PITTSBURG, Kan. (Feb. 24, 2018) - Central Missouri Mules Basketball battled hard on the road but came up just short in the regular season finale as they fell 74-70 to Pittsburg State Saturday afternoon. With the loss, UCM finishes the regular season 19-9 and 11-8 in the MIAA.
How It Happened
• The Mules shot the ball well yet again finishing 52.1% from the floor on 25-48 shooting. The Gorillas (16-12, 9-10 MIAA) shot 47.8% on the day going 22-46.Â
• Pitt State finished just two more made three pointers than the Mules, 9-7, and shot 40.9% (9-22). UCM finished 38.9% from deep going 7-18.
• The first half saw five ties and three lead changes. The Gorillas never led by more than five, while the Mules led by as much as seven in the first 20 minutes.
• It was a low scoring affair to start the game. The teams traded shots, but the Gorillas led 17-14 at the halfway point.
• Pitt State led 24-20 with 5:00 to play until halftime, but the Mules found some offensive rhythm. They outscored the Gorillas 16-5, including a 7-0 run, and led 36-29 going into the break.
• UCM shot 53.8% in the first half (14-26), while the Gorillas were 11-26 from the floor for 42.3%.
• A Jakob Lowrance layup at the 17:04 mark of the second half gave the Mules their largest lead of the game at nine points, 38-29, with 18:56 to play.
• UCM maintained its lead over the next 10 minutes, but Pitt State slowly chipped away at it. A layup by Jacob Antwine at the 8:45 mark tied game and a pair of made Gorilla free throws gave them the lead back, 57-55, that was never relinquished.
• The Mules and the Gorillas shot 19 combined free throws in the final 8:45. The Mules went  5-8, while the Gorillas were a perfect 11-11 as they held on for the four-point win.
• The Mules won the rebound battle 27-26, but the difference came at the free throw line. UCM finished 13-18, while Pitt State had eight more attempts and finished 21-26.
It Was Over When...
• Blake Spellman nailed a three-pointer with :49 to play in the game and got UCM within one, 70-69. Pitt State responded making four straight free throws and did not allow UCM to get a shot off until it was out of reach.Â
Mules Stat Leaders
• Spencer Reaves tied the game-high with 21 points, going 8-13 from the floor. He was 2-4 from beyond the arc and had three rebounds as well.
• Lowrance added 13 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. He shot 5-11 on the afternoon.
• DJ Richardson chipped in nine points, but was just 2-8 shooting. He finished 5-6 from the free throw line and pulled down five boards.
•
Matt Wilkinson also scored nine points.
• Spellman scored six points and dished out a game-high six assists.
For the Gorillas
• Xavier Adams posted a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds. He was 5-10 from the floor and 11-14 at the free throw line. He also notched four assists.
• Dakota Jones also scored 21 points on 5-7 shooting performance. He did not miss a free throw going 7-7 and was 4-5 from beyond the arc.
• Donovan Franklin added 13 points. He shot 4-8 overall and was 3-6 from three-point range.
News and Notes
• The Mules have now lost five straight games for the first time since losing six straight in the 2014-15 season. It is just the second time they have lost five straight under
Doug Karleskint.
• It is just the third loss of the of year when UCM has shot a better percentage than the opposition. They are now 16-3 when shooting a better percentage than the opposition.
• The Mules earn the No. 5 seed in the MIAA Tournament. They are the only school in conference history to play in every MIAA Tournament.Â
• Reaves continues to add to his career point total. He now has 1,332 for his career, which is now seventh all-time in career scoring in Mules Basketball History.
• The Mules finish the regular season 4-5 on the road and are now 21-22 on the road under
Doug Karleskint.
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Up Next
• The Mules will be the No. 5 seed in the MIAA Tournament and will host the No. 12 seeded Missouri Western State Griffons in the first round. The game will be this Tuesday, Feb. 27. Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. in the Multi.
