KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Nov. 19, 2018) - Central Missouri Mules Basketball suffered their first loss of the season Monday afternoon, 73-70, in overtime to Sioux Falls at Municipal Auditorium. The Mules held a lead late, but couldn't hang on in the three point loss. UCM is now 4-1 on the young season.

How It Happened
• Both team's hit eight three pointers, but it was when  the Cougars did that mattered. They were 2-3 in overtime and hit another two in the final minute of regulation.
• The Cougars had a big advantage in rebounding at 54-43, including 21 offensive boards. They scored 23 second-chance points to UCM's six. Both teams had 28 points in the paint.
• USF used their size to alter a lot of shots, blocking seven.
• UCM hit 36.7% from the field and the Cougars 32.4%.
• The Mules had a chance to put it away late at the free throw line. They were just 18-29 (62.1%) at the charity stripe while Sioux Falls hit 70%.
• UCM got off to a hot start scoring the first seven points when Blake Spellman drained a three just over four minutes into the game. The Cougars didn't score their first point, a free throw, until 14:25 left in the half. 
• A three from Michael Winger made it a 10-point game before the Mules offense went cold. The went 6:03 without scoring a point and USF used that time to score 13 unanswered and took a 20-10 lead. 
• The Mules made a run of their own and were down only one at halftime, 24-23.
• The game was tied nine times with 15 lead changes, most of that coming in the second half. No team led by more than three until 13:14 left to play when the Cougars hit a jumper in the paint, making it 39-34. 
• With 9:03 left the Cougars still led by five when Matt Wilkinson and Spellman went back-to-back from beyond the arc to give the Mules a 45-44 lead. That lead didn't last as the Cougars used a 7-1 run to take a six point lead, 51-45 with under five minutes to play.
• The Mules didn't quit and Daniel Farris broke a 51-all tie with a steal and fast break layup with just over two minutes left. He then made it a six-point lead, 57-51, with a pair of free throws with only 30 seconds left. 
• In the final 30 seconds, Trevon Evans hit two three-pointers to get Sioux Falls to within one, 58-57. Trailing by one, the Cougars got the ball back with nine seconds left Evans then came up short on a game-winning three, but the air-ball fell into the hands of Chase Grinde who put one off the glass at the buzzer to tie and send the game to overtime.
• In overtime, the Mules again held a lead with under a minute left when Jafar Kinsey made a layup. A three from Evans gave the Cougars the lead back and on their final three possessions, the Mules turned the ball over and never got a shot off as the Cougars escaped with a three-point win.

It Was Over When...
• The Mules trailed by two and had a chance to take the last shot with the ball and 19 seconds in overtime. The Cougars defense didn't allow UCM to get a shot off and Gaven Pinkley stepped on the sideline give USF the ball with with three seconds to play. 

Mules Stat Leaders
• Daniel Farris led the Mules with 15 points. He hit five field goals and five free throws. He also grabbed four boards, had three assists and three steals.
• Jafar Kinsey pulled a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
• Blake Spellman scored 12 hitting a pair of threes.
• Matt Wilkinson and Michael Winger each hit three triples. Wilkinson scored 11 and Winger 10.
• Brandon Emmert added eight points and seven rebounds.

For the Cougars
• Trevon Evans finished with a game-high 28 points including 10 at the line.
• Drew Guebert added 15 points and four rebounds.
• Teathloach Pal had a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Also blocked four shots.

News and Notes
• This was Brandon Emmert's first career start.
• The 15 points for Daniel Farris are a career high.
• The last overtime game for UCM was last season in an 82-80 loss to Missouri Southern.
• It was the 11th overtime game under Coach Karleskint and the Mules are now 5-6.
• For the third time in five games, UCM trailed at halftime. Their 23 first half points were the fewest in any half this season. 
• Central Missouri went 2-4 in the final 20 seconds at the free throw line with chances to extend their lead.

Up Next
• Central Missouri will look to regroup this weekend at the Missouri-St. Louis Thanksgiving Classic. They take on Maryville first in a neutral site game Friday, Nov. 23.