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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Curtis Haywood
51
Central Okla. CentOK 23-4,17-4 Mid-America Intercollegiate
65
Winner Northwest Mo. St. NMSU 26-2,19-2 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Central Okla. CentOK
23-4,17-4 Mid-America Intercollegiate
51
Final
65
Northwest Mo. St. NMSU
26-2,19-2 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Central Okla. CentOK 25 26 51
Northwest Mo. St. NMSU 28 37 65

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Chris Brannick

UCO Loses Heavyweight Battle For League Title

MARYVILLE, Mo. – A late surge doomed No. 7 Central Oklahoma in a 65-51 loss at No. 2 Northwest Missouri Thursday night in an MIAA showdown for the league title.
 
UCO dropped to 23-4 with the loss, and 17-4 in league play. The Bronchos will be the No. 2 seed in the MIAA Basketball Championship next week in Kansas City. Northwest Missouri, 26-2 overall and 19-2 in league play, won its 10th consecutive league title with the victory on Thursday night.
 
"We battled," UCO head men's basketball coach Bob Hoffman said. "We really battled right up the end. They made the run when it counted most. Congratulations to them. We fought for it."
 
UCO and Northwest split the title last year with both teams finishing 18-4 in the MIAA. The Bronchos were hopeful for another co-championship, and had their chance late. But a big run by the hosts in the final three and a half minutes put an end to UCO's title hopes.
 
Central Oklahoma trailed 52-44 when Preston Aymond knocked down a 3-pointer to cut it to five. Jaden Wells followed with a layup to cut it to three points, 52-49, with 3:54 to play. But after he missed a free-throw following the play, Northwest ended the game with a 13-2 run over the final three minutes to close it out. Wells made two free-throws during that run, but NWMSU, made all four of its shots, including all three of its 3-point attempts, and another two free-throws.
 
Camryn Givens led UCO with 13 points on 3 of 6 shooting. He hit one 3-pointer and went 6-for-8 from the free-throw line. Givens added five rebounds and two steals.
 
Wells finished with 11 points on 4 of 11 shooting. He was 0-for-2 from behind the arc and 3-for-5 from the free-throw line. Wells added three rebounds, one assist and one steal.
 
Danquez Dawsey also scored in double figures, putting up 10 points on 4 of 6 shooting. He hit two 3-pointers and also had two rebounds.
 
Aymond finished with nine points and Curtis Haywood added eight points, five assists, four rebounds, and three steals before fouling out.
 
UCO and Northwest went at it up the final few minutes. The Bronchos and the Bearcats were tied, 13-13, after Dawsey hit his first 3-pointer with 11:11 to play in the first half. UCO hit 4 of 8 shots and Northwest hit 5 of 9 during the first eight-plus minutes. The Bronchos were also 3-for-4 from behind the arc in the first 8:49 of the game.
 
The next 10 minutes was a slight advantage to Northwest. The Bearcats outscored UCO 15-12 to take a slim, 28-25 halftime lead. UCO shot 3 of 7 in the final 10 minutes and made 6 of 7 free-throws.
 
The first 10 minutes out of halftime continued the same heavyweight battle from the first half. Northwest edged Central Oklahoma 15-12 in that stretch. The Bronchos were 4-for-10, including 1-for-3 from outside, and trailed the Bearcats 43-37 with 10:24 left to play.
 
The Bronchos followed that with a 12-9 run that was capped by Wells' layup with 3:54 to play in the game, cutting the lead to three points, 52-49. But that's when Northwest put it away with the final push.
 
UCO is locked into the No. 2 seed in the MIAA Basketball Championship next week in Kansas City. The Bronchos will play at 2:15 p.m. Thursday, March 2 against an opponent to be determined. But first, Central Oklahoma wraps up the 2022-23 regular season Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against Newman in Wichita, Kansas.
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