Men's Basketball 12/15/2024 11:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

UCO In Texas For River City Holiday Classic

Central Oklahoma Plays Colorado Mesa and St. Edward's In 10-Team, Two-Day Hoops Fest

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Central Oklahoma returns to the court this week with two non-conference games in the River City Holiday Classic, a two-day event UCO is co-hosting with Pittsburg State featuring 10 games Tuesday and Wednesday.

Central Oklahoma will face Colorado Mesa at 5 p.m. Tuesday and St. Edward's at the same time Wednesday evening. The Bronchos along with co-host Pitt State, and Rogers State, Washburn and Central Missouri, make up five MIAA squads competing in this week's festival. Texas Permian-Basin, North Georgia, Missouri – St. Louis, Colorado Mesa, and St. Edward's are the five other schools competing against the MIAA this week.

Games begin at 11 a.m. both days will run consecutively throughout the day. All 10 games will be broadcast on the MIAA Network.

Central Oklahoma comes into this week's festival with a 4-4 record. The Bronchos are looking to bounce back from a two-game slide. UCO has alternated two wins and two losses in the first games.

Central is averaging 82.3 points per game through eight games this season. That's third most in the MIAA. UCO has a plus-10.3 scoring margin over opponents, holding teams to 72.0 points per game.

The Bronchos shoot 47.2 percent from the floor overall and 33.7 percent from behind the arc, averaging 7.3 made 3-pointers per game. UCO shoots 70.1 percent from the free-throw line and averages 17.0 made free-throws per game.

Defensively, UCO holds opponents to 41.6 percent shooting overall and 31.2 percent from the 3-point line. Teams average 8.0 made threes per game. Teams also shoot 71.2 percent at the free-throw line and made 13 per game from the stripe.

UCO has a starting five averaging 9.0 points and up and the group makes up more than 60 points per game. Israel Hart leads the way at 15.3 points per game, Jordan Thompson averages 13.5 and JV Seat 13.1 points per game, and Jacobi Sebock makes it four in double figures at 11.8 points per game. Luke Haasl scores 9.0 points per game to get to 62.7 points per game for the starting lineup.

Parker Hannah scores 7.3 points per game while Matthew Willenborg averages 4.8 and Jarreth Ingram 4.7 points per game. With the starters the top eight score 75.0 of 82.3 points for the Bronchos.

Ben Averitt, Connor Newton, Jack Robinson, and Caiden Punt have all played in 7 of 8 games and along with Chase Sucharda, make up the rest of the team scoring adding 7.3 points per game.

Sebock is Central Oklahoma's leading rebounder through six weeks of the season. The forward averages 7.1 boards per game, including 2.1 offensive rebounds per game. Sebock shoots 51.4 percent from the floor in 29.3 minutes per game and also averages 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per game this season.

Haasl averages 4.8 rebounds per game and shoots 61.9 percent from the floor playing 25.9 minutes per game. The big also averages 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. Haasl shoots 61 percent for his career spanning 71 games since 2022, and he ranks fifth in school history with 98 career blocks.

Hart adds 3.9 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game to his team-high 15.3 points per game. Seat adds 2.8 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game. Thompson fills it up with 4.5 assists per game, 3.9 rebounds per game, and 2.4 steals per game.

Seat has a team-high 14 made 3-pointers this season while Hannah has 13 in the first eight games. Thompson has 10 makes from deep.

Hart has made a trip to the free-throw line more than any other Bronchos. He's 39-for-47 (83.0 percent) at the stripe. His makes lead the team too. Seat is 21-for-25 (84.0 pct.) and Sebock is 20-for-32 (62.0).

Central Oklahoma and Colorado Mesa are up first this week Tuesday evening. It will mark the inaugural meeting between the two schools. Mesa, of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and from Grand Junction, Colorado, arrives at the River City Holiday Classic with a 4-6 overall record. The Mavericks were, like UCO, 4-2 just a couple of weeks ago, but Mesa has lost four straight coming to San Antonio.

UCO and St. Edward's have only played twice on the basketball court. Wednesday evening will be the third and the Bronchos look to improve to 3-0 against the Hilltoppers from Austin, Texas. Central Oklahoma and St. Edward's previously met in the 1984-85 season, and the 2009-10 season.

Following this week's festival in San Antonio, Central Oklahoma will return to Edmond to host Rogers State in an MIAA contest Sunday, Dec. 22 at Hamilton Field House. The Bronchos will break until Jan. 2 and turn to 16 MIAA games in 2025.

River City Holiday Classic
Tuesday, Dec. 17
Central Missouri vs. UT Permian Basin, 11 a.m.
Rogers State vs. [9] North Georgia, 1 p.m.
Pittsburg State vs. Missouri St. Louis, 3 p.m.
Central Oklahoma vs. Colorado Mesa, 5 p.m.
[3] Washburn vs. St. Edward's, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 18
[9] North Georgia vs. Central Missouri, 11 a.m.
Missouri St. Louis vs. Rogers State, 1 p.m.
Colorado Mesa vs. Pittsburg State, 3 p.m.
St. Edward's vs. Central Oklahoma, 5 p.m.
UT Permian Basin vs. [3] Washburn, 7 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#12 Ben Averitt: G; 6' 6"; Junior

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

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

#0 Israel Hart: G; 6' 3"; Senior

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

#1 Connor Newton: G; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#14 Caiden Punt: F; 6' 7"; Sophomore

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

#2 Jordan Thompson: G; 6' 0"; Senior

#32 JV Seat: G; 6' 3"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#12 Ben Averitt
: 6' 6"; Junior
: G

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

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

#0 Israel Hart
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

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

#1 Connor Newton
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: G

#14 Caiden Punt
: 6' 7"; Sophomore
: F

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

#2 Jordan Thompson
: 6' 0"; Senior
: G

#32 JV Seat
: 6' 3"; Junior
: G