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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Brady Hancuff
74
Winner Central Mo. CentMo 21-8,12-5 Mid-America Intercollegiate
70
Central Okla. CentOK 15-14,8-9 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Winner
Central Mo. CentMo
21-8,12-5 Mid-America Intercollegiate
74
Final
70
Central Okla. CentOK
15-14,8-9 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Central Mo. CentMo 39 35 74
Central Okla. CentOK 22 48 70

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Chris Brannick

Comeback Falls Short For Bronchos Saturday In Edmond

Central Oklahoma Loses 74-70 To Central Missouri In Home Finale

EDMOND – Central Oklahoma nearly erased a 19-point deficit Saturday afternoon against Central Missouri but the Bronchos ran out of time in the 74-70 loss at Hamilton Field House.
 
UCO is 15-14 overall this season and now 8-9 in the MIAA. The Bronchos did secure a spot in the MIAA Basketball Championship, scheduled for March 4-8 in Kansas City, Missouri. Central Oklahoma will play for positioning on the final week of the season next week. The Bronchos can move from fifth to 10th place ahead of the postseason tournament.
 
Central Oklahoma had one lead in Saturday's game and it was 2-0. The Bronchos got in an early hole and spent the rest of the first half playing from behind. UCM had a commanding 39-22 at halftime.
 
But the Bronchos had a response.
 
It was a slow comeback in the second half. The Broncho deficit grew slightly but the Bronchos chipped away, and away, and away. It was still a 10-point game with over seven minutes remaining but Josh Nwankwo cut it to single digits then Parker Hannah made a four-point game with a four-point play, that made it 59-55 with 6:27 remaining.
 
It was 72-66 thanks to a UCM free-throw with 90 seconds remaining. Nwankwo scored with 58 seconds left, UCO got a stop on the other end, and Hannah scored with 17 seconds left to make it 72-70. The deficit nearly gone. However, UCM made two free-throws to seal the win and the Bronchos didn't get a shot off on the final possession.
 
Matthew Willenborg led the Bronchos with 26 points and 10 rebounds. He added three blocks. Nwankwo finished with 13 points, six rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Hannah also scored in double figures with 11 points and had five rebounds and a pair of steals.
 
UCO also got double figures from Brady Hancuff off the bench. The freshman forward scored 10 points to go with seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Marcus Zeigler Jr. and Jayden Garces both added three points for the Bronchos.
 
Central Oklahoma plays at Arkansas Fort Smith on Thursday night. The Bronchos visit Northeastern State on Saturday for the final game of the season.
 
The MIAA Basketball Championship begins March 4 with first-round games between the No. 7 & 10 seeds and the No. 8 & 9 seeds. The No. 1 & 2 in the final standings play those winners on March 5. The No. 3, 4, 5, & 6 seeds play quarterfinal matches on March 6. The semifinals are scheduled for March 7 and the championship game is scheduled for March 8.
 
 
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