Women's Basketball 11/9/2023 9:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

Bronchos Open Season At Central Region Classic

Central Oklahoma Takes On Mary, Northwestern This Weekend In Tahlequah

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Central Oklahoma begins the 2023-24 season Friday afternoon with the Central Region Challenge at Northeastern State's Tahlequah Event Center.

The Bronchos are scheduled to play the University of Mary Friday at 1 p.m. and will also play Northwestern Oklahoma State at the same time Saturday afternoon.

The new season marks year two for head women's basketball coach Emma Andrews. The Bronchos went 11-17 a year ago with a 7-15 record in the MIAA. UCO earned the No. 10 seed in the MIAA Basketball Championship and advanced to the quarterfinals of the postseason tournament.

Andrews returns seven letterwinners from last year's squad, including three regular starters.

"The roster changed quite a bit so we're excited to see how everyone works together," Andrews said. "I think we are more talented this year, but with newcomers you're never really sure what you are going to get. If we can reach our potential, we'll be in a better place this year."

Central averaged 68.1 points per game last season, shooting 38.7 percent overall. The Bronchos shot 29.4 percent from behind the 3-point line, averaging 6.4 threes per game, and 74.9 percent from the free-throw line with 12.6 makes per game from the stripe. UCO also averaged 36.3 rebounds per game.

Aliyah Llanusa returns for her fifth season with Central Oklahoma. The guard from Choctaw, Oklahoma has played in 107 games for the Bronchos in her career. She is utilizing an eligibility extension from the NCAA from the pandemic.

Llanusa averaged a career-high 10.6 points per game last season. She also had a career-high 6.3 rebounds per game and that led the team. Llanusa has been among the best in the MIAA on defense all four years she has been with the program. She swiped 50 steals last season and has 148 steals in her career, the latter of which is a top 10 mark in school history.

Karly Wadsworth returns this season too for Central Oklahoma. The junior guard is in her fourth year with the program and is the leading returning scorer for the Bronchos. Wadsworth averaged 12.3 points per game last season – almost triple her output the year prior of 4.7 points per game.

Wadsworth is a threat to shoot from anywhere on the floor. She has 104 career 3-pointers made and is a 30.7 percent career shooter. Last season, she tied the school record with 15 attempts in one game and she set a new school record with 196 attempts in a single season.

Aspen Williston returns in her second season with the program but the sixth-year senior with loads of experience is poised for a big year. After playing at OU for two years and South Dakota for two after that, Williston transferred to Central Oklahoma. She worked her way into the lineup and was soon a regular starter.

Williston averaged 9.8 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per game. She also had 63 blocked shots, an average of 2.1 per game. Williston also had a career highlight in February when the left-handed center posted a triple double in a win at Washburn. The win ultimately gave Central Oklahoma a postseason berth, winning a tiebreaker for the last spot. Williston had 14 points, 10 rebounds, and a school record 10 blocked shots.

In 2022-23, Central's five regular starters averaged just over 57 points per game. With two of them gone, Andrews needs to find new depth with this year's squad. With Lexi Foreman (3.0), Tayler Factor (2.5), Caley Young (2.5), and Megan McClendon (0.4) all returning as well, Andrews has options.

A slew of newcomers also give the Bronchos new options to put points on the board.

Sixth-year senior transfer Natalie Stice brings a veteran presence to the floor at the guard position. Junior transfers Alena Wilson, LaKysia Johnson, Aubrey Taylor, and Alexis Lewis also add plenty of experience. Sophomore transfers Reagan Fox and Talia Pogi both come from Division I schools and might be regular contributors this season.

Shaniya Wiley, Gracee Miller, and Alexis Martin are three freshmen on the roster and have the opportunity to compete for minutes this season.

Stice is a sixth-year senior like Williston. The Texan sat out a redshirt season in 2018-19 at Eastern New Mexico. She helped the team qualify for the 2019-20 NCAA South Central Regional, but that was canceled at the onset of the pandemic. ENMU also canceled the entire 2020-21 season. Stice finally got back on the floor in 2021-22 with the Greyhounds of Portales, New Mexico. Last season she transferred to Midwestern State.

Stice is a career 10.9 points per game scorer with 130 career 3-pointers made. She has 912 career points.

Wilson comes to Central Oklahoma from Cameron where she was the leading scorer and rebounder for the Aggies last year. The Dallas native scored 10.9 points per game and pulled down 8.2 rebounds per game in 27 appearances (all starts) in 2022-23. Wilson also spent two years at Murray State College and averaged 15.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Johnson, an athletic guard from Altus, spent two years at Northern Oklahoma – Enid and averaged 16 points per game. She earned All-Region honors last season for the Jets.

Taylor also spent the last two seasons at NOC. She played in 24 games in two years and averaged 2.0 points per game.

Lewis spent the last two seasons at Seminole State College and was a big contributor for the Belles. Lewis played in 53 games in two years and averaged 12.7 points per game, including 14.1 last season. She also averaged 6.6 rebounds per game over the two-year stint and pulled down 7.7 boards last season.

Fox, who is from Blanchard, Oklahoma, went to Abilene Christian for her true freshman season. She only played in six games a year ago and scored six points.

Pogi, from Mustang, Oklahoma, spent her true freshman season at Oral Roberts. She played in 18 games and averaged 1.7 points per game.

Central Oklahoma begins with Mary, a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference school from Bismarck, North Dakota. Mary is already 1-2 this season, having played three games at the Montana State – Billings Tipoff Classic. The Marauders upset No. 19 Angelo State before falling to the hosts, MSUB. Mary also narrowly lost to No. 24 Texas Woman's.

Mary averages 67 points per game through three games played. Lexie Schneider leads the team with 22.0 points per game, Megan Zander averages 12.3 points per game, and Mariah McKeever makes it three in double figures with 10.0 points per game.

Northwestern Oklahoma State will also be making its season debut Friday against Northeastern State. The Rangers of Alva, Oklahoma went 12-14 last season with an 8-14 record in the Great American Conference.

Central Oklahoma has six non-conference games on its schedule this November. The Bronchos will make a trip to Cameron in Lawton, Oklahoma next Friday and stop by Southern Nazarene in Bethany Saturday, Nov. 18. UCO is hosting a Thanksgiving festival Nov. 21-22 at Hamilton Field House. The Bronchos take on Texas A&M International and Oklahoma Christian in the two-day affair.

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Players Mentioned

#20 Tayler Factor: F; 5' 9"; Senior

#31 Lexi Foreman: G; 5' 9"; Junior

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

#0 Megan McClendon: G; 5' 6"; Junior

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

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

#42 Caley Young: F; 5' 11"; Junior

#3 LaKysia Johnson: G; 5' 7"; Junior

#4 Natalie Stice: G; 5' 7"; Senior

#5 Reagan Fox: F; 5' 9"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#20 Tayler Factor
: 5' 9"; Senior
: F

#31 Lexi Foreman
: 5' 9"; Junior
: G

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

#0 Megan McClendon
: 5' 6"; Junior
: G

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

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

#42 Caley Young
: 5' 11"; Junior
: F

#3 LaKysia Johnson
: 5' 7"; Junior
: G

#4 Natalie Stice
: 5' 7"; Senior
: G

#5 Reagan Fox
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: F