Close Call

1/6/2011 11:02:19 PM

June Carter

Box Score

EDMOND (Jan. 6) – No. 18-ranked Central Oklahoma claimed its 16th consecutive home win Thursday night at Hamilton Field House, but it wasn't without its tense moments down the stretch.

The Bronchos turned back Tarleton State 60-57, holding on despite scoring just four points in the last six minutes of the game and missing three of four free throws in the final 2:10. And this one wasn't secured until Tarleton's Corin Henry missed badly on a contested 3-pointer at the buzzer.

UCO, which entered the gave averaging 85.5 points a game, improved to 13-2 with its 44th win in its last 46 home games. The Texans fell to 8-3.

“It wasn't very pretty, especially the last 10 minutes or so, but we did what we had to do and beat a good team,” head coach Terry Evans said. “We got out of offensive rhythm in the second half and had a hard time scoring.”

All-American Dauntae Williams led the Bronchos once again, nailing 6-of-8 long-distance shots in scoring a game-high 23 points while adding five rebounds. Tyler Phillips made four treys in a 15-point outing as the only other player in double figures.

UCO made more shots outside the 3-point line (12) than inside (nine) and was just 6-of-13 (46.2 percent) from the free throw line against the Texans, who entered the contest allowing just 51.3 points a game.

The Bronchos led 35-23 at halftime and appeared in complete control after going on top 46-31 with 14:27 left to play on a three-point play by Shane Carroll. That 15-point lead was quickly trimmed to three by a 14-2 TSU run that made it 48-45 with 9:27 remaining, but UCO still had an eight-point advantage (56-48) at the 6:09 mark after the last of Williams' six 3-pointers.

Neither team scored again until Phillips made one of two foul shots at 4:47 to make it 57-48 and then the Texans scored five straight points to get within 57-53 with 2:42 to play.

Jarrod McDaniel made two free throws at 2:28 to up the lead to 59-53, with Tarleton scoring the next four points to pull within 59-57 with 43 seconds left as UCO missed four straight shots – two from the field and two from the line.

Williams gave the Bronchos a three-point lead at 60-57 when he made one of two charity tosses at 0:40 and the Texans missed two shots in the final seven seconds as UCO held on.

The teams traded long-range bombs in the early going, combining for seven 3-pointers in the opening five minutes that ended with a Phillips trey that gave the Bronchos the lead for good at 14-12.

UCO went up 11 (28-17) on a Williams 3-pointer with 4:18 left and owned a pair of 14-point leads in the final two minutes before settling for its 35-23 halftime cushion.

The Bronchos stay home for another big Lone Star Conference crossover contest Saturday afternoon, hosting No. 21-ranked and two-time defending league champion Midwestern State at 4 p.m.

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