Box Score (PITTSBURG, Kan.) – The Central Missouri Mules used good defense and some hot second half shooting to down Pittsburg State 65-57 on Sunday night at John Lance Arena. UCM shot 71 percent in the second half, while holding the Gorillas to 36 percent shooting.
            Both teams traded buckets in the opening minutes of the first half with the Mules (7-3, 3-2 MIAA) grabbing a 5-4 lead at the 17:30 mark behind five points from Will Kirksey. Pittsburg State (6-5, 2-3 MIAA) regained the lead on a Drake Green layup sparking a 6-0 run for PSU.
            After Central Missouri had cut the lead to three at 14-11 the Gorillas went on a 7-0 run to open a 10-point advantage thanks to some sloppy play by the Mules. UCM committed 11 first half turnovers, including nine in the first 12 minutes of the game.
            The lead was still 10 at 23-13 with 5:10 to play in the half, but the Mules closed the half on a 9-4 run to trail 27-22 at the intermission.
            The second half got off to a bizarre start with Central Missouri being whistled for a foul before any time ticked off the clock and three total fouls in the first 15 seconds of the second half. The Gorillas capitalized and a three by Eric Ray gave PSU a 30-22 lead at the 18:25 mark.
            The Mules began to chip into the lead and cut the deficit to one at 35-34 on a steal and layup by Lance Beckwith. The Gorillas pushed the lead back to six on a trey by Courtney Ingram, but the Mules responded with an 11-0 run to grab a 47-42 lead with 7:44 left in the game. Matt Webb started the run with a layup and Widgett Washington and Dominique Long finished it by combining for nine straight points.
            Central Missouri extended the lead to seven at 52-45 with 6:25 to play in the game, but five quick points by the Gorillas made it a two-point game with just over five minutes remaining. The teams traded buckets on the next few possessions with Webb's jumper at the 2:13 mark putting UCM up 58-54. The Mules made three out of four at the foul line to extend the lead to 61-55 with 47 seconds left and Yavario Smith and Boo Hunter each drained a pair of free throws to ice the game down the stretch.
            After committing 11 first half turnovers, the Mules had just two in the second half and made 15-of-21 from the field for 71.4 percent. For the game, UCM shot 50 percent, 23-of-46, and 18-of-25 from the charity stripe for 72 percent. The Mules were just 1-of-6 from behind the arc.
            Long led the Mules with 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting including 5-of-5 from the foul line. Beckwith added 12 points and a team-high six assists. Washington finished with nine points while Long and Webb each had five rebounds.
            Central Missouri held the Gorillas to 35.7 percent shooting, 20-of-56, and 5-of-25 from beyond the arc for 20 percent. PSU was 12-of-21 from the foul line for 57.1 percent and the Gorillas committed 17 turnovers.
            Ingram led Pittsburg State with 18 points and Andra Bailey had 12.
            The Gorillas out-rebounded UCM 37-29 including 15 offensive rebounds and had 16 assists to 11 for the Mules.
            Central Missouri is now off until December 31 when Washburn comes to the UCM Multipurpose Building for a 3:30 p.m. tip-off.