Kinsey Plays Hero Again on Buzzer Beater

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (Feb. 16, 2019) - He may start playing games in a cape now, because in back-to-back weeks, Mules Basketball senior Jafar Kinsey has been the hero. Last week he broke a tie with less than two seconds to go in win vs. Emporia State and this afternoon he bettered himself, banking a three at the buzzer, lifting the Mules to a 59-56 win over Missouri Western. The win puts UCM at 13-11 and 6-9 in the MIAA.

How it Happened
• The Mules never trailed and led for more than 37 minutes of game action.
• UCM outshot the Griffons 47%-42% and were 9-20 from three while MWSU was just 7-28.
• Central Missouri was a minus-3 in rebounding, 32-29. The Griffons held an 8-3 advantage in offensive rebounds and that was the same in second-chance points.
• Turnovers were a bit of an issue for both teams as the Mules lost 15 and the Griffons coughed it up 14 times.
• The game started out with Daniel Farris knocking in a layup on UCM's first shot of the game. Less than four minutes in, Michael Winger hit a three and the Mules were quickly up nine, 11-2.
• However, UCM went cold from the field and didn't score for 4:41, allowing the Griffons an 8-0 run to tie the game at 13 just past the midway point in the half.
• Jafar Kinsey though hit a three to break the scoreless drought, and Jakob Lowrance followed with a layup. Matt Wilkinson's three with 5:49 left put UCM back on top, 27-18.
• Missouri Western cut the lead back down to three with 1:23 remaining, but Gaven Pinkley hit a jumper with less than 30 seconds left and after 20 minutes. UCM led by five, 31-26.
• UCM kept the momentum rolling in the second half as Kinsey opened the stanza with a layup and a pair of free throws as UCM matched their largest lead of nine, 35-26, two minutes in.
• Central Missouri kept the lead at multiple possessions and Wilkinson splashed another three, making it 40-32 with 13:43 left. But the Griffons hit threes on back-to-back shots and with just under 12 minutes to play, the UCM lead was down to two. 40-38.
• Wilkinson hit another three, this time with 7:37 left, bringing UCM's lead back to seven, 49-42. That was the last time the Mules led by more than five though as the Griffons answered with a layup and didn't let UCM extend the lead.
• Lavon Hightower tied the game at 49 with a three, but Kinsey answered right back with a three of his own, putting UCM up 52-49 with just over three minutes left to play.
• Central Missouri kept the Griffons hopes alive by going 2-4 at the free throw line and with 1:31 left, MWSU tied the game again on a Bryan Hudson layup.
• Neither team could find the basket on their next possessions and UCM called a timeout after a big Pinkley defensive rebound with 34 seconds to play. Lowrance hit a turnaround layup with 10 seconds left as UCM was back on top, 56-54.
• But the Griffons flew down the court and with four seconds on the clock, Hudson tied the game again with a layup.
• That left too much time for Kinsey though, who spilled out behind the arc and banked in an off-balanced three for the game winner.

It Was Over When...
• Jafar Kinsey made sure this one wasn't going to overtime, beating the buzzer for a three to break a 56-all tie.

Mules Stat Leaders
• Kinsey led the team scoring 18 points and was 4-5 from three.
• Jakob Lowrance scored 13 and grabbed a team-high tying five rebounds.
• Matt Wilkinson hit three three-pointers and scored 11 points.
• Daniel Farris scored six with three assists and five rebounds.
• Gaven Pinkley scored six points off the bench going 3-5.

For the Griffons
• Brian Hudson scored a team-high 17 points.
• Tyrell Carroll added 15 points.
• Lavar Hightower scored 11 with a game-high eight rebounds.

News and Notes
• Cental Missouri's last two wins have come on Jafar Kinsey jump shots in the final two seconds.
• The last Mules buzzer beating win came almost a year ago to the day. Spencer Reaves did the trick in an 87-85 win against Pittsburg State on Feb. 7, 2018.
• This is the fourth win this season in which UCM hasn't scored 70 points. 
• It is the 11th time this season UCM has held an opponent to below 70 points and the fifth time below 60 points.
• Gaven Pinkley reached 100 points in this game. 
• Matt Wilkinson grabbed his 150th rebound. 
• The Mules move to 5-1 this season in games decided by three-points or less and have won each of their last four. 

Up Next
• The Mules will be back home next week to welcome the same two teams from this week to the Multi. UCM will square off with Northwest Missouri Thursday, Feb. 21 and then host Missouri Western for Hall of Fame Day and Senior Day Saturday, Feb. 23.