By JACOB WOERTHER
Sports Editor
(WARRENSBURG, Mo., digitalBURG) — The Mules’ victory over the Lions marked their highest scoring game of the season. They shot 34-62 from the floor and knocked down 12 3-pointers, their most since November.
The win guarantees the Mules a top-four seed in next week’s MIAA Tournament and clinches a bye to the quarterfinals in Kansas City, Missouri.
The lead changed several times in the early part of the first half. The Lions tied the game up 13-all with 15:01 left in the half, but a Clarence Smith 3-pointer gave the Mules a lead they maintained for the remainder of the game.
Kyle Wolf, Dushaun Rice and Spencer Reaves each made one from beyond the arc to give Central an 11-point lead. The Lions came within nine of the Mules with 10:37 left in half, but that was the closest they came to retaking the lead.
The Mules entered the second half with a 56-32 lead and remained dominant throughout the rest of the game. They ended the contest with a 17-5 run to walk away with the win.
Four Mules ended the day with double-digit points. Reaves led the Mules with 22 points, Erick Locke scored a career-high 15 points, DJ Richardson had 12 points, and Wolf walked away with 10.
While the Mules were sound offensively, they also excelled on defense. Central scored 19 points off of turnovers.
The Mules will play at home one final time this season for their senior night. They will tip-off against Pittsburg State at 3:30 p.m. A win against the Gorillas coupled with a Nebraska-Kearny loss will clinch the two-seed in the MIAA Tournament for the Mules.