Women's Basketball 1/28/2025 5:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

Bronchos Visit Newman Thursday Night

Central Oklahoma Looks To Return To Win Column In Second Matchup With Newman

WICHITA, Kan. – Central Oklahoma wraps up its season series with Newman Thursday night when the Bronchos visit the Jets for an MIAA matchup inside Fugate Gymnasium. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Central Oklahoma is 4-15 on the season with a 3-7 record in the MIAA. The Bronchos are looking to snap a six-game losing streak. UCO's last win came against Newman, Jan. 4 in Edmond. Newman is 6-13 overall and 1-9 in the MIAA. The Jets are aiming to snap a four-game losing streak Thursday night.

UCO is 12-1 against Newman all time. The Bronchos won the first nine meetings and have won the last three. Newman's lone win came in Wichita in 2023.

Central continues its week away from home with a trip to Emporia State Sunday afternoon. The Bronchos and the Lady Hornets tipoff at 1:30 p.m. inside White Auditorium.

UCO heads into Thursday night's matchup averaging 62.4 points per game. The Bronchos shoot as a team 38.8 percent from the floor, 29.8 percent from behind the 3-point line, and 69.3 percent from the free-throw line. Central averages 5.5 made 3-pointers per game and 11.3 made free-throws per game.

The Bronchos are led by Korie Allensworth, who did not play in the first meeting with Newman. The senior forward averages a team-high 13.1 points per game and is second on the squad in rebounding at 5.9 boards per game. Allensworth shoots 37.7 percent from the floor and is 49-for-60 (81.7 pct.) at the free-throw line.

LaKysia Johnson, a senior guard, averages 12.6 points per game. She leads the team with 100 made field goals this season, almost all two-point shots. Johnson is 100-for-194 (51.5 pct.) overall and 2-for-8 from deep. She also leads the team with 62 free-throw attempts. Her 37 makes puts her at 57.8 percent. Johnson also leads UCO with 37 steals and averages 1.9 per game. She ranks fourth in the MIAA in both total steals and per game average.

Jordyn Turner is also scoring in double figures for the Bronchos. The senior forward averages 11.2 points per game and leads UCO with 8.5 rebounds per game, ranking third in the MIAA in the latter. Turner is 80-for-176 (45.5 pct.) this season, including an 11-for-19 (57.9) mark behind the 3-point line. She is also 42-for-62 (67.7) at the free-throw line.

Talia Pogi is Central's fourth player averaging double figures this season. The Bronchos get 10.5 points per game from the junior guard, who leads the team with 36 made 3-pointers through 19 games. Pogi ranks seventh in the MIAA in made threes this season. She also leads the team in minutes played.

Peyton Walker, Central's fifth starter, is doing a little bit of everything in her true freshman season. She averages 2.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. Walker is also second on the team in minutes played, just 10 shy of Pogi.

Karly Wadsworth leads UCO's reserve unit. The fifth-year senior scores 5.5 points per game. Wadsworth is 21-for-83 from behind the 3-point line this season, a 25.3 percent rate.

Wadsworth already owns school records for 3-point attempts in a single game (15), single season (196), and for a career (554). A fifth-year senior, Wadsworth is 18 threes away from the school record for career makes.

UCO defensively is giving up 72.9 points per game. The Bronchos see opponents shoot 44.1 percent overall, 34.3 percent from behind the 3-point line with an average of 6.3 makes per game, and 72.9 percent from the free-throw line with an average of 10.9 makes per game there.

Central Oklahoma will wrap up January with Thursday night's matchup. The Bronchos play seven games in February and wrap up the 2024-25 regular season March 1 in Edmond.

The 2025 MIAA Women's Basketball Championships are scheduled for March 5-9 in Kansas City, Missouri. The top 10 teams in the final league standings qualify for the postseason tournament that determines the MIAA's automatic qualification to the national tournament. UCO did not make the postseason in 2024 and is looking to get back to Kansas City in March.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

#20 Jordyn Turner: F; 6' 2"; Senior

#22 Korie Allensworth: F; 5' 10"; Senior

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

#20 Jordyn Turner
: 6' 2"; Senior
: F

#22 Korie Allensworth
: 5' 10"; Senior
: F