Women's Basketball 11/12/2025 8:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

Women's Hoops Returns At Central

Bronchos Open 2025-26 Season Friday & Saturday In Edmond

EDMOND – Central Oklahoma women's basketball tips off a new season and a new era Friday night as the Bronchos host the Central Region Challenge at Hamilton Field House.

UCO of first-year head coach Hannah Moeller will play No. 18 Southwest Minnesota State Friday night at 7 p.m. and also take on St. Cloud State on Saturday at 3 p.m. Washburn, which is receiving votes in the WBCA Preseason Coaches' Poll, will also be in Edmond and playing SCSU on Friday before SMSU on Saturday.

"We'll find out really quick where we stand because Southwest Minnesota is a strong team and made the regional final last season," Moeller said. "There's no easing into it. We have to be ready and sharp from the opening tip.

"I like where we are at after a few weeks of preseason," Moeller continued. "The team is almost entirely new and everyone has bought in to what we are trying to do. And it's going to take all of us to get where we want to be."

Central Oklahoma has three players back from last year's squad that went 8-20 and missed the MIAA Basketball Championship for the second year in a row. There are 10 newcomers filling in the roster ready to help out immediately as the new season begins this weekend in Edmond.

Senior guard Talia Pogi is one of the three returners with 56 games played at UCO over the past two seasons. The Mustang, Oklahoma native and Oral Roberts transfer averaged 10.3 points per game last season and has made 69 3-pointers for the Bronchos in her two years at Central.

Sophomores Peyton Walker and Parker Simonsen are also back. Walker played in all 28 games as a freshman and made 25 starts. The Kingfisher, Oklahoma native averaged 3.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Simonsen played in 18 games and made one start, averaging 1.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.

A pair of newcomers join the Bronchos as seniors. Kendrick Bailey (Omaha, Ark.) and Harley Harbour (Frisco, Texas) both transferred from Mid-America Christian, where they played for Moeller last season. Both also transferred to MACU from Harding, where they began their careers. Bailey is competing with Walker at point guard and will help run the offense. Harbour is a post player that will help the Bronchos in the paint and on the glass.

Three transfers make up the entire junior class for the Bronchos in Bobbie Fouquet (Claude, Texas), Olivia Quapaw (Miami, Okla.), and Madison Roberts (Oklahoma City). Fouquet is a 6-foot forward that comes to UCO from Wayland Baptist and can help the Bronchos all around. Quapaw has spent two years in junior college at Murray State and is another guard that will help direct the offense. Roberts spent two years at Southeast Missouri and is a post ready to help the Bronchos down low and on the boards.

Two sophomore transfers join Walker and Simonsen in the second-year class. Jerney Bennett comes to UCO from Oklahoma City University and is an Edmond native. She is another post option with Harbour and Roberts ready to help the Bronchos in the paint. Kaitlyn McCarn comes to UCO from UT Martin and the Mountain Home, Arkansas native is a scoring guard expected to highlight the offense for the Bronchos.

UCO rounds out its roster with a trio of freshmen. Emerie Adams joins the Bronchos from Lone Grove, Oklahoma and finished her high school career at Ardmore. Haniya Geretta and Nykaiya Dillard both come to UCO from Putnam City North where they helped the Panthers win a state championship in March.

Moeller is the sixth head women's basketball coach at UCO in its 50-plus year history. Dr. Virginia Peters led the team for the first 11 seasons before John Keely took over and won 311 games from 1980-2004. Shaun Williams won 24 games in two seasons before Guy Hardaker won 298 games from 2006-22. Emma Andrews won 27 games over the past three seasons.

Central Oklahoma missed the MIAA Basketball Championship in its first season in the league (2012-13) but made the next 10 postseason tournaments up to 2023. The Bronchos aim to return in 2026.

Southwest Minnesota has already begun its 2025-26 season. The Mustangs from Marshall, Minnesota are 1-1 following a two-game weekend in Denton, Texas last week. SMSU lost 70-65 to Alabama Huntsville and beat Tampa 63-62 on Friday and Saturday. The Mustangs return 10 players from last year's regional finalist squad that went 28-5 and 19-3 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

In two games last weekend, SMSU is averaging 64.0 points shooting 36.6 percent from the floor. The Mustangs made 17 3-pointers shooting 27.4 percent and also shot 65.6 percent from the free-throw line. Four players averaged double figures last week with Audrey Swanson (16.5) and Nicole Maenke (16.0) leading the way. Kylan Gerads (15.0) and Natalie Nielsen (11.5) were key players. Nielsen averaged 11.0 rebounds per game and Swanson pulled down 8.0 per game.

St. Cloud State hosted this event last season and it was the first time ever that Central Oklahoma and Southwest Minnesota met on the hardwood. SMSU won 73-62.

SCSU and Washburn are both making their season debuts along with UCO this weekend. The Huskies of St. Cloud, Minnesota went 15-11 last season, including a 68-63 win over the Bronchos in this event. Washburn went 18-13 and earned the No. 5 seed in the MIAA Basketball Championship and advanced to the semifinals of the postseason tournament. The Ichabods from Topeka, Kansas beat UCO 75-60 in the only meeting between the two schools.

Central Oklahoma will play all of its November games at home. The Bronchos host Midwestern State on Nov. 20, Harding on Nov. 24, and UC Colorado Springs on Nov. 29 at Hamilton Field House. Harding is ranked 25th in the WBCA Preseason Coaches' Poll and UCCS, like Washburn, is receiving votes in the poll.

UCO will have two home games in December against NAIA competition and plays five road games, including its first three MIAA contests of the year. Central has 16 games, all MIAA matchups and nine of which are in Edmond, in January and February. The 2026 MIAA Basketball Championship is scheduled for March 4-8 in Kansas City, Missouri.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

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

#0 Emerie Adams: G; 5' 10"; Freshman

#12 Kendrick Bailey: G; 5' 5"; Senior

#2 Jerney Bennett: F; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#22 Nykaiya Dillard: G; 5' 5"; Freshman

#3 Bobbie Fouquet: F; 6' 0"; Junior

#1 Haniya Geretta: F; 5' 10"; Freshman

#25 Harley Harbour: F; 5' 11"; Senior

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

#0 Emerie Adams
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: G

#12 Kendrick Bailey
: 5' 5"; Senior
: G

#2 Jerney Bennett
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: F

#22 Nykaiya Dillard
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: G

#3 Bobbie Fouquet
: 6' 0"; Junior
: F

#1 Haniya Geretta
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: F

#25 Harley Harbour
: 5' 11"; Senior
: F