The Central Missouri Mules fell to a hot-shooting Dixie State team 89-77 at the Las Vegas Challenge at the Orleans Arena. The Mules trailed by as many as 29 in the second half before rallying to close within 12 at the final buzzer.

The Mules used a 9-2 run to tie the game at 14, but the Red Storm scored 11 straight points as part of a 17-2 run to go back in front 31-16 with 4:24 left in the half. Central Missouri used a 7-1 run to get within nine at 32-23, but the Red Storm closed the half on a 9-2 run and led 41-25 at the break.

The lead was still 16 in the opening minutes of the second half when the Red Storm caught fire. An 18-6 run gave Dixie State a 66-38 lead with 12:50 to go in the game. The Mules trimmed the lead a bit, but DSC continued to pour it on as the lead grew to 29 at the 8:14 mark.

The Mules were 28-of-60 from the field for 47 percent and made 12-of-29 three-pointers for 41 percent. UCM was 9-of-11 at the foul line.

On the women’s side, – In her first game as a Jennie, junior Keuna Flax led the team with 28 points and ten rebounds, as the Central Missouri Jennies won their first game at the Las Vegas Challenge, over Dixie State 78-69.

The Jennies (7-1) got off to a slow start at Orleans Arena, falling behind by as much as 12 points to the Red Storm in the first seven minutes of the game. Dixie State looked to control the glass early, pulling down 10 offensive rebounds and scoring 14 second chance points in the first half.

Shelby Winkelmann’s trey at the 8:51 mark of the first half cut the lead down to nine, to 26-17, as UCM climbed back from that point, using a 10-2 run to earn their first lead of the game on a layup from Kiersten Orton. Orton was fouled on the play, and pushed the Jens lead to 38-36 with the free throw, with 53 seconds until halftime. The Red Storm answered with a layup in the closing seconds, however, tying the score at 38-38 before the break.

Two Jennies had reached double-figures in the first half, led by Flax with 11 points, and BreAnna Lewis with 10. Flax shot 5-of-6 from the field before the intermission, finishing with an 11-for-18 peformance in her UCM debut.