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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Team
76
Mo. Southern St. MSSU 14-14,11-11 Mid-America Intercollegiate
95
Winner Central Okla. CentOK 23-5,18-4 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Mo. Southern St. MSSU
14-14,11-11 Mid-America Intercollegiate
76
Final
95
Central Okla. CentOK
23-5,18-4 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Mo. Southern St. MSSU 39 37 76
Central Okla. CentOK 37 58 95

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Chris Brannick

MIAA CHAMPS

EDMOND – With a 19-point lead and less than 20 seconds to go in the game, Central Oklahoma forced one last turnover before dribbling out the clock on the 2021-22 regular season Saturday evening at Hamilton Field House.
 
UCO beat Missouri Southern 95-76 to claim its first MIAA regular season title since joining the league 10 years ago.
 
"I'm just so happy for our guys," third-year head men's basketball Coach Bob Hoffman said. "We didn't play very well in the first half but we didn't lose sight of what we were trying to accomplish. For them to be able to get the trophy after this one is special. It's special for the team, the program, the school and the city of Edmond. We're just really grateful tonight."
 
Central Oklahoma finished the regular season with a 23-5 record and the Bronchos posted an 18-4 record in the MIAA. The 23 wins are tied for ninth in school history – with the postseason remaining – and the 18 MIAA wins, a best for the Bronchos, is tied for fifth in league history.
 
UCO will be the No. 1 seed in the MIAA Basketball Championships next week in Kansas City. The Bronchos will play Thursday at 6 p.m. the winner of the (8) Central Missouri and (9) Northeastern State game, to be played Wednesday.
 
Central Oklahoma has not yet won and MIAA postseason tournament championship, but the Bronchos have reached the semifinals four times in eight trips and reached the finals once, in 2014.
 
Saturday, Central Oklahoma needed an official comeback to win its first league title.
 
Missouri Southern opened the game on a 5-0 run and ended the first half on a 5-0 run. The latter produced a 39-37 lead for the visiting Lions from Joplin, Missouri.
 
UCO trailed by as many as many as five points all game. The last time was 49-44 early in the second half with 17:03 to play. A 5-0 run of their own though put the Bronchos in front 57-56 with 13:42 to play in the game.
 
Southern went back in front by a point before back-to-back 3-pointers by the Bronchos gave Central a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
 
The Bronchos went in front on Callen Haydon's 3-pointer with 12:13 to play in the game. Preston Aymond made it 63-58 with a 3-pointer of his own with 11:14 to play.
 
Southern got two back on the other end before Central put together an 8-0 run to begin the climb to the championship.
 
Central was outscored 39-37 in the first half. The Bronchos outscored Missouri Southern 58-37 in the second half, taking the victory going away.
 
A well-balanced attack was key. Jaden Wells had a team-high 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists. He was 5-for-11 from the floor, 2-for-5 on 3-point attempts, and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
 
Haydon scored 17 points to go with eight assists and five rebounds. He was 5-for-10 from the floor, 3-for-6 on 3-point attempts, and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
 
Camryn Givens scored 15 points and had four rebounds. He was 6-for-7 from the floor and hit two 3-pointers himself.
 
And Isaiah Wade added 14 points and five rebounds on a 6-for-12 night. He also made a pair of free-throws.
 
Davon Richardson led Central's bench effort with a season-high 14 points. He went 4-for-6 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Aymond scored eight points, hitting one 3-pointer and five free-throws. Jalyn Turner added seven points and Carson Calavan chipped in two.
 
Central Oklahoma shot 57.7 percent on Saturday, hitting 30 of 52 total shots. The Bronchos connected on 8 of 19 attempts from behind the 3-point line and 27 of 30 attempts from the free-throw line. UCO scored 34 points in the paint and 20 on the fastbreak.
 
 
 
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