Muleskinner

Issue date: 1/11/07 Section: Sports

BOUND & DETERMINED -- Foward Darryl Sommerset prepares for a shot against Wasburn Dec. 30 at the Multipurpose Building, a game in which the Mules won 67-50. The Mules have got off to a fast start, winning their first 13 games before preparing for a big matchup in Emporia against the No. 8 Hornets.

Mules prepare for No. 8 Hornets

The UCM Fighting Mules will battle in a MIAA conference showdown Saturday against the Hornets from Emporia State University.

For the first time since the 1989-90 season, the Mules are 13-0 and ranked No. 3 in the NABA Div. II poll. The team is out to an undefeated 13-0 record for season and 4-0 in conference, marking the third-best start in 101 years of Mules basketball. The ranking is the highest ranking since 1985.

"Being undefeated at this point is a confidence booster as we see a lot of things coming together," said senior guard Theo Jones.

The Hornets are also 13-0 for the season and ranked No. 8, making Saturday's game a fight for first place in the MIAA.
Mules' head coach Kim Anderson's team has been able to take on every opponent this season as the Mules have beat all but one team by double-digit points. Anderson said the team has played steady throughout the season.

"I think it's a credit to the guys as they have maintained a level defensively, but there are also a lot of games left to be played," Anderson said.

In the Mules' latest game, the team had to go on the road against Missouri Southern University. Although UCM led the entire game, the Mules had to use a late second-half 11-4 run to pull away for an 86-70 victory.

Senior guard Zack Wright led four Mules in double-figures with 22 points. Jones had 17, senior forward Darryl Sommerset finished with 12 and senior center Alonzo Brooks had 11 second-half points. Both Brooks and Sommerset had nine rebounds for the Mules.

The win broke a two-game skid in Joplin against Missouri Southern.

Another conference road win came against the defending MIAA champion Southwest Baptist University Bearcats on Jan. 2. A 77-66 victory was started by a fast first half, where the Mules showed good defense and opened the game on a 16-4 run.

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