by Alex Agueros
Sports Editor
Senior guard D’Marnier Cunningham raced the basketball down the court, drove to the elbow and shot from 18 feet out in the closing seconds of a 69-68 game against Fort Hays. When the ball clanked off the rim, Fort Hays celebrated a win against No. 15 ranked Central Missouri (8-2, 2-2 MIAA) and just their second win in the Multipurpose Building.

Cunningham’s shot would have stolen a victory for a Mules team that trailed in total field goals attempted, rebounds, assists and field goal percentage. Fort Hays led by as much as 14 before a late UCM run.
Sophomore guard Spencer Reaves led UCM with 20 points on 5 of 10 shooting in 35 minutes. Junior forward Marquiez Lawrence had 14 points and rebounds before fouling out in the final minute. Cunningham finished with 10 points on 5 of 12 shooting, while freshman guard Tereke Eckwood scored 13 on 5-for-9 shooting off the bench.
In a game decided by one point, head coach Doug Karleskint said mistakes killed the team’s chances of a home conference victory.
“We just had so many mental breakdowns,” Karleskint said. “Carrying over from the scouting report to the floor, our guys just didn’t digest everything that we told them.”

Free throws are also points of emphasis in close losses. The Mules missed 13 free throws (20 of 33) with Lawrence going 6 of 13 in an otherwise effective game. Central Missouri’s bench was whistled for a technical foul in the second half.
Senior forward Jake Stoppel led the Tigers with 18 points and 10 rebounds and three assists. Senior Dom Samac scored 15 and boarded seven in 33 minutes.
Karleskint said after the game that senior forward Roosevelt Scott, who did not play, was suspended.
The Mules host Nebraska-Kearney at 3:30 p.m. in game two of a Jennies/Mules doubleheader Saturday, Dec. 19.