Men's Basketball 2/25/2022 11:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

No. 15 Central To Close Hamilton Saturday

EDMOND – No. 15 Central Oklahoma has one final game in the 2021-22 regular season, and one final chance to win its first MIAA title, Saturday afternoon against Missouri Southern. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

Central Oklahoma is 22-5 this season and the Bronchos are 17-4 in the MIAA. That mark is good for a three-way tie for first place in the league standings. Northwest Missouri and Fort Hays State are both 17-4 as well and those two schools play against each other Saturday in Maryville, Mo. The winner of that game will clinch at least a share of the MIAA regular season championship and UCO, with a win, would clinch the other half of the title.

UCO would be the No. 1 seed in the MIAA postseason tournament next week with a win as the Bronchos own tiebreakers over both Northwest and Fort Hays State. A loss for the Bronchos means UCO will be the No. 2 seed in the tournament next week in Kansas City.

If Central wins and is the top seed, the Bronchos will play Thursday, March 3 at 6 p.m. If UCO is the No. 2 seed, the Bronchos will play Thursday at 8:15 p.m.

Central Oklahoma will also honor a pair of student-athletes playing their final home game for the Bronchos.

Isaiah Wade returned for a second senior season this winter thanks to an eligibility extension due to the pandemic. Landon Streich will also be recognized prior to the game. Although just a sophomore in terms of NCAA eligibility, the fourth-year Broncho is suiting up at Hamilton for the final time on Saturday.

Wade leads UCO into this weekend's finale.

The 6-foot-7 forward is averaging 18.9 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game. He shoots 59.1 percent from the floor, 41.5 percent from behind the 3-point line, and is just under 70 percent from the free-throw line.

Wade was named to the Small College Basketball's Bevo Francis Award Top 50 watchlist earlier this month. The award given to the national player of the year outside of Division I will announced a Top 25 watchlist next month.

Wade has scored a season-high 29 points twice this winter. His 14-for-21 performance at Nebraska Kearney in December are both season highs for shots made and attempted. He also has the UCO season high for rebounds. He pulled down 16 in against Mary in November to go with his 20 points in the game.

Wade has seven double-doubles this season and has scored double digits to go with at least eight rebounds in 14 of 26 games.

UCO relies on three more double-digit performers. Callen Haydon (14.7), Jaden Wells (14.5) and Camryn Givens (13.7) all chip in on the scoring load.

Haydon also averages 6.0 assists per game and makes the entire operation go from the point guard position. He shoots 46.3 percent overall, makes 35.6 percent of his 3-point attempts, and is a 91.0 percent free-throw shooter.

Wells is second on the team in rebounding at 5.6 boards per game to go with his 14.7 points per game average. He shoots 45.8 percent overall, 43.6 percent from behind the arc, and 94.4 percent from the free-throw line.

Givens averages 13.7 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per game. He is a 52.7 percent shooter overall, hits 42.1 percent of his 3-point attempts, and makes 79.3 percent of his free-throws. Givens is also closing in on 1,000 career points. The fourth-year junior forward came to Central after one year of junior college ball in Texas. He has 968 points in his three seasons at UCO.

Preston Aymond, 7.8 points and 4.3 rebounds, and Davon Richardson, 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds, lead Central Oklahoma's second unit.

Jalyn Turner, who averages 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game, gives UCO help as a starter and with the second unit. Carson Calavan, scoring 3.0 points per game and dishing out 3.0 assists per game, also helps backup Haydon but will play with the starting unit too in the second half.

UCO is out for revenge against MSSU this weekend. The Bronchos lost 75-74 to the Lions in Joplin on Dec. 2 thanks to a tip-in with 0.4 seconds remaining in the game. Central Oklahoma rattled off a 13-game win streak following that setback and now looks to avenge the loss on Saturday in possibly clinching the MIAA title.

MSSU, which scores 74.4 points per game, comes to Edmond with five double-digit scorers. Stan Scott leads the Lions with 15.6 points per game and R.J. Smith averages 13.1 per outing. Smith leads the team in rebounds at 7.8 per game while Scott is second at 7.1 boards per game.

Winston Dessesow (11.6), Avery Taggart (11.3) and Christian Bundy (10.5) also help out in the scoring load for Southern.

Print Friendly Version

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

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

#11 Landon Streich: G; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#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

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

#11 Landon Streich
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: G

#23 Preston Aymond
: 6' 7"; Freshman
: F