Men's Basketball 11/28/2023 3:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

No. 3 Bronchos Open MIAA Play

Central Oklahoma Hosts Central Missouri Thursday Night At Hamilton Field House

EDMOND – No. 3 Central Oklahoma is back on the hardwood Thursday evening as the Bronchos open MIAA play against Central Missouri at Hamilton Field House.

UCO, 5-0 on the year, welcomes the Mules from Warrensburg, Missouri for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff. Central Missouri is 4-0 on the season and also making its MIAA debut for 2023-24.

Central Oklahoma is playing just its second game in 19 days Sunday. The Bronchos beat Southwestern Christian Sunday, Nov. 19 in the home opener for the 2023-24 season. UCO played its first four games of the season in an eight-day span Nov. 4-11.

UCO still has three more non-conference games on the schedule, including two Dec. 18-19 at the High Desert Classic in Las Vegas. The Bronchos also have a non-conference game against Tabor College (Kansas) Dec. 11 in Edmond. UCO travels to Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State for two MIAA road games before the Vegas trip.

The Bronchos are the highest rated MIAA team in the country at No. 3 in both the NABC Top 25 and the D2CSC Top 25. Both of those polls were released Tuesday and had UCO in the No. 3 spot for the second week in a row. Central Oklahoma also has the best scoring defense in the MIAA after three weeks of the 2023-24 season.

Central Oklahoma allows 56.0 points per game through five games played. That mark leads the MIAA and is the fifth-best rate in the country. The Bronchos also hold opponents to a 38.8 percent field-goal percentage and a 26.1 percent 3-point percentage. Those marks rank 21st and 26th respectively in Division II.

Central Oklahoma also forces 16.6 turnovers per game and gets 10 steals per game from that. The Bronchos are outrebounding their opponents 36.4 to 30.8 per game.

Offensively, Central Oklahoma is averaging 76.6 points per game. UCO shoots 46.7 percent overall, 41.7 percent from behind the 3-point line, and 75.5 percent from the free-throw line. The Bronchos average 8.6 made 3-pointers per game and 14.8 made free-throws per game.

Jaden Wells leads the UCO offense into Sunday's matchup with Tabor College. The junior guard is averaging 21.2 points per game and is putting up staggering percentage numbers along the way. Wells is shooting 49.2 percent from the floor, making 30 of 61 total shots. He his shooting 51.4 percent from behind the 3-point line with 19 makes on 37 attempts, and he is at 90 percent from the free-throw line, going 27-for-30 from the stripe.

Wells is also averaging 4.0 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 1.4 assists per game through five games played.

Danquez Dawsey has put together a solid start to his junior season, progressing in every aspect of his game this season. The Lawton, Oklahoma native is averaging 13.6 points, 6.2 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game through five games played. Dawsey is also putting up big numbers shooting the basketball. He is at 46 percent overall, 53.8 percent from behind the 3-point line, and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line.

Luke Haasl is just under averaging double digits for the Bronchos. The junior big man is at 9.6 points per game as he leads the team with 6.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Haasl is also shooting 66.7 percent from the floor, making 22 of 33 shots this season.

Parker Hannah, Majok Majouk, Jalyn Turner, and Mike Quick Jr. are all averaging four points per game and Preston Aymond, Matthew Willenborg, and Jarreth Ingram are each averaging three points per game. Aymond's 5.2 rebounds per game are second on the team to Haasl.

Central Missouri comes to Edmond with a 4-0 record. The Mules are led by first-year head coach Adam Bohac, who took Southern Nazarene to the NCAA national tournament four times in the last six years. UCM is averaging 73.3 points per game and shooting 42.7 percent from the floor. The Mules allow 61.8 points per game and opponents shoot 42.3 percent against them.

Caleb Nero (16.0), Keith Kiner III (13.3), Jalen Knott (11.5), and Tim Jordan Jr. (10.5) all average double figures scoring for Central Missouri. Kiner III is the team's leading rebounder at 6.5 boards per game.

Central Oklahoma will begin MIAA play at home Thursday, Nov. 30 against Central Missouri. The Bronchos host Lincoln on Saturday, Dec. 2 at Hamilton.

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Players Mentioned

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

#3 Danquez Dawsey: G; 6' 2"; Junior

#11 Luke Haasl: F; 6' 10"; Junior

#0 Mike Quick Jr.: G; 6' 5"; Sophomore

#10 Jalyn Turner: F; 6' 6"; Senior

#2 Jaden Wells: G; 6' 1"; Junior

#5 Majok Majouk: F; 6' 10"; Sophomore

#22 Parker Hannah: G; 6' 2"; Freshman

#33 Jarreth Ingram: F; 6' 8"; Freshman

#21 Matthew Willenborg: F; 6' 7"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

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

#3 Danquez Dawsey
: 6' 2"; Junior
: G

#11 Luke Haasl
: 6' 10"; Junior
: F

#0 Mike Quick Jr.
: 6' 5"; Sophomore
: G

#10 Jalyn Turner
: 6' 6"; Senior
: F

#2 Jaden Wells
: 6' 1"; Junior
: G

#5 Majok Majouk
: 6' 10"; Sophomore
: F

#22 Parker Hannah
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: G

#33 Jarreth Ingram
: 6' 8"; Freshman
: F

#21 Matthew Willenborg
: 6' 7"; Freshman
: F