Men's Basketball 3/4/2021 10:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

Central Oklahoma Takes On Northwest Missouri Friday

Bronchos And Bearcats Meet In MIAA Championship Semifinals

MARYVILLE, Mo. – The University of Central Oklahoma men's basketball team continues its trek in the MIAA Tournament Friday with the semifinals and the reward for the Bronchos is top seed and No. 1 ranked Northwest Missouri. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.

UCO (13-10) takes a three-game win streak into Maryville, Mo. and will attempt to slay the beast that is the Bearcats (22-1) on their home floor.

Central Oklahoma played in each of the first six MIAA Tournaments after joining the league in 2012. UCO missed the 2018-19 season but has made two more appearances in the annual postseason get together. UCO is 10-7 overall in tourney play. The Bronchos made it to the championship game in 2014 before falling to Missouri Southern. Friday will be Central's third appearance in the semifinals. The last coming in 2018 when UCO came up short against Northwest. UCO is 1-2 in its three semifinal appearances.

Callen Haydon leads Central in scoring at 15.8 points per game and has scored at least 20 in each of the last six games (21, 21, 32, 20, 20, 21). The junior point guard from El Reno, Oklahoma is also the team's leader in assists and among the best in the conference in dishing the ball. Haydon averages 5.1 assists per game, which ranks third in the league. His 118 total assists also rank third in the MIAA. Haydon is shooting from the floor 54.5 percent overall, 60.0 percent from behind the 3-point line, and 87.0 percent from the free-throw line.

Isaiah Wade is second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game. He's also the team's leading rebounder at 9.2 boards per game. Wade has posted eight double-doubles this season, including a monster game of 21 points and 18 rebounds last month. Wade shoots 54.5 percent from the field and is also second on the team in makes and attempts from the free-throw line (66-for-107).

Camryn Givens joins Haydon and Wade in averaging double figures in scoring this season. A junior forward, Givens is averaging 13.5 points per game to go with 7.3 rebounds per game. He has the most defensive rebounds on the team with 143. Givens shoots 49.3 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from behind the arc with 35 made threes this season, and 80.8 percent from the free-throw line.

Jaden Wells makes it four Bronchos in double figures scoring 11.3 points per game. The freshman from Texas leads the team from outside having gone 58-for-152 from behind the arc. His 38.2 percent is also a team high and is the fifth best mark in the MIAA. Wells has made at least one 3-pointer in 19 games, multiple 3-pointers in 17 games, and at least three 3-pointers in 10 games. Wells hit five in a win at Emporia State in January and hit five again against Central Missouri last week. He also hit a season-high six in a win over Lincoln on Feb. 2 and again in a win over Missouri Southern a week ago.

Shemar Smith (7.8) and Davon Richardson (6.5) are also both lending big hands in the scoring load for the Bronchos. Smith also averages 3.7 rebounds per game and Richardson averages 2.3 to with 23 steals, which is the second most in the lineup.

Northwest Missouri averages 81.8 points per game through 23 games played this season. The Bearcats are led by Ryan Hawkins, who averages 21.6 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game. Trevor Hudgins averages 19.7 points per game and was named MIAA Player of the Year earlier this week. He, like Haydon, also averages 5.1 assists per game. Diego Bernard chips in 12.5 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game.

Central Oklahoma is just 3-14 all-time against Northwest. The Bronchos aim Friday to end a nine-game losing streak against the Bearcats.

The winner of Friday's game will advance to the MIAA Championship Saturday at 6 p.m. in Maryville.

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Players Mentioned

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

#23 Shemar Smith: G; 6' 7"; Redshirt Freshman

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

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

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

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

Players Mentioned

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

#23 Shemar Smith
: 6' 7"; Redshirt Freshman
: G

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

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

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

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