UCO men and women sweep Northwest Missouri with defensive effort

A relentless defensive effort powered Central Oklahoma to a 82-55 victory over Northwest Missouri on Thursday night at the Hamilton Field House.

The Bronchos (13-9, 7-6 MIAA) wasted no time setting the tone, forcing seven turnovers in the first five minutes. By halftime, they had 14 steals and a 43-29 lead, holding Northwest Missouri to just 39% shooting.

“We came out with great energy on defense and that set the stage for everything else,” said UCO head coach, Bob Hoffman. “The guys did a great job making things difficult for them,” Hoffman continues.

Central Oklahoma finished the night with 23 steals, just one shy of the school record. Senior guard Jordan Thompson led the charge with nine, nearly matching the program’s single-game mark. Israel Hart, Luke Haasl and Jacobi Sebock each had four steals, while Matthew Willenborg and Preston Aymond added one each.

The Bronchos’ defensive intensity never let up, forcing 26 turnovers by the final buzzer.

Thompson also led the offensive attack, scoring a game-high 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting. His performance came after a tough outing at Emporia State, where he went 0-for-10. He added three assists, two rebounds and a 3-pointer.

JV Seat matched Thompson with 16 points, hitting three shots from beyond the arc and finishing a perfect 3-for-3 at the free-throw line. He also contributed four assists and three rebounds.

Haasl and Sebock added 12 points each. Sebock recorded a double-double with a game-high 11 rebounds, while Haasl grabbed seven boards.

Parker Hannah came off the bench to score 10 points, knocking down two 3-pointers and both of his free throws. Hart chipped in nine points, Ben Averritt scored five and Connor Newton added two.

All 14 Bronchos saw action as UCO snapped a two-game skid with a dominant performance on both ends of the floor.

Central Oklahoma used a dominant defensive effort to secure a 61-44 victory over Northwest Missouri in an MIAA matchup Thursday night at the Hamilton Field House.

The Bronchos (6-16, 5-8 MIAA) trailed after the first quarter but took control in the second, opening with a 7-0 run and never looked back. They held the Bearcats (10-12, 3-9 MIAA) to just 24.6% shooting from the field, including 2-for-17 from 3-point range.

“We played with intensity for all four quarters,” said UCO head coach, Emma Andrews. “Our defense really stepped up late in the game, and we did a great job of closing it out,” continued Andrews.

LaKysia Johnson led UCO with 17 points, four rebounds and three steals. Jordyn Turner posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Talia Pogi added 14 points. Alexis Lewis chipped in seven points off the bench.

Despite shooting just 2-for-11 from beyond the arc, UCO made up for it with strong inside play, converting 49% of its shots.

 Bronchos’ Men and Women’s basketball held their own on defense in both matchups versus the Northwest Missouri Bearcats, and will look to parlay that into more success moving forward.