WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Feb. 7, 2018)-- It took a buzzer beating shot from senior
Spencer Reaves for No. 25 Central Missouri Mules Basketball to earn their fifth straight win and 19th overall. The Mules held off a furious late second half rally by the Pittsburg State Gorillas to defeat them 87-85 thanks to Reaves heroics. With the win, UCM is now 19-4 overall, 11-3 in MIAA action, and sits third in the league standings.
How It Happened
• The Mules shot a season-high 58.0% from the floor connecting on 29-50 buckets in the game. The Gorillas (13-10, 6-8 MIAA) were not far behind as they finished 50.0% from the floor on 26-52 shooting.
• UCM connected on 8-18 attempts from beyond the arc for 44.4%, while the Gorillas were 9-22 for 40.9%
• Bench scoring was a big help for the Mules as they outscored Pitt State's bench 30-19 on the night.
Daniel Farris and
Clarence Smith provided most of the bench scoring with 14 and 11, respectively.
• The game was tied 2-2 early with 18:52 to play, but the Mules then outscored the Gorillas 19-5, including a 10-0 run, to lead 21-7 at the midway point of the first half.
• The Gorillas responded with a quick 10-0 run of their own and cut the Mules lead to four, 21-17, with just over eight minutes to play in the half.
• Both teams traded shots the remainder of the half and UCM went into halftime leading by 10, 39-29.
• The Mules had a solid first half, shooting 57.1% on 16-28 made shots, while limiting the Gorillas to 33.3% shooting (8-24). Points in the paint and bench scoring favored the Mules, 16-6, and 18-3, respectively.
• Farris scored 10 points in the first frame, while
Jakob Lowrance and Reaves added nine and eight apiece. The three Mules shot a combined 12-17 in the first half.
• UCM and Pitt State traded shots for most of the second half, but UCM led by 10-plus points for the first 13 minutes. A jumper by Lowrance at the 12:40 mark gave UCM its biggest lead at 20, 59-39.
• The Gorillas did not go away, as they used a 9-0 scoring to get within seven of the Mules with just over six minutes to play in the game.
• In the final 6:52 to play in the game, Pitt State went 8-10 from the floor, and 3-4 from three-point range to tie the game, 85-85, with :14 left on the clock.
• Reaves was calm and collective as he came down the court for UCM and nailed the game-winner as the clock expired.
• The Mules bested their first half shooting performance going 13-22 in the second half for 59.1%. Pitt State shot better than the Mules, going 18-28 in the second 20 minutes for 64.3%.
• Pitt State outscored UCM in the paint 32-28 and had just one turnover in the second half to finish with five. The Mules had 11 on the night, but won the free throw battle finishing 21-28, while the Gorillas went 24-35.
It Was Over When...
• Dakota Jones nailed a deep three-pointer to tie the game at 85-all, with :14 to play, and it seem like the game was potentially headed to overtime. Reaves had other plans for the game as he came down the court and put up a jump shot at the buzzer after being triple-teamed. The ball ratted around the rim before falling in and giving the Mules their fifth straight win.
Mules Stat Leaders
• Reaves scored a game-high 24 points while missing just three shots. He finished 8-11 shooting and was 7-8 at the free throw line. He also pulled down six rebounds and had a team-best three assists.
• Farris had a career night scoring 14 points on 5-7 shooting. He grabbed four boards as well and handed out two assists.
• Lowrance posted his fifth double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 boards. He shot 5-12 from the field and was perfect 2-2 at the charity strip.
• Smith chipped in 11 points off the bench. He shot 3-5 on the night and connected on all three triples he took.
For the Gorillas
• Grant Loyoza scored 22 points on 7-10 shooting for Pitt State. He was 4-4 from both three-point range and the free throw line. He also grabbed four rebounds and had a game-high four assists.
• Xavier Adams added 15 points. He was 4-6 from the field while going 7-14 from the free throw line.
• Demetrius Levarity scored 14 points on 4-8 shooting, while going 6-9 from the charity strip. He also pulled down three rebounds.
• Jones chipped in 11 and connect on 4-5 shots from the floor. He was 3-4 from three-point range as well.
News and Notes
• The Mules improve to 4-0 this season when they score 80-plus points. In games decided by two points under
Doug Karleskint the Mules are now 4-3.
• UCM improves its winning streak to five and is now 10-3 this season at the Multi.
• Farris' 14 points are a career-high and it is his first game scoring 10-plus points in a UCM uniform. His previous high was five, which he scored in the Mules season opening win over Bemidji State.
• With his 24 points Wednesday night, Reaves now has 1,232 in his UCM career. His point total puts him in the top-10 all-time in Mules Basketball History. He is 31 points away from moving up to ninth all-time.
• With the win, UCM is now 73-43 against Pitt State all-time. The Mules improve to 4-2 against the Gorillas under
Doug Karleskint.
Up Next
• The Mules will head to Joplin this Saturday, Feb. 10, to take on Missouri Southern. The Lions are 15-8 overall and 10-4 in MIAA play after taking down Southwest Baptist Wednesday night, 88-72. They sit fourth in the league standings behind UCM. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m.
