EMPORIA, Kan. (Jan. 24, 2018)-- Central Missouri Mules Basketball dominated on both offense and defense against the Emporia State Hornets on the road Wednesday night en route to a 77-59 win. Three Mules scored in double figures while the team shot a season-high 57.4% from the floor and held the Hornets to just 33.3% shooting. With the win, UCM is now 15-4 overall and 7-3 in MIAA play.
How It Happened
• The Mule shot 27-47 from the floor overall, with 13 made triples on 27 attempts (48.1%). The Hornets (8-11, 3-7 MIAA) got off four more shots than the Mules, but had 10 less fall for 33.3% (17-51).
• The Hornets led 3-2 early on and managed to tie the game once, but the Mules used multiple scoring runa through the night to dictate the tempo of the game.
• With 17:09 to play in the first half, ESU trailed 10-7 and kept things close, but a 12-1 run by the Mules gave them a 22-8 run in the first seven minutes of play.
Jakob Lowrance was a force in the UCM run scoring six of the 12 points during the stretch.
• The Hornets did respond with a quick scoring run of their own, to get within three of the Mules, 32-29, with under 2:00 to play in the half. Layups by
Brandon Emmert and
Daniel Farris though, along with a three by
Blake Spellman help give UCM a 39-30 advantage going into the break.
• The Mules shot a blistering 60.9% (14-23) in the first 20 minutes, including 62.5% from three-point range (5-8). Defensively they held the Hornets to just eight made shots on 25 attempts for 32.0%.
• UCM started the second half scoring the first 13 points over a span of 6:31 and held the Hornets scoreless to grab a commanding 52-30 lead with 13:20 left to play. The Mules maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the night.
• Lowrance poured in 13 points in the second half, including three made triples. His first three of the half established UCM's largest lead of the night of 24 points, 58-34, with 12:36 to play.
• ESU made one last push with under 10 minutes to play, but never got within 10 of the Mules in the after getting down double figures early in the second half.
• The hot shooting for UCM continued in the second half as the team went 13-24 from the field (54.2%), with seven made baskets from beyond the arc. The Hornets shooting struggles in the second half with just nine made shots on 26 attempts (34.6%).
It Was Over When...
• Stephen Limuel hit a three to cut UCM's lead to 12, 62-50, with 6:38 to play. Lowrance responded with a three of his own to push it back to 65-50, UCM. Brandon Hall added another three pointer to get the Hornets within 12 one last time, 65-53. Lowrance once again answered for UCM with his second straight three, which started a 7-0 run. The run proved to be too much as the Mules held on for the 18-point win.
Mules Stat Leaders
• Lowrance scored a game-high 22 points on 8-12 shooting. He was 4-7 from three-point range, 2-2 from the free throw line, grabbed eight boards, and added two blocked shots.
•
Spencer Reaves only took eight shots, but connected on five for 15 points. He shot 3-5 from deep, and was perfect 2-2 at the charity strip. He also pulled in seven rebounds.
• Spellman put up 12 points on 50.0% shooting (4-6) from the field. He knocked down three triples, dished four assists to lead the team, and grabbed five rebounds.
•
DJ Richardson chipped in nine points, while
Matt Wilkinson added seven. Both finished with two steals to lead the Mules.
For the Hornets
• Grant Shell was the only player to put up double figures scoring 15 points on the night. He finished 4-9 shooting and led tied the team lead in rebounds with six.
• Brandon Hall added eight points while dishing out a team-best three assists and grabbing six boards.
• Garin Vandiver scored eight points and also finished with six rebounds.
• Brian Morton also scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds.
News and Notes
• The Mules held an opponent to single-digits in points in the paint for the first time this season as they allowed the Hornets to score just six, while scoring 24.
• UCM not only shot a season-high from the floor, but the 33.3% shooting is also the lowest percentage they have held an opponent to this this season.
• UCM is now 72-41 all-time against ESU, winners of the last four matchups, and 4-1 under
Doug Karleskint.
• Reaves continues to climb the ranks in career scoring for Mules Basketball. With his 15 points he now sits 14th all-time on the career-points list with 1,173.
• Richardson's streak of consecutive games with 10-plus points ends at 16. The last time he was held under 10 points was in the Mules second game of the season, a 76-62 win over Bemidji State on Nov. 11, 2017.
• Lowrance has now scored in double figures in 11-straight games. It is his fifth 20-point game of the season, which is second most on the team behind Reaves with six.
• The Mules are now 42-28 in MIAA under
Doug Karleskint and 3-1 on the road this season.
Up Next
• The Mules will have a tough road test as they take on Washburn Ichabods. Both teams are 15-4 overall, but the Ichabods sit atop the MIAA standings at 9-1. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. this Saturday, Jan. 27, in Topeka, Kan.
