UCO men beat Lions in MIAA quarterfinals
Rudolph BarnesThe University of Central Oklahoma Bronchos men’s basketball beat the Missouri Southern State Lions 109-101 in the MIAA quarterfinals.
The Bronchos had three players score at least 20 points. Cam Givens led the team with 24, Callen Haydon finished with 21, and Jaden Wells tacked on 20.
The Bronchos started the game on an 8-0 run. They never trailed the entire game.
“Everybody played championship minutes,” Bronchos head coach Bob Hoffman said. “We were about to go out and get those loose balls.”
The Lions were able to bring the score to a tie just before Wells and Smith went on another run to expand the lead to five points 47-42.
In the second half, the Lions came out with more fight, but were unable to overcome the deficit. The Bronchos continued to expand the lead with high-percentage shooting and free throws.
The Bronchos advance to the semifinals and will play Northwest Missouri at 5 p.m. Friday at Maryville.
Notes:
Wade was named to Second Team All-MIAA. Haydon was named Third Team All-MIAA. Givens was named All-MIAA Honorable Mention. “Those three guys make a lot of things go for us,” UCO head coach Bob Hoffman said. “I’m happy for them to be recognized. They deserve it. Isaiah is so talented and after not playing for almost two years, he showed how good he can be. Callen is such a competitor and makes a lot of things happen for us from the point guard position. And Cam is so good. He is really versatile and can do a lot for us in different areas.”
The Bronchos improved their record to 13-10.