Box Score EDMOND, Okla. (Nov. 18, 2014) – Central Oklahoma long has found success utilizing the 3-point shot and the Bronchos used it with great effectiveness on Tuesday night against visiting Oklahoma Christian.

UCO drilled 13 3-pointers – including five by Seth Heckart and four by Cal Andrews – and rolled to an 86-60 win over the Eagles at Hamilton Field House in the annual meeting of cross-Edmond rivals. UCO (3-0) has won five of the last six meetings against OC (1-1), although the Eagles still lead the series by a wide 25-9 margin.

The Bronchos, with three juniors and a senior in their starting lineup, had hit 25 3-pointers in romps over Southeastern Oklahoma State and Northwestern Oklahoma State to open the season. Heckart went 4-of-7 from behind the arc in the first half as UCO methodically built a double-digit lead against an OC squad that started two freshmen and two sophomores.

"It's just youth versus experience and experience won out," OC coach Dan Hays said. "They've got a really fine team. I thought we competed hard early. It just got away from us when we couldn't make any shots and couldn't make any free throws. It was pretty much just a tale of youth versus experience and our youth isn't quite ready for as good of a team as UCO. It's as simple as that."

OC's only lead came at 9-8 after a 3-pointer with 15:11 left in the first half by freshman guard Elijah Strickland, who led the Eagles with 14 points. Heckart's first 3-pointer came a little more than a minute later, and he quickly followed with another to make it 14-9 and send the Bronchos on their way.

Heckart and Andrews each hit a 3-pointer during an 11-1 run that put UCO up 30-16 and the Bronchos led 40-26 at halftime.

The Eagles didn't go away, though. A 3-pointer by freshman guard Jordan Box pulled OC within 49-38 with 14:27 left and brought many of the hundreds of OC fans who made the short road trip to their feet. But UCO answered with a 15-1 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Andrews that made it 64-39 with 10:14 left.

Hays had burned all of the Eagles' timeouts by the 11:18 mark, leaving himself little recourse to stop UCO's momentum after that. The Bronchos built their lead to as many as 32 points before a late run by the Eagles cut the gap to 23.

"They mixed up their defenses so much and did such a good job that we just couldn't seem to get a rhythm to what we were doing," Hays said.

Heckert finished with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Andrews scored 16 points and Garen Wright added 14 for UCO. Trai Jordan had eight points and 10 rebounds for the Bronchos, who outrebounded OC 48-29.

OC shot 35.2 percent from the field (19 of 54) and 25 percent from 3-point range (7 of 28). Sophomore center John Moon did post a double-double, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots, while Box added 11 points.

The Eagles will return to action Friday at 7:30 p.m., when they host NAIA foe Southwestern (Kan.).

"It's just going to take time," Hays said. "I've got to be patient. These are good guys and they're going to work hard."