Bronchos Rally to Beat Pittsburg State 69-59 in MIAA Showdown

Central Oklahoma rode a late-game surge to defeat Pittsburg State 69-59 on Saturday afternoon, snapping a tense back-and-forth affair and tightening the race for the top spots in the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).

UCO is now 12-8 overall and 5-3 in MIAA play. 

The Bronchos, who trailed for a significant portion of the second half, chipped away at the Pitt State lead and stunned the Gorillas with an 11-0 run in the closing minutes. The spurt sealed the win for UCO, solidifying a six-team tie for second place in the MIAA standings as the regular season enters its final stretch.

Central Oklahoma led for most of the first half, building a cushion before Pitt State mounted a late rally to cut the lead to 32-27 at halftime. The Gorillas carried that momentum into the second half, grabbing the advantage and controlling the pace for roughly 10 minutes.

After the game was knotted at 52-52 with under five minutes to play, Mathew Willenborg converted a pair of free throws to push UCO ahead. Ben Averitt added a layup, and Marcus Zeigler Jr. connected on a big three to extend the lead. Willenborg then iced the victory with four more free throws in the final 40 seconds as Central Oklahoma pulled away.

The victory keeps Central Oklahoma in a tight chase for the league title. With the schedule thinning, each conference win carries added weight as teams jockey for positioning ahead of the postseason. 

Pitt State, despite the loss, demonstrated resilience, holding the Bronchos to efficient stretches and showing why they’re a formidable foe on the road. The Gorillas now shift focus to maintaining consistency as they push for a strong finish in the standings.

UCO will hit the road to play Nebraska-Kearney this Thursday, with tipoff to begin at 7:30 p.m.