Game Statistics
WEATHERFORD, Okla. (Nov. 20) -- Cristina Yarbrough scored six points in the final 3:30 to spark a game-ending 14-6 run that carried Central Oklahoma to a tough 61-56 victory over Oklahoma Baptist here Friday on the first day of the Southwestern Oklahoma Classic.
The 12th-rated Bronchos bounced back from a one-point season-opening road loss to Pittsburg State with the win over the Bison, ranked third in NAIA. UCO returns Saturday to take on NAIA's No. 8 Oklahoma City at 11:30 a.m.
The OCU game will be broadcast by Fox SportsRadio (1340 AM).
“That was a big win for us,” UCO coach Guy Hardaker said. “It was a sloppy game on both sides, but OBU has a really good team and we made some big plays down the stretch when we needed to.”
The Bronchos trailed 50-47 late in the contest when Yarbrough canned a pair of free throws with 3:30 left to play to ignite the comeback. Jordan Stark made it 52-50 a minute later when she followed an OBU miss with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, with the Bison scoring at 2:12 to tie it.
Kasey Tweed hit a long-range trey to put UCO ahead to stay at the 1:52 mark and she followed with a rebound and pass that led to a Yarbrough layup for a 57-52 lead at 1:25. Yarbrough then stole an OBU pass and went in for another layup to make it 59-52 with 1:07 left and the Bronchos were home free.
Ashley Beckley led UCO with 14 points, while Yarbrough finished with 12 points, seven assists and three steals. Stark added 11 points and Tweed finished with nine as the Bronchos prevailed despite shooting just 38.8 percent (19-of-49) from the field.
OBU led 30-28 after a strange first half that saw the Bronchos bolt to a 13-0 lead only to have the Bison use a late 18-3 run to surge in front.
Rose Anderson scored UCO's first four points and OBU missed its first nine shots as the Bronchos went up 13-0 seven minutes into the contest and it was a 20-8 bulge after a 15-foot Traci Murphree jumper with 9:08 left in the half.
The Bison answered back with their 18-3 spurt to move in front 26-23, taking advantage of a seven-minute stretch that saw the Bronchos go 1-of-8 from the field and 1-of-5 from the line while committing four turnovers.
It was 30-25 deficit before Tweed hit a 3-pointer from the wing with 21 seconds left to get UCO within two at intermission.
UCO trailed 32-28 early in the second half, but got a 3-pointer from Stark and four straight free throws from Beckley in a 7-0 run to take a 35-32 lead with 14:18 left to play.
It was a four-point lead at 40-36 after an Anderson 3-pointer at the 11:42 mark and 46-43 following two Beckley foul shots at 7:14 before OBU came back with a 7-1 run to go on top 50-47 with 4:05 remaining to set the stage for Yarbrough's late heroics.
