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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Curtis Haywood
62
Winner Central Okla. CentOK 10-1,5-1 Mid-America Intercollegiate
53
Neb.-Kearney UNK 2-9,0-5 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Winner
Central Okla. CentOK
10-1,5-1 Mid-America Intercollegiate
62
Final
53
Neb.-Kearney UNK
2-9,0-5 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Central Okla. CentOK 26 36 62
Neb.-Kearney UNK 21 32 53

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Chris Brannick

No. 11 UCO Cruises Past Kearney

KEARNEY, Neb. – No. 11 Central Oklahoma won its third straight MIAA game Sunday evening with a 62-53 victory at Nebraska Kearney.
 
UCO improved to 10-1 overall on the season and the Bronchos are now 5-1 in league play.
 
"Today was a good overall effort by all of our guys," UCO head men's basketball coach Bob Hoffman said. "The first half wasn't great on offense, but our defense was solid. And we just kept grinding and found a way. We played better in the second half and everyone did their part today."
 
Central Oklahoma takes its 10-1 record into the holiday break. UCO doesn't play again until Wednesday, Dec. 28 when the Bronchos host NAIA Southwestern Christian at Hamilton Field House. Central Oklahoma will then return to MIAA play with Washburn in Edmond on New Year's Eve.
 
Sunday, UCO went back and forth with Kearney in a first half where neither team was hitting shots. The game was scoreless for nearly three minutes before Jaden Wells hit a 3-pointer at the 17:11 mark. Wells hit another 3-pointer before Curtis Haywood made a layup that tied the game, 10-10, at the 10-minute mark in the first half.
 
UCO pulled away late and took a marginal 26-21 lead to the locker room at halftime.
 
The second half carried a similar pattern, though both teams shot the ball better.
 
UCO went 9-for-23 in the first half and 12-for-28 in the second half. The Bronchos were 5-for-14 from behind the arc in the first half and 4-for-14 in the second half. UCO went just 3-for-4 from the free-throw line in the first half and 8-for-11 in the second half.
 
Wells led the Bronchos with 24 points. The third-year sophomore guard hit 7 of 14 shots, 4 of 8 from behind the arc, and all six of his free-throw attempts. Wells added five rebounds and three steals.
 
Haywood was solid too, putting up 15 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds, as well as three blocked shots and two steals. Most importantly, Haywood played all 40 minutes on Sunday afternoon.
 
Camryn Givens, who had scored 24 points in back-to-back games for the Bronchos, scored three on Sunday. But he was one of three Bronchos with seven rebounds. Luke Haasl also pulled down seven boards to go with his four points off the bench.
 
Jalyn Turner scored seven off the bench and added three boards and two assists. Danquez Dawsey added six points, Ben Averitt two, and Preston Aymond one to round out the scoring for Central Oklahoma.
 
UCO is off for the holiday break. The Bronchos will host Southwestern Christian on Dec. 28, Washburn on Dec. 31, and currently No. 22 Emporia State on Jan. 2, 2023. ESU heads into the holiday break after upsetting No. 1 ranked Northwest Missouri Saturday in Kansas.
 
The Bronchos will play in-state rivals Northeastern State and Rogers State the first weekend in the new year and then will welcome Northwest Missouri to Hamilton Field House on January 12.
 
 
 
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