Women's Basketball 11/7/2024 3:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

Bronchos Begin Hoops Season In Minnesota

Central Oklahoma Takes On Central Region Challenge

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Central Oklahoma begins a new basketball season Friday when the Bronchos take on St. Cloud State in the 2024-25 season opener.

UCO is playing in the Central Region Crossover and will take on St. Cloud State Friday at 6 p.m. before playing Southwest Minnesota State Saturday at 2 p.m. Washburn is also in Minnesota along with the Bronchos and will play SMSU and SCSU Friday and Saturday.

"We're excited to be back," third-year UCO head women's basketball coach Emma Andrews said. "The beginning of a new season is always excited, but we've got a lot to look forward too. With our returners and the newcomers, they've come together really well and we are looking forward to getting going."

Central Oklahoma is aiming to bounce back after a rare 8-20 season last year. The Bronchos didn't make the MIAA Basketball Championship for just the second time since joining the league in 2012.

Andrews returns seven letter winners from last year's squad, including two starters and her leading scorer. The Bronchos also added six newcomers with an even split of three transfers and three freshmen.

Karly Wadsworth returns for her fifth season and looks to continue writing her name in the UCO record book. The shooting guard from Oologah, Oklahoma has scored 737 career points, with most coming from her 151 career 3-pointers. Wadsworth ranks sixth in school history for career made threes. She is third on the career attempts list.

Wadsworth averages 7.3 points per game during her career at UCO, which spans 101 games since the beginning of her first freshman season in 2020-21.

The other six returners for Andrews and the Bronchos all have one year with UCO under their belt. LaKysia Johnson, Reagan Fox, Gracee Miller, Talia Pogi, Alexis Martin, and Alexis Lewis all arrived on campus last season.

Johnson's 44.3 field-goal percentage is the highest among returners. Fox's 38.8 3-point percentage is the best mark as is her 90.3 free-throw percentage. Fox also leads the returners with 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Wadsworth's 1.4 steals per game is the most among returners.

Fox, a junior from Blanchard and Abilene Christian transfer, played in all 28 games last season, starting 25. She averaged 8.3 points per game to go with her three boards. Johnson, a senior from Altus and NOC transfer, played in 27 of 28 games, averaging 10.6 minutes per game. She scored 5.6 points per game.

Lewis, a senior from Sapulpa and Seminole State transfer, only played the first semester last season and in 10 games, averaged 4.1 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. Martin, who played in 20 games, averages 4.0 points per game. The sophomore guard from Oologah made 23 shots on the year, including 15 3-pointers.

Miller played in all 28 games and became a regular starter, making 16 appearances in the starting lineup. The sophomore guard from Comanche averaged 3.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. Pogi, a junior guard from Mustang and Oral Roberts transfer, played in all 28 games and made five starts. She scored 3.7 points per game.

All six of the newcomers at Central are in line to get on the floor and contribute.

Jacey Crawford is a sophomore from Stillwater, Oklahoma who played her freshman season at Harding. She appeared in 12 games and had 19 points with 10 rebounds.

Jordyn Turner is a senior from Oklahoma City and a transfer from Texas Southern. The forward played in 19 games last season, making 12 starts. She averaged 9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game with a career-high 25 points scored against Florida A&M in February. Turner spent her first two seasons at the University of Texas – Arlington.

Korie Allensworth is the third transfer ready to contribute at UCO this season. She comes from Cameron, where she averaged 13.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last season. The senior from Sulphur, Oklahoma scored 13 in a win over the Bronchos last November. She averaged 10.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in her sophomore season at Cameron. As a freshman, she played for Andrews at Cameron and averaged 8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

The freshmen include Peyton Walker from Kingfisher, Parker Simonsen from Mustang, and Lilly Medicine Bird from Roland. The trio of Oklahoma kids are expected to be fighting for playing time. Walker and Simonsen are guards that could see more time early. Medicine Bird is a forward that gives UCO valuable depth at the position.

Central Oklahoma has eight games on its schedule in the month of November with only two in Edmond. The Bronchos will travel to Drury (Springfield, Mo.) and Midwestern State (Wichita Falls, Texas) next week. After the home opener against Southern Nazarene on Nov. 19, UCO travels to Harding (Searcy, Ark.) on Nov. 21. The Bronchos also play Southwestern Oklahoma State and Texas Woman's at the end of the month.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

#35 Alexis Lewis: F; 6' 0"; Senior

#25 Alexis Martin: F; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#13 Gracee Miller: G; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#23 Talia Pogi: F; 5' 9"; Junior

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

#4 Jacey Crawford: F; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#10 Peyton Walker: G; 5' 4"; Freshman

#15 Parker Simonsen: G; 5' 7"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

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

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

#35 Alexis Lewis
: 6' 0"; Senior
: F

#25 Alexis Martin
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: F

#13 Gracee Miller
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: G

#23 Talia Pogi
: 5' 9"; Junior
: F

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

#4 Jacey Crawford
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: F

#10 Peyton Walker
: 5' 4"; Freshman
: G

#15 Parker Simonsen
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: G