Women's Basketball 2/15/2024 7:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

Central Oklahoma Hosts Washburn

Bronchos Look For Key Win In Late Season Home MIAA Game

EDMOND – Central Oklahoma hosts Washburn Saturday afternoon in a crucial late season MIAA battle at Hamilton Field House. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Central Oklahoma is 5-18 on the season and 4-13 in the MIAA. The Bronchos are tied for 11th place in the league standings with five games remaining. Washburn is 11-12 overall and 6-11 in league play. The Ichabods from Topeka, Kansas are 10th in the league standings with 10 teams qualifying for the MIAA Basketball Championship next month in Kansas City, Missouri.

"We played really well their place and even though we came up short, we learned that we can compete with them," second-year UCO head women's basketball coach Emma Andrews said. "We know we don't have any room for error coming down to these last five games, so we're going to have to be locked in and ready to play."

UCO lost 64-62 at Washburn back on January 4 in Topeka. The Bronchos led 62-60 with 45 seconds left before WU scored the game-winning basket with one second left on the clock.

Washburn owns 15-11 lead in the all-time series, with the Bronchos owning a 5-4 advantage in games at Hamilton Field House.

Central Oklahoma hosts Washburn on Saturday averaging 63.7 points per game through 23 games played this season. The Bronchos shoot 37.3 percent from the floor overall and 28.2 percent from behind the 3-point line with an average of 5.8 makes per game. UCO also shoots 72.5 percent from the free-throw line with 11.5 makes per game.

Defensively, UCO concedes 71.7 points per game. Opponents shoot 42.1 percent against the Bronchos, and average 6.7 made 3-pointers per game and 17.0 made free-throws per game.

Karly Wadsworth, who has missed the last three games due to injury, is the team's leading scorer at 8.8 points per game. Wadsworth has a team-high 37 made 3-pointers and her 61 total shots made is the second most on the team.

Reagan Fox is averaging 8.6 points per game, playing in all 23 games for the Bronchos this season. The sophomore from Blanchard, Oklahoma has 58 total makes and 31 of those are 3-pointers. Fox is also 50-for-54 at the free-throw line for a 92.6 percent rate.

Alena Wilson is the third leading scorer and the third averaging eight points per game. The junior from Dallas averages 8.2 points per game and leads the team with 80 made baskets this in 23 games this season. Wilson also leads the team at 5.5 rebounds per game. She has 97 defensive boards on the season and 30 more on the offensive glass.

Natalie Stice and LaKysia Johnson both are averaging 6.6 points per game and Aliyah Llanusa adds 6.4 points per game. Stice has 26 made 3-pointers this season, Johnson shoots almost 50 percent (46.7) overall, and Llanusa adds 5.0 rebounds per game. Caley Young (5.4 PPG and 3.8 RPG) also is a key player on both ends of the floor for the Bronchos.

Talia Pogi (3.7 PPG), Gracee Miller (3.1) and Alexis Martin (3.0) chip in on the scoring load.

Washburn averages 69.1 points per game through 23 games played this season. The Ichabods shoot 40.2 percent as a team. Aubree Dewey leads WU in scoring at 16.3 points per game and she also averages 5.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Yiibari Nwidadah averages 12.3 points per game and leads the team with 9.6 rebounds per game.

Central Oklahoma will play Thursday and Saturday each of the final two weeks of the season after this weekend's matchup with Washburn. The Bronchos are tied for 11th place in the MIAA with Rogers State at 4-13 and that's where UCO plays next week. Central also visits Northeastern State (12-11, 8-9) next Saturday.

Central Oklahoma wraps up the regular season with Northwest Missouri (19-5, 13-5) and Newman (2-21, 1-16) in Edmond.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

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

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

#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

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

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

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

#2 Alena Wilson: F; 5' 10"; Junior

Players Mentioned

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

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

#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

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

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

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

#2 Alena Wilson
: 5' 10"; Junior
: F