By Chris Brannick
EDMOND – Central Oklahoma never trailed in a 91-57 blowout win over Southwestern Christian Sunday night in the 2023-24 home opener for the Bronchos at Hamilton Field House.
UCO improved to 5-0 with the win over the NAIA school from Bethany.
Danquez Dawsey scored 18 points and dished out a career-high 12 assists in the win. Jaden Wells added 16 points and six rebounds. He also made four 3-pointers. Luke Haasl had 13 points, five rebounds, and five blocked shots.
Matthew Willenborg and Jarreth Ingram both scored 11 points off the bench to give Central Oklahoma five in double figures.
Majok Majouk scored nine points, Jalyn Turner and Mike Quick Jr. each had five points, Parker Hannah scored two, and Evan Barber added one.
Central Oklahoma shot 45.2 percent from the floor, making 33 of 73 total shots. The Bronchos were 10-for-32 from behind the arc, a 31.3 percent rate. Wells went 4-for-7 from outside. UCO also made 15 of 22 free-throws (68.2 percent).
After UCO quickly jumped out to a 6-0 lead, SCU answered with a 3-pointer and a pair of free-throws to make it 6-5 three minutes into the game. But UCO followed with a 17-0 run over the next 4:39 and the Bronchos never looked back from that point.
The Bronchos led by as many as 28 points in the first half and that’s how the game went to halftime, a 50-22 advantage for the hosts.
The second half was played much more evenly, a 41-35 advantage for the Bronchos. UCO led by as many as 41 points, 73-32, with more than 11 minutes to play in the game.