EMPORIA, Kan. (Nov. 24, 2017) – Central Missouri Mules Basketball picked up their third straight win with a 79-58 win over Rockhurst in the ESU Thanksgiving Classic. The win puts the Mules at 5-1 this season.
How it Happened
• Central Missouri opened up a large first half lead, carrying a 41-23 lead into the half.
• The Mules shot 51.9% for the game while hitting eight three pointers and going 17-for-22 at the free throw line.
• UCM won the rebounding battle 33-28 and scored 36 points in the paint to the Hawks 14.
• The Hawks turned the ball over 18 times which led to 24 Mules points.
• Central Missouri led for more than 35 minutes in the game. A three from
Clarence Smith at the 15:15 mark of the first half put UCM on top and they never looked back.
• Rockhurst started the second-half hot, getting back to within eight, 43-35, but the Mules were able to withstand the storm and cruised to a 79-58 win.
It Was Over When…
• The Hawks got off to a 7-0 run to start the second half and cut the Mules lead down to eight. Rockhurst was still in striking distance down by 11, 50-39. From that point, the Mules went on a 13-3 stretch of their own over just 3:39 to pull ahead by 21, 63-42. A three from Spellman capped the run and gave the Mules their first 20-point lead.
Mules Stat Leaders
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Spencer Reaves finished with a game-high 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting. He hit a pair of three-pointers and also grabbed five rebounds.
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DJ Richardson was the second Mule to score 20, putting up exactly that going 6-for-11 from the floor with two three pointers and was 6-7 at the free throw line.
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Jakob Lowrance and
Blake Spellman each scored nine. Lowrance also pulled down five rebounds, while Spellman went 3-for-4 from three.
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Brandon Emmert led the Mules in rebounding with six while also scoring two points in 13 minutes.
• Spellman was the leading assist man with four.
Matt Wilkinson also passed out three.
• Lowrance swatted a pair of blocks and Richardson and
Clarence Smith each had two steals.
For the Hawks
• Auston Rushing and Quinton Curry each scored 10 points to lead Rockhurst. Rushing finished 2-for-7 from three.
• Curry pulled down a team-best six rebounds.
• Connor Evans had a team-best six assists
• Curtis Lewis came away with two steals.
News and Notes
• The Mules have now won three straight games, holding opponents below 60 points in all three games.
• The 23 first half points UCM allowed matched a season low in any half.
• Central Missouri's 79 points are their most in a game this season.
Up Next
• The Mules will spend the night in Emporia. They have another game tomorrow afternoon at 5 pm against the Newman Jets.
