Women's Basketball 1/25/2023 4:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

UCO Visits Pitt State

PITTSBURG, Kan. – Central Oklahoma hits the road for a pair of MIAA games this weekend, beginning with a Thursday night matchup at Pittsburg State. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

UCO is also visiting Missouri Southern Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Central Oklahoma is 7-10 this season overall and the Bronchos are 3-9 in the MIAA. Pittsburg State has a 15-4 overall record and the Gorillas are 10-3 in league play.

Thursday marks the second meeting of the season between the two schools. Pitt State won 100-76 in Edmond in December. The all-time series record is 24-12 in favor of PSU.

"When we played them in December, it was like a lot of our games this season," UCO's first-year head women's basketball coach Emma Andrews said. "We didn't show up until the second quarter and for three quarters, we matched up really evenly with them. We need to be consistent and play all four quarters and give ourselves a chance."

Central Oklahoma heads to Pittsburg State averaging 69.8 points per game this season. The Bronchos allow 71.8 points per game. UCO is shooting an even 40 percent overall on the season with a 30.8 percent mark from behind the 3-point line. The Bronchos also shoot 72.4 percent from the free-throw line.

Central Oklahoma is led by five players, three of which are averaging double figures this season.

Alayzha Knapp is UCO's leading scorer at 13.8 points per game with Karly Wadsworth right behind her at 13.4 points per game. Brooke Rayner also averages double figures at 10.6 points per game. Aliyah Llanusa (9.9) and Aspen Williston (8.8) are also leading the team in scoring.

Knapp scores 13.8 points per game and also adds 4.8 rebounds per game. She is a 38.6 percent shooter with a team-high 81 made shots this season. Knapp also has a team-high 45 made free-throws this season and is second on the team with 20 blocked shots.

Wadsworth scores 13.4 points per game and averages 2.1 steals, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Wadsworth has a team-high 36 steals this season. She also leads the team with 38 made 3-pointers through 17 games this season.

Rayner is scoring 10.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. Rayner is a 36.0 percent shooter, 30.7 percent from behind the arc, and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line. She is also just two steals back from Wadsworth's team high. Rayner has swiped 34 steals this season.

Llanusa has averaged double figures for some parts of the season and scored a team-high 20 last week. She's marginally back into single digits at 9.9 points per game heading into this weekend. Llanusa is also the team's leading rebounder at 6.8 boards per game. She adds 3.0 assists per game and 1.8 steals per game.

Williston has made a continued upward progression for most of this season and is averaging 8.8 points per game this season. She also averages 4.5 points per game and has a team-high 31 blocked shots this season. Williston ranks second in the MIAA in blocks.

Pitt State is led by a trio of players averaging around 15 points per game. Tristan Gegg averages 15.5 points, Karenna Gerber averages 14.9 points, and Grace Pyle averages 14.0 points per game. The group is the highest scoring trio in the MIAA. PSU as a team averages 78.2 points per game and gives up 66.6 points.

Central Oklahoma will move on from Pittsburg State to Joplin, Missouri for Saturday afternoon's game against Missouri Southern. The Bronchos also dropped a December matchup with MSSU in Edmond.

UCO is returning home next week for two more MIAA contests. The Bronchos host Nebraska Kearney on Thursday, Feb. 2 and Fort Hays State on Feb. 4 at Hamilton Field House.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

#30 Aspen Williston: F; 6' 4"; Senior

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

#30 Aspen Williston
: 6' 4"; Senior
: F