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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Matthew Willenborg
75
Winner Central Okla. CentOK 15-11,8-6 Mid-America Intercollegiate
70
Missouri Western MW 15-9,7-6 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Winner
Central Okla. CentOK
15-11,8-6 Mid-America Intercollegiate
75
Final
70
Missouri Western MW
15-9,7-6 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Central Okla. CentOK 33 29 13 75
Missouri Western MW 28 34 8 70

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Chris Brannick

UCO Pulls Away In Overtime At Missouri Western

Bronchos Win 75-70 In MIAA Road Matchup

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Central Oklahoma beat Missouri Western 75-70 in overtime Saturday afternoon to earn a split on its weekend trip to Missouri.
 
UCO is 15-11 on the season and 8-6 in the MIAA. The Bronchos have five games remaining, the next three at home, and continue to fight for position in the league standings. Three teams are tied for second place 1.0-1.5 games ahead of the Bronchos with nine league wins and are on UCO's remaining schedule.
 
"I'm proud of the guys for their fight tonight," UCO head men's basketball coach Bob Hoffman said. "We were fortunate to build a lead but it's hard to win at somebody else's place. We knew they were going to come back and we were fortunate to find a way to get it done."
 
It took three and a half minutes for Central Oklahoma to score its first basket Saturday but when Josh Nwankwo knocked down the 3-pointer it gave the Bronchos a 3-2 lead. UCO held that lead for nearly all of regulation.
 
Central led by as many as eight in the first half, 16-8, and took a 33-28 lead heading into halftime.
 
After the break, the Bronchos went on a 10-0 run to start the second half. That gave UCO a 16-point lead, 46-30, its largest of the game. But then MoWest responded.  
 
The host Griffons spent the rest of regulation chipping away and got it to three points, 60-57, with 1:44 to play. Nwankwo gave UCO a five-point lead with 51 seconds remaining, but the Griffons found a way to force overtime with a layup, a foul and a UCO missed free-throw, and finally a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left to tie the game, 62-62.
 
Nwankwo missed a 3-pointer with four seconds left and Matthew Willenborg missed a buzzer beater and extra time was put on the clock.
 
The game was tied at 64, 66, and 68, but Central Oklahoma finished the overtime period on a 9-2 run to pull away from MWSU.
 
Nwankwo led UCO with 22 points, six boards, three assists and two steals. He was 8-for-15 from the floor, 1-for-4 from behind the 3-point line, and 5-for-6 at the free-throw line.
 
Willenborg added 17 points, 18 rebounds and four blocked shots. He was 6-for-19 from the floor, 1-for-3 from deep, and 4-for-6 at the line. Willenborg's 18 rebounds are a career high and the most in the MIAA in a single game this season.
 
Parker Hannah and Jack Robinson both added 10 points with both sinking a pair of 3-pointers in the game. Robinson had four assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Hannah had five boards.
 
Brady Hancuff scored six points to go with seven boards. Jayden Garces played a season-high 19 minutes and scored five points. Trey Tuck scored three points and Marcus Zeigler Jr. added two.
 
Central Oklahoma as a team shot 37.5 percent, making 27 of 72 shots. The Bronchos were 7-for-21 behind the 3-point line and 14-for-21 at the free-throw line.
 
UCO hosts Rogers State next week, then has No. 1 Washburn and Central Missouri coming to Edmond after that. The Bronchos play at Northeastern State and Arkansas Fort Smith on the final weekend of the regular season.
 
The 2026 MIAA Basketball Championship is scheduled for March 4-8 in Kansas City, Missouri. Tickets will be sold on campus over the next month.
 
 
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