Men's Basketball 1/5/2022 12:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

Central Oklahoma Hosts Northeastern State

Bronchos And Riverhawks Renew Old Rivalry

EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma men's basketball team welcomes Northeastern State to Hamilton Field House for an MIAA matchup of longtime rivals. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Central Oklahoma enters Thursday's contest on a seven-game win streak. The Bronchos are 11-2 overall this season and 6-1 in MIAA competition. Northeastern State is 8-5 overall this season and has a 3-4 record in league play.

Thursday night's game is the first of two matchups between the longtime rivals. UCO will pay a visit to NSU in February.

Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State have played basketball for nearly 100 years and the Bronchos have come away victorious more times than not. UCO owns a 93-54 advantage in the all-time series dating back to 1924. Central did drop both contests against the Riverhawks of Tahlequah, Oklahoma last season and NSU brings a five-game win streak in the series to Edmond on Thursday.

The Bronchos this season 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 84.5 points per game. That mark is also the 33rd best rate in the country. Central Oklahoma shoots 49.3 percent overall from the floor, with a 38.3 percent mark on shots behind the 3-point line. The Bronchos also shoot 77.6 percent from the free-throw line and average 16.5 made free-throws per contest. UCO's defensive effort holds opponents to 69.6 points per game.

Leading the way for the Bronchos is Isaiah Wade, who averages a team-high 19.3 points per game through 12 games and also averages a team-high 9.2 rebounds per game. He ranks fourth in the MIAA in scoring and third in rebounding. Wade is also posting these numbers at a highly efficient rate. He shoots 61.8 percent from the field (No. 1 in the MIAA), 58.8 percent from behind the 3-point line, as well as 71.2 percent from the free-throw line. He does all that in 27.3 minutes per contest. Wade is 54th in the country in scoring, 34th in rebounding, and 28th in field goal percentage. Wade was named MIAA Player of the Week following Week 4.

Camryn Givens is averaging 15.5 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game. He scored a career-high 40 points in a win earlier this season for the Bronchos. Givens shoots 54.1 percent overall, 41.7 percent from behind the arc, and 75.4 percent from the free-throw line. Givens was named MIAA Player of the Week following Week 5.

Jaden Wells continues to raise his own stock halfway through his second freshman season. He posts 13.9 points per game and does most of that work from outside. Wells leads the team with 43 made 3-pointers through 13 games, an average of 3.3 makes per contest. He also does so with a 45.3 percent success rate. Wells is third in the MIAA in both made 3-pointers and 3-point percentage. Wells shoots 42.5 percent overall and leads the team with a 96.8 percent mark at the free-throw line, making 30 of 31 attempts through 13 games. He also is third on the team in rebounding at 5.1 per contest.

Callen Haydon, who averages 12.7 points per game through 12 games played, also averages 5.9 assists per game. That mark leads the MIAA and is the 16th-best rate in the country. Haydon shoots 47.2 percent overall and 41.7 percent from behind the 3-point line while posting a blistering 87.5 percent rate at the free-throw line. Haydon also averages 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

Central Oklahoma's fifth starter, in 11 of 13 games, is Jalyn Turner. He averages 3.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.

The Bronchos average 22.1 points per game off the bench. Preston Aymond leads that charge, posting 8.1 points per game in 21 minutes per game. Aymond also averages 4.5 rebounds per game. Davon Richardson adds 4.8 points per game and 3.1 rebounds per game in 16.9 minutes.

Carson Calavan, who averages 3.5 points per game, also averages 4.1 assists per game. He ranks fourth in the MIAA in assists not far behind Haydon. The two combine for 10 assists per game.

Second-year freshman Conner Calavan (2.2) and true freshman Danquez Dawsey (2.3) both chip in where they can on offense to help the Bronchos.

Central Oklahoma wraps up a four-game homestand Saturday when the Bronchos welcome another in-state league rival, Rogers State, to Hamilton Field House. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The Bronchos will play at Central Missouri and at Lincoln next weekend before returning for two home games the following weekend against Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western.

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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