The Central Missouri Mules came back from an eight-point deficit with just more than 12 minutes remaining to take out the Washburn Ichabods at Lee Arena, 73-64. UCM used a 13-2 run to get a lead, then held WU to only eight points in the final five minutes of the game for the road win.
With the Jennies 79-77 overtime win over the Lady Blues earlier that night, it marked the first doubleheader sweep of Washburn on the road in school history.
The two squads were about as even as it gets in the opening period as both hit 14 shots, 1 free throw, three threes, 19 rebounds, seven assists, three turnovers, and five steals. There were also five ties and seven lead changes. Central Missouri (10-2, 3-2 MIAA) had its biggest lead at seven when senior guard Joe Young hit the last of three consecutive threes by the Mules with 7:03 to go. The Ichabods (8-5, 4-2 MIAA) fought back though, tying it up at 28 with 1:52 remaining on a free throw. The teams traded buckets in the final 1:18 to go into the break knotted at 32.
Senior guard De’Andre Byrd and Young led the Mules in the period with 13 and 10 points, respectively. DeAndre Eggins led the Ichabods with 10 at the half.
Washburn came out in the second stanza and seized control early, taking a five-point advantage in the first three minutes and pushing it to eight by the 12:12 mark. The Mules ensuing run was sparked by seven points from junior guard Tremaine Luellen and made it a 52-49 with 9:01 left. Eggins scored the Ichabods next five points though, including a go-ahead three a couple minutes later to make it 54-52.
UCM junior guard Alex Moosmann took control after that though, putting the Mules up to stay when he scored the game’s next six points on three jumpers, the last of which came with 5:44 left.
Central Missouri locked it down on the defensive end the rest of the way, forcing the Ichabods into 3-of-9 shooting and three turnovers in the final five minutes. Meanwhile, the Mules hit 9-of-12 from the charity stripe to seal the win.
Young finished with a season and game-high 24 points while Byrd set a career-high with 21 on the night to go with his game-high eight rebounds. Central Missouri out-rebounded the Ichabods by four, and forced eight turnovers from WU in the second half, compared to only four for UCM.
The Mules will continue their road swing on Wednesday when they go to Fort Hays State for a 7:30 p.m. tip at Gross Memorial Coliseum, in Hays, Kan.
