Skip To Main Content

University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Jaden Wells
105
Winner Central Okla. CENTOK 12-10,12-10 Mid-
101
Mo. Southern St. MSSU 13-9,13-9 Mid-Am
Winner
Central Okla. CENTOK
12-10,12-10 Mid-
105
Final
101
Mo. Southern St. MSSU
13-9,13-9 Mid-Am
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Central Okla. CENTOK 35 54 16 105
Mo. Southern St. MSSU 42 47 12 101

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Chris Brannick

Central Wins At Southern, Clinches Playoff Berth

Bronchos Erase 12-Point Lead To Force Overtime

JOPLIN, Mo. – The University of Central Oklahoma men's basketball team came out victors in an MIAA slugfest against Missouri Southern Saturday afternoon, with the Bronchos pulling away in a 105-101 overtime thriller.
 
"I'm so proud of our guys," UCO head coach Bob Hoffman said. "And I know I say that all the time but man tonight I'm so proud of our guys. We're playing three games in four days, all on the road, and we hit a rough patch last week, but these guys just came out and fought for it. They're so competitive and they earned this one."
 
Central Oklahoma trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half before storming back to take the lead. After a back-and-forth battle of trading blows, UCO junior guard Callen Haydon tied the game, 89-89 with 28 seconds left. A defensive stand by the Bronchos then took the fight into overtime.
 
UCO took the first lead in the extra period, then MSSU went up by three. UCO found its way back in front again before the game was tied, 99-99, with one minute to play. That's when Jaden Wells put the exclamation point on a tremendous performance. Haydon dished it to Wells at the top of the key and the true freshman – who was celebrating his 19th birthday – knocked down his sixth 3-pointer of the game to give the Bronchos a 102-99 lead with 39 seconds to play.
 
After a Southern dunk, Camryn Givens made the front end of a 1-and-1 free-throw trip. Up 103-101 Missouri Southern tried a 3-pointer to win the game but missed. Givens made two more free-throws with two seconds left to finish off the win.
 
The win clinched Central Oklahoma a berth in the MIAA Tournament. UCO, with a little help from around the league, went from eighth to fifth in one night. The Bronchos will get a rematch with Missouri Southern next Wednesday in Joplin for the MIAA Quarterfinals.
 
Wells led all scorers with 26 points and all rebounders with 11 boards. A freshman from Hurst, Texas, Wells went 9-for-19 Saturday, hitting six 3-pointers on 15 attempts. He was also 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Wells' six threes tied a season high. His 11 boards were a new season high.
 
Isaiah Wade also led all scorers with 26 points and he added nine rebounds. The senior forward was 11-for-16 from the floor and 4-for-9 from the free-throw line.
 
Haydon made it three Bronchos with at least 20 points – the second such occurrence this season. The junior point guard from El Reno, Oklahoma, has scored at least 20 in five straight games. He was 7-for-15 from the floor, 2-for-5 from 3-point range, and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line and also dished out seven assists.
 
Givens finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Shemar Smith scored 16 off the bench in a big game for another freshman. Jalyn Turner added seven points, four rebounds, and four assists.
 
Central Oklahoma started the game off with it tied 2-2 and soon after 5-5. But an 11-0 run by Missouri Southern followed that and set the stage for a first half that appeared to be controlled by the Lions. Southern's largest lead was 11 points, 24-13, and MSSU took a seven-point lead into halftime. The Bronchos were just 36.4 percent from the floor, hitting 12 of 33 shots.
 
In the second half, the first five minutes looked almost identical to the first half. Missouri Southern took a 60-48 lead with 14:02 to play. But that's when Central flipped the switch.
 
Wells hit a 3-pointer and after a Southern turnover, found his way to the basket for a layup to bring the deficit to seven points. Wells followed with one of the more bizarre sequences in basketball. After a missed three from Southern was rebounded by Wells, he pulled up on the break and took a three of his own. He missed. He got his own rebound. He missed another three. Smith got the next rebound and passed it to Wells. He missed another three.
 
Three misses in 13 seconds by the best shooter on the floor.
 
Missouri Southern scored on the next possession and pushed the lead back to 11 after that, but UCO wasn't done.
 
Turner hit a 3-pointer, then Smith made a layup in the paint, then Haydon hit a 3-pointer. The 8-0 run spanned 39 seconds and cut the MSSU lead to just three points. The next possession? Wells hit another big three to tie the game, 64-64, capping off an 11-0 run in just over one minute.
 
The teams from here went back and forth, battling it out every step of the way down the stretch before the Bronchos finished off the comeback victory.
 
Central Oklahoma finished the night shooting over 50 percent, hitting 39 of 75 shots. The Bronchos were 11 of 30 from behind the arc and went 16-for-24 from the free-throw line.
 
UCO in winning Saturday, clinched a spot in next week's MIAA Tournament and will travel to Joplin for another matchup with Missouri Southern. The Bronchos are the No. 5 seed in the tournament and Southern the No. 4 seed. Following Wednesday's quarterfinal matchup, the highest remaining seed in the MIAA Tournament will host the semifinals and championship this Friday and Saturday respectively.
 
 
Print Friendly Version
Skip Ad
Skip Sponsors