Mules Drop 76-69 Road Contest to Missouri Southern

JOPLIN, Mo. (Feb. 10, 2018)-- DJ Richardson scored a career-high 26 points but it was not enough as Central Missouri Mules Basketball fell on the road to Missouri Southern, 76-69, on Saturday afternoon. A second half scoring drought that lasted over five minutes doomed the Mules in their contest against the Lions. With the loss, UCM is now 19-5 overall and 11-4 in the MIAA.

How It Happened
• Both teams had 28 made shots in the game. The Mules shot 52.8% (28-53), while the Lions (16-8, 11-4 MIAA) shot 53.8% on 28-52 shooting.
• The first half saw both teams shoot over 60% from the floor. The Mules shot 60.9% (14-23), but were barely bested by the Lions who shot 61.5% (16-26).
• UCM got up 5-2 to start the game, but Missouri Southern dictated the tempo going forward and led for nearly 18 minutes in the first half. 
• Richardson scored 14 first half points on 6-8 made shots to keep the game within reach. The Mules were 4-7 from three-point range in the first half.
• The Lions led by as much as nine on two separate occasions, but the Mules kept the game in reach and trailed 38-37 going into halftime.
• Coming out of the break, UCM went on a 10-3 run and led for the first time since the 17:40 mark of the first half. They led the Lions 47-41 with 15:29 to play.
• The two teams traded shots over the next six minutes, but UCM managed to keep out in front for the first 11 minutes of the second half. 
• Richardson continued his strong play and a three-pointer by him at the 9:07 mark gave the Mules their largest lead of eight, 61-53.
• The Lions responded with a 15-0 run that lasted over five minutes to get back on top over the Mules by seven, 68-61.
• The Mules never matched the tempo of the Lions in the final nine minutes and scored just eight points in that stretch.
• UCM shot 46.7% in the second half (14-30), while MSSU was 12-26 from the floor for 46.2%. 
• MSSU won the turnover battle 13-11, and outscored UCM's bench 11-6. Points in the paint favored the Mules though, 38-28. 
• The Mules finished 7-17 from beyond the arc for 41.2%. The Lions had three more made triples going 10-25 from deep for 40%.

It Was Over When...
• Richardson got a layup to fall with 1:01 left to play and drew contact for the and-1 opportunity. His made free throw got UCM within three. A missed layup by the Lions on their next possession gave the Mules a chance, but Daniel Farris committed a turnover as he stepped out of bounds on a baseline drive. The Lions then added four made throws while holding the Mules scoreless to grab the seven-point win.

Mules Stat Leaders
• Richardson scored a game-high 26 points on 11-18 shooting, with two made triples. He also grabbed four boards.
• Jakob Lowrance added 12 points while going 5-8 from the floor. He was 2-3 from three-point range and pulled down a team-best six rebounds.
• Spencer Reaves chipped in 11 points on a 5-11 shooting performance. He tied the team lead in rebounds with six and also dished out two assists.
• Matt Wilkinson scored eight points and grabbed five boards.
• Blake Spellman added six points and totaled a team-best three assists.

For the Lions
• Elyjah Clark led the way with 18 points. He shot 5-11 from the floor and notched a double-double with 10 rebounds. He finished 4-9 from beyond the arc.
• LJ Ross was right behind Clark with 17 points while going 7-9 from the floor. He also had six rebounds and a block.
• Braelon Walker added 14 points and 5-7 shooting and grabbed four boards.
• CJ Carr chipped in nine points and had a game-high five assists.

News and Notes
• Richardson's career-high 26 points surpasses his old mark off 22 points, which he scored earlier this season against Missouri Valley College. It is his third 20-plus point game this season.
• The Mules are now 1-4 this season when they allow an opponent to score between 71-80 points. It is just the Mules second loss when they shoot 50% or better.
• Reaves career point total now moves up to 1,249. He is already 10th all-time in career scoring in Mules Basketball History and needs 14 more points to move up to ninth on the list.
• UCM is now 4-2 on the road this season and 21-19 under Doug Karleskint. 
• The Mules loss now puts them at 38-26 against the Lions all time and they are 4-4 against them under Doug Karleskint.

Up Next
• The Mules will remain on the road for their next two games. They will head to Jefferson City this Thursday, Feb 15, to take on the Lincoln Blue Tigers. UCM defeated Lincoln earlier this season, 67-57, at the Multi. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.