by Chris Brannick
EDMOND – No. 9 Central Oklahoma dominated its Top 25 showdown Monday night at Hamilton Field House, cruising to an 80-58 win over No. 20 Emporia State.
Central Oklahoma improved to 13-1 overall on the season and the Bronchos are now 7-1 in league play after the MIAA victory.
“I’m proud of our guys for stepping up tonight,” UCO head men’s basketball coach Bob Hoffman said. “To play the way they did on defense against a Top 25 team is amazing. I’m proud of them. They earned this one.”
UCO has one of the best defenses in the country, ranking fourth in Division II in points allowed per game. The Bronchos are also second in defensive field-goal percentage and have now held 10 of 14 opponents to 60 or less points in a game.
That defense was on display Monday night at Hamilton.
After Emporia State’s leading scorer, Owen Long knocked down a step-back jumper on the game’s first possession, and Emporia hit a 3-pointer on the next one to go ahead 5-0, an 11-2 run followed from the Bronchos and UCO never trailed again.
Curtis Haywood scored a layup before Jaden Wells hit a pair of free-throws. Then Haywood scored another to give UCO a 6-5 lead. After Emporia went up 7-6, Camryn Givens followed his first bucket with a hit a 3-pointer to make it 12-7, UCO.
Then the defense cranked it up.
Emporia made just eight field goals in the first half (on 26 attempts) and went just 3-for-12 from behind the 3-point line.
UCO added a 10-2 run right before halftime and took a 38-25 lead into the break.
In the second half, it was more of the same.
This time, Emporia went 8-for-28 from the floor and just 1-for-11 from behind the 3-point line. The Hornets saving grace on Monday was a 22-for-30 mark from the free-throw line.
Long, who entered the night averaging a team-high 16.8 points per game for the guests from Emporia, Kansas, finished with five points on 1 of 12 shooting. He was 0-for-6 from behind the 3-point line.
Wells led Central Oklahoma with 25 points on 8 of 14 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers. He went 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.
Givens scored 17 points to go with seven rebounds. He also hit a pair of 3-pointers and made five from the stripe.
Danquez Dawsey scored a career-high 12 points on 4 of 5 shooting and made all four of his free-throw attempts. He added five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Haywood added eight points as did Luke Haasl, who also had eight rebounds. Jalyn Turner scored six and Preston Aymond and Ben Averitt both scored two points.
Central Oklahoma as a team finished 24-for-57 (42.1 percent) overall and made four 3-pointers. The Bronchos went 28-for-31 from the free-throw line. The 28 makes from the line is a season best for UCO.
