carson Calavan: G; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#33 Camryn Givens: F; 6' 6"; Junior

#10 Jalyn Turner: F; 6' 6"; Sophomore

#2 Isaiah Wade: F; 6' 7"; Senior

#1 Davon Richardson: G; 6' 3"; Freshman

#24 Jaden Wells: G; 6' 1"; Freshman

#3 Conner Calavan: G; 6' 5"; Freshman

#14 Callen Haydon: G; 5' 11"; Junior

#0 Danquez Dawsey: G; 6' 2"; Freshman

#23 Preston Aymond: F; 6' 7"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#13 Carson Calavan
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: G

#33 Camryn Givens
: 6' 6"; Junior
: F

#10 Jalyn Turner
: 6' 6"; Sophomore
: F

#2 Isaiah Wade
: 6' 7"; Senior
: F

#1 Davon Richardson
: 6' 3"; Freshman
: G

#24 Jaden Wells
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: G

#3 Conner Calavan
: 6' 5"; Freshman
: G

#14 Callen Haydon
: 5' 11"; Junior
: G

#0 Danquez Dawsey
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: G

#23 Preston Aymond
: 6' 7"; Freshman
: F