Box Score COLUMBIA, Mo. (Nov. 4, 2016) -- Central Missouri shot 50 percent in the second half to rally from 18 points down to within three with :39 to play, but came up just short in a 66-59 exhibition loss to Missouri on Friday night at Mizzou Arena.

The Tigers led 53-35 with 9:26 to go in the game when the Mules started their run. Marquiez Lawrence scored a layup and Kyle Wolf hit a pair of foul shots to get UCM started. Wolf hit a pair of three pointser sandwiched around a Spencer Reaves free throw to pull UCM within eight, but the Tigers scored four straight points to push the lead back to 12 at 58-46 with 5:46 to play.

Trailing 61-47 with under four minutes to play, Reaves hit a three-pointer followed up by layups from Erick Locke and Lawrence to pull the Mules within seven. Following a layup from Jordan Geist, Lawrence scored a layup and Locke converted a three-point play to pull the Mules within 62-59. Terrance Phillips made a pair of free throws, however, and Frankie Hughes finished off the scoring with a dunk with just under :30 to play.

Mizzou led by four at halftime after both teams struggled offensively in the first half. The Mules shot just 19 percent in the first half, while the Tigers shot 29 percent to lead 23-19 at the intermission. The Mules trailed 23-13 with 2:47 to play in the half, but closed the period on a 6-0 run.

UCM scored five of the first eight points in the second half to pull within a pair and eventually took a 33-32 lead with 14:47 to play. The Tigers responded, however, with a 21-2 run to open up their 18-point lead.

The Mules shot 35 percent for the game (19-54) and made 7-of-28 three point attempts and 14-of-19 at the foul line. Wolf led all scorers with 16 points and Reaves added 14. 

Hughes led Mizzou with 15 points, while Phillips added 11.

The Mules open the regular season next Friday against Minnesota-Duluth in the Wisconsin Dells. The game is set for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.