Bronchos stumble in Topeka, drop doubleheader

The University of Central Oklahoma basketball teams had a rough night in Topeka on Thursday, with both the men’s and women’s squads falling to Washburn. The men kept it close early but could not keep up with the fourth-ranked Ichabods, losing 93-72, while the women struggled in the second quarter and never found their footing in a 75-60 defeat.

The UCO men started off strong, briefly leading 5-2 before Washburn responded with an 8-0 run. Israel Hart carried the Bronchos through the first half, scoring 18 of his game-high 23 points, including a deep 3-pointer before halftime to cut the deficit to 42-32. The Bronchos came out firing after the break, trimming the lead to 42-37, but Washburn answered with an 8-2 burst and steadily pulled away from there. Brayden Shorter led the Ichabods with 25 points and five 3-pointers, while Jacob Hanna added 22 points, hitting 14 of 16 free throws.

Hart finished 7-for-19 from the field with five assists and two steals. Jacobi Sebock added 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while JV Seat chipped in 13 points. The Bronchos struggled to find a rhythm, shooting just 40 percent from the field and 7-for-24 from 3-point range, while Washburn shot 52.7 percent and dominated the glass with a plus-15 rebounding advantage. The loss dropped UCO to 14-11 overall and 8-8 in the MIAA as they continue their final road trip of the regular season.

While the men’s team saw the game slip away late, the women’s team ran into trouble much earlier. UCO started strong, trading baskets in the first quarter behind Jordyn Turner’s hot start. She scored the Bronchos’ first eight points before foul trouble forced her to the bench. UCO trailed just 20-17 after one, but the game quickly took a turn for the worse in the second quarter. Costly turnovers fueled a 12-0 Washburn run, and the Bronchos struggled to find any rhythm offensively. They managed just six points in the period, three of which came on a buzzer-beater from Karly Wadsworth. By halftime, UCO found itself in a deep 35-23 hole.

Turner finished with 13 points and nine rebounds, while LaKysia Johnson led the team with 15 points on 7-for-8 shooting. Karly Wadsworth was a bright spot, hitting four 3-pointers to move into second place on UCO’s all-time 3-point list with 187 makes, just three shy of the program record.

The Bronchos attempted to mount a comeback, outscoring Washburn 26-22 in the fourth quarter, but the damage had already been done. Payton Sterk paced Washburn with 20 points, while Yiibari Nwidadah added 13 points and seven rebounds. The loss dropped Central Oklahoma to 7-18 on the season and 6-10 in the MIAA.

UCO heads to Central Missouri on Saturday, looking to regroup and end the road trip on a high note.