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MARYVILLE, Mo. -- The SW Minnesota State Mustangs got a jumper from Matt Zager in the waning seconds to defeat the Central Missouri Mules 64-62 on Saturday afternoon in the Bearcat Classic at Bearcat Arena. The game 13 lead changes and nine ties.

The Mules (2-1) jumped out to an early 6-2 lead, but the Mustangs (3-3) went on a 9-2 run to grab an 11-8 with just under 14 minutes to play in the opening half. SMSU pushed the lead to as many as six at 18-12 with 10:43 to go in the half, but a 7-0 run by the Mules gave UCM a 19-18 lead just over two minutes later.

The game went back and for the remainder of the half with neither team leading by more than three. Charles Hammork made a driving layup with just under two seconds left in the half and the Mules led 36-34 at the intermission.

Dominique Long hit a three to start the second half and give the Mules a 39-34 lead, but turned the ball over the next three times down the court. A layup by Nick Smith brought the Mustangs within three, but a layup from Wigdett Washington and a jumper by Alex Dean gave the Mules their biggest lead of the game at 43-36 with 16:31 left in the game.

A 10-2 run by SW Minnesota State gave the Mustangs the lead again at 46-45 with 13:08 to play. UCM regained the lead on a Charles Hammork jumper and a jumper by Long made it 51-48 Mules with just over 11 minutes to play. 

The Mustangs out-scored Central Missouri 14-5 over the next seven minutes to grab a 62-56 lead with 4:14 remaining in the game, but the Mules responded with a 6-0 run of their own to tie the game with 1:32 left in the half.

UCM had two chances in the final minute of regulation to take the lead, but both jumpers came up short. The Mustangs rebounded the final miss and called timeout with 23 seconds remaining. 

UCM had the ball trapped near midcourt, but the play broke down and Zager hit a running jumper with six seconds left to give the Mustangs the 64-62 lead. The Mules tried to go the length of the court on the inbounds, but they never got a shot off and dropped their first game of the season.

The Mules shot 41 percent from the field (24-of-59), but just 8-of-32 for 25 percent in the second half. UCM was 4-of-18 from three-point range for 22 percent and 10-of-12 from the foul line for 83 percent.

Hammork led UCM with a career-high 16 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He also had six rebounds and three steals. Long added 14 points and five rebounds, while Matt Webb chipped in 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.

Southwest Minnesota State shot 23-of-51 for 45 percent from the floor, including 6-of-16 from beyond the arc for 38 percent. The Mustangs were 12-of-15 from the charity stripe for 80 percent.

Jordan Miller led the Mustangs with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds in addition to five assists. Zager had 14 points and Nick Smith added 11.

SMSU out-rebounded UCM 36-31 and forced the Mules into 17 turnovers to just five assists. The Mustangs had 17 turnovers as well in addition to 11 assists. The Mules had eight steals and three blocks.