WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Jan. 15, 2020) - Central Missouri Mules Basketball returned home after a three-game road trip, but were unable to pick up a win Wednesday night, falling 68-57 to Pittsburg State.
How it Happened
• The Mules struggled shooting the ball, hitting just 18-63 from the field and 6-21 from three.
• Pittsburg State hit eight three-pointers and shot 44.4% both overall and from behind the line.
• The Gorillas were able to pull away at the foul line going 20-25 while UCM was 15-22.
• Central Missouri came away with eight steals and forced 18 Gorilla turnovers, while turning it over just 13 times themselves.
• PSU had the edge on the glass with 40 rebounds to the Mules 36. UCM grabbed 18 offensive boards and turned those into 14 second-chance points.
• The Mules started out hot with back-to-back three's from
Matt Wilkinson and
Kendale Hampton for a quick 6-0 lead less than two minutes into the game. That lead didn't last though as the Gorillas scored the next 10 for a 10-6 lead with 13:33 left in the half.
• A three-point play from
Gaven Pinkley and a bucket from
Joshua Greer brought the Mules to within two, 16-14, midway through the half, but that's when both teams went cold. The Gorillas outscored the Mules 14-10 the rest of the half, but weren't able to take a commanding lead. In the closing seconds, Greer got a layup and a foul and the Mules trailed by just six, 30-24, at intermission.
• A
Daniel Farris jumper capped a 6-0 run to get the Mules to within three, 33-30, early in the second half as momentum seemed to be in the Mules corner. But back-to-back three's from the Gorillas' AJ Walker put the lead back into double-figures, 41-30, with 13:03 left to play.
• UCM didn't quit though as Hampton hit a jumper and
Matt Wilkinson a three and the PSU lead was down to just four, 47-43, just passed the midway point of the half.
• Leading by five, 52-47, the Gorillas' Marcel Cherry was fouled on a three-point attempt sending him to the line for three. He hit two-of-three and on their ensuing possession, Jah-Kobe Womack hit a three-pointer quickly turning the five-point lead into a 10-point lead, 57-47, with 3:10 left to play.
• Pinkley hit a three to bring UCM to within seven, 57-50, but that's as close as they came the rest of the way. Pitt State went 7-8 at the free throw line in the final two minutes, to hold off the Mules.
It Was Over When...
• The Mules had a chance to bring the lead down to four, but a missed three led to a Gorilla rebound and with time running out, the Mules needed to send PSU to the line. They hit 7-8 at the stripe in the final 2:28 to seal the win.
Leading the Mules:
• For the second consecutive game, Pinkley led the offense with 16 points.
• Wilkinson went 2-4 from the three-point range and made 7-8 at the foul line to total 13 points.
• Hampton led the Mules from beyond the arc with three three's to finish with 12 points.
• Farris recorded a team-high seven rebounds and four assists.
For the Gorillas:
• A.J. Walker went 6-11 from the field, 5-8 from the three and 4-4 at the three throw line to lead Pitt with 21 points.
• Dejon Waters Jr. and Christian Edmondson each collected eight rebounds.
• Edmondson also recorded a game-high four blocks.
News & Notes:
• Pinkley has scored in double figures in 10 consecutive games.
• With four assists, Farris now has 200 career assists.
• The Mules are now .500 (5-5) while playing at home this season.
• UCM's 18 offensive rebounds are one shy of their high for the season.
Up Next:
Mules Basketball (6-9, 1-5 MIAA) returns to action Saturday, Jan. 18, to host the 10th-ranked Missouri Southern Lions. Tip off is scheduled for 3 p.m. in UCM's Multipurpose Building.
