Women's Basketball 1/25/2022 10:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

Central Oklahoma Travels To Emporia State

EMPORIA, Kan. – The University of Central Oklahoma women's basketball team is scheduled to play the first of two MIAA road games in the Sunflower state Wednesday against Emporia State. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

UCO is also scheduled to play at Washburn in Topeka, Kansas on Saturday afternoon.

Central Oklahoma is 11-8 this season with a 7-6 record in the MIAA. The Bronchos are looking to snap a two-game slide. UCO did not lose a home game during the calendar year 2021 but Central dropped two at home last week to Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western.

Central will look to get back in the win column against an Emporia State team it beat in December – in Hamilton Field House. The Bronchos won 74-72 thanks to a pair of free-throws from Kelsey Johnson with 0.3 seconds remaining. The senior forward scored the final seven points of the game to lead a comeback after Emporia led 70-67 with less than a minute remaining.

Johnson leads UCO into Kansas this week. She has scored 414 points this season and that is more than any other player in the country. Johnson is averaging 21.8 points per game. She averaged 34.0 points per game in two games last week.

Johnson came into this season with the single season (60.2 pct., 2019-20) and career (57.6 pct., 2019-21) field goal percentage records at UCO. She's keeping up to the task this season. Johnson is shooting 57.0 percent from the floor overall. She's got a 35.0 percent mark on 3-point attempts, hitting seven from outside. And she's at 85.8 percent at the free-throw line, making 91 of 106 attempts this season.

Johnson, who also leads the country in total field goals made (158), is also the team's leading rebounder at 9.4 per game. That mark ranks third in the MIAA and is among the top 50 nationally.

Alayzha Knapp is Central's second leading scorer at 10.7 points per game. She is in the post alongside Johnson and has been a strong compliment. Knapp shoots 48.2 percent overall and 70.2 percent from the free-throw line. She adds the 11 points per game as well as 4.4 rebounds per game.

Caley Young has been coming off the bench to add another post presence for the Bronchos. She started this past weekend and has four starts this season, but the second-year freshman is providing options any time she's on the floor. Young averages 4.8 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Clary Donica has been doing the same and has identical numbers. She is averaging 4.8 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game, giving the Bronchos four strong post options.

Central Oklahoma averages 73.4 points per game as a team this season and the four post players make up 42.1 of those points per contest.

Brooke Rayner and Aliyah Llanusa are leading the guard play for Central on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.

Rayner averages 9.0 points per game, 3.4 assists per game, 3.2 rebounds per game, and 2.2 steals per game. She shoots 36 percent overall, has 21 made 3-pointers and is 28-for-31 from the free-throw line through 19 games played, a 90.3 percent rate.

Llanusa averages 7.5 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, 2.0 assists per game, and 2.2 steals per game. She is a 37 percent shooter overall, has a dozen made 3-pointers, and is a 70.5 percent free-throw shooter.

Rayner's 42 steals are the second most in the MIAA and Llanusa is third with 41 steals. They are both in the top 50 in the country in that category.

Karly Wadsworth adds 5.8 points per game for the Broncho offense. Most of her work is done outside the 3-point line. The second-year freshman guard has a team-high 29 made 3-pointers through 19 games played. She is 29-for-81, a 35.8 percent mark. She ranks ninth in the league in made threes.

Jaci Littell chips in with 4.5 points per game. She has 12 made 3-pointers and 31 made free-throws in 19 games played. Taylor Dement (3.3) and Avery Allen (2.1) add to the offense. Allen as a team-high 69 assists in 19 games played. She ranks fifth in the MIAA in total assists and assists per game (3.6).

Emporia State is 9-8 overall this season and has a 4-7 record in the MIAA. The Lady Hornets are led by Tre'Zure Jobe, who averages 18.8 points per game. Jobe earned MIAA Player of the Year honors last season and among the league leaders in several categories this season. Victoria Price, Ehlaina Hartman, Karsen Schultz and Fredricka Sheets all average 10 points per game for Emporia.

Central Oklahoma is scheduled to continue its road trip Saturday at Washburn. The Bronchos beat the Ichabods 69-58 in Edmond in December. UCO returns home next week to host Nebraska Kearney and Fort Hays State.

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Players Mentioned

#1 Avery Allen: G; 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman

#3 Clary Donica: F; 6' 0"; Junior

#33 Kelsey Johnson: F; 6' 3"; Senior

#13 Jaci Littell: G; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#22 Aliyah Llanusa: G; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#11 Brooke Rayner: G; 5' 7"; Junior

#4 Taylor Dement: G; 5' 5"; Redshirt Freshman

#21 Karly Wadsworth: G; 5' 8"; Freshman

#42 Caley Young: F; 5' 11"; Freshman

#15 Alayzha Knapp: F; 6' 2"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#1 Avery Allen
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Freshman
: G

#3 Clary Donica
: 6' 0"; Junior
: F

#33 Kelsey Johnson
: 6' 3"; Senior
: F

#13 Jaci Littell
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: G

#22 Aliyah Llanusa
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: G

#11 Brooke Rayner
: 5' 7"; Junior
: G

#4 Taylor Dement
: 5' 5"; Redshirt Freshman
: G

#21 Karly Wadsworth
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: G

#42 Caley Young
: 5' 11"; Freshman
: F

#15 Alayzha Knapp
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: F