Women fall short to Missouri Western while the men dominate

A fast start by Missouri Western and a dominant third quarter handed Central Oklahoma a 93-67 loss Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Field House.

UCO (6-17, 5-9 MIAA) struggled early, managing just three field goals in the first quarter while falling behind 17-8. Despite finding more rhythm in the second, the Bronchos trailed by 10 at halftime.

Missouri Western took full control after the break, erupting for 32 points in the third quarter behind a barrage of three-pointers. UCO shot efficiently in the period but couldn’t match the Griffons’ offensive surge, entering the final quarter down 70-48.

Korie Allensworth led Central Oklahoma with 22 points, knocking down four three-pointers while adding seven rebounds and two steals. Karly Wadsworth followed with 16 points, six rebounds and two steals. LaKysia Johnson scored 11 points in limited minutes due to foul trouble.

Jordyn Turner and Talia Pogi each contributed eight points, while Peyton Walker added two.

The Bronchos now shift focus to a three-game road stretch, beginning with Rogers State next Saturday. UCO will then face top-ranked Washburn and Central Missouri before returning home for the final two games of the regular season.

With the MIAA Tournament approaching (March 5-9 in Kansas City, Missouri), the Bronchos remain in the hunt for postseason positioning. They currently sit in fifth place, within striking distance of a top-four seed.

Central Oklahoma delivered a commanding performance Saturday afternoon, rolling past Missouri Western 92-60 in an MIAA matchup at Hamilton Field House.

With the win, the Bronchos (14-9, 8-6 MIAA) secured their second straight home victory, using a dominant second half to put the game out of reach.

“The first half was a battle, but our guys responded well after the break,” said UCO head coach Bob Hoffman. Hoffman continued, “We got key stops and turned those into points, which made the difference.”

The game remained close early, featuring five lead changes in the opening eight minutes. Missouri Western briefly pulled ahead 21-18, but UCO responded and never trailed again.

The momentum fully shifted after halftime. Holding a 42-36 lead at the break, the Bronchos opened the second half with a 10-0 run and later strung together a 16-0 surge, blowing the game wide open. By the 9:19 mark, UCO had outscored Missouri Western 30-5 in the half, extending the lead to 72-41.

The Bronchos shot an efficient 50% from the field, hitting 31 of 62 attempts. They knocked down nine 3-pointers and converted 21 of 27 free throws (77.8%).

Luke Haasl led the scoring effort with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while Parker Hannah (14), Jacobi Sebock (13), JV Seat (12) and Israel Hart (11) also finished in double figures.

Off the bench, Preston Aymond added eight points, Jordan Thompson and Ben Averitt scored seven each, while Caiden Punt (3) and Jarreth Ingram (2) rounded out the scoring.

Haasl also contributed three rebounds, two steals and a block. Hannah sank a team-high three 3-pointers and Seat went a perfect 8-for-8 at the free-throw line. Sebock grabbed a team-leading seven rebounds, while Hart filled the stat sheet with seven assists, five rebounds, two steals and a block.

With three consecutive road games ahead, UCO travels to Rogers State next Saturday before facing top-ranked Washburn and Central Missouri the following weekend.

The Bronchos will return home to close the regular season against Arkansas-Fort Smith (Feb. 27) and Northeastern State (March 1) before the MIAA Basketball Championship, March 5-9, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Currently sitting in fifth place, UCO remains in the hunt for a higher tournament seed, trailing second place by just 1.5 games.