WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Feb. 25, 2017) -- Mules Basketball shot 52 percent from the field and withstood a game Pittsburg State team to win 81-75 on Senior Day at the Multipurpose Building. With the win, the Mules clinch the No. 2 seed in next week's MIAA Tournament and will play at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 2 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.

Pittsburg State (5-22, 3-16 MIAA) got out to an early lead at 8-3 with 17:35 to play in the first half. That lead stood for nearly two minutes before Dushuan Rice scored on a layup to pull the Mules with three at the 15:12 mark. The Gorillas pushed their lead to as many as five a couple of times in the opening period, the last being 16-11 with 11:39 on the clock. A layup from Spencer Reaves and a three-pointer from Clarence Smith tied the game only to see Brandon Clifford connect from outside to put PSU back in front.

A three-point play from Reaves tied the game once again, but Clifford put the Gorillas back in front with a layup. The Mules took their first lead of the game at 24-22 on Reaves' three-point play with 7:23 to play in the first half. UCM then extended the lead to seven a couple of time, including 36-29 with 2:02 to play, but Pitt State finished the half on a 5-0 run to pull within 36-34 at the break.

The game was back and forth in the early minutes of the second half before a 9-2 run gave the Mules their largest lead of the day at 51-41 with 14:41 to play. The Gorillas kept fighting back and pulled back to within five at 53-48 and again at 55-50. A three-pointer from Jakob Lowrance sparked a mini 10-2 run that gave the Mules a 65-52 lead with 7:39 to play in the game.

The lead was still 13 with 5:55 to play when the Gorillas started to creep a little closer. Three free throws from RJ Pair sparked an 14-2 spurt that pulled PSU within 71-70 with 3:24 to play in the game. DJ Richardson buried a big three-pointer to push the lead back to four and two shots from Reaves made it a six-point game, 76-70, with 1:15 on the clock. A three from Creighton Brinker pulled Pitt State back to within three, but Reaves buried a dagger three with :30 on the clock and then made two free throws with :11 left to give UCM the final margin.

Reaves led all scorers with 26 points on 9-of-11 shooting. Lowrance had 16 points and five boards and Marquiez Lawrence had 14 points, five boards and three steals. The Mules were 26-of-50 from the field and made 8-of-17 from three-point range for 47 percent. UCM was 21-of-22 at the foul line for a season-best 96 percent.

Pair led three Gorillas in double figures with 15 points. Isaiah Hicks had 14 and Clifford added 10 as PSU shot 48 percent from the field (23-48), including 46 percent from beyond the arc (10-22). Pittsburg State was 19-of-23 at the foul line.

The Mules forced 17 Gorilla turnovers and turned those into a 25-16 advantage in points off turnovers.

UCM will be the No. 2 seed in next week's MIAA Tournament and will play at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday against the winner of the first round game between No. 7 seed Central Oklahoma and 10th-seeded Emporia State.