Box Score (HTML) | Season Stats
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- The Mules used a 14-4 run to close the first half to pull away from Sioux Falls in a 67-47 victory on Saturday afternoon at the Sanford Pentagon. The Mules complete their season-opening trip at 2-0 with a pair of wins over Northern Sun Conference opponents.
The Cougars (0-1) jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the first six minutes of the game, but the Mules (2-0) used an 11-0 run to regain the lead.
Rakeem Dickerson started the run with a layup and
Tony Cochran ended it with a three-pointer at the 10:10 mark of the first half. UCM pushed the lead to six at 19-13 on another Dickerson layup.
The lead was four with 5:50 to play in the first half, but the Mules closed the frame on a 13-4 run, higlighted by back-to-back layups from
TJ White to close out the half as the Mules led 33-19 at the intermission.
Central Missouri extended the lead to 18 in the first 3:12 of the second half, A three-pointer by
Kyle Wolf and a
Brad Woodson layup gave the Mules a 43-25 lead at the 16:48 mark. An 8-0 by the Mules pushed the lead to 24 at 51-27 and following a Mack Johnson dunk
Donte Adams hit a three and and the Mules had their largest lead of the game at 54-29 with 11:02 to play.
The Cougars were able to crawl back to within 16 at the 2:55 mark, but UCM scored five of the final six points of the game en route to the 20-point victory.
Wolf led UCM with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Brennen Hughes had nine points and four rebounds. Five different players scored six points each and Dickerson added five assists as well.
The Mules shot 48 percent from the floor, 26-of-54, and 45 percent from three-point range, 9-of-20. UCM was 6-of-11 at the foul line for 54 percent.
Charles Ward led Sioux Falls with 13 points, but was just 4-of-15 from the field. Cutler Finneman added 10 points off the bench to go along with a game-high six boards.
The Cougars were 13-of-49 from the floor for 26 percent. They made 4-of-14 from beyond the arc for 28 percent and 17-of-20 at the charity stripe for 85 percent.
SF out-rebounded UCM 35-31 and had 19 second chance point to eight for the Mules. UCM held a 32-16 advantage in points in the paint and outscored the Cougars 26-16 from the bench.
The Mules return home for their home opener on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. against Missouri S&T. UCM Athletics and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be hosting their annual canned food drive. Any fan who brings four canned food items or non-perishable food items will receive a free general admission ticket to the game. All donated food will go the Warrensburg Food Pantry.
