Muleskinner

Issue date: 2/8/07 Section: Sports

RECORD BREAKER-- Zach Wright helped the Mules set a new record for the best start in school history at 19 with this crowd riveting dunk against Northwest Feb. 3.

They say all good things must come to an end, and now, the UCM Fighting Mules basketball team will try to bounce back from their first loss of the season.

The first place MIAA Mules will face off against the third place Hornets of Emporia State Saturday. UCM will return to the Multipurpose Building after a conference road trip that saw the Mules play their last three of four games on the road.

After making history in their Jan. 31 game, the 19-0 Mules walked into a packed Bearcat Arena Saturday that was rowdy and desperate for an upset. The 16th-ranked Bearcats of Northwest Missouri State University (NWMS) handed the 2nd-ranked Mules their first loss of the season in an impressive 82-64 score.

"We didn't play well, and they played great, so I congratulate the Bearcats on the win, and we have to learn from this lost," said Mules' head coach Kim Anderson.

In the most hostile environment the Mules have faced this season, UCM got off to an early 10-6 lead, but the Bearcats went on an 11-2 run to take a 17-12 lead, and NWMS never trailed again. Although the Mules were able to keep the game close in the first half, the Bearcats had an answer for everything the Mules threw at them.

"They really came out and executed everything in dominating us, and we missed our opportunities," said senior center Alonzo Brooks.

Northwest got a big lead in the last four minutes before halftime, as foul trouble was a big factor for the Mules. Seniors Zack Wright, Darryl Sommerset and Theo Jones did not play the final four minutes, and the Bearcats led at halftime 44-36.

Another reason for the Bearcat lead was thanks in large part to Bearcats' freshman guard Lance Sullivan who seemed to score at will against the Mules' defense. Sullivan was the MIAA Player of the Week Jan. 21 through Jan. 28, and he showed why as he led the Bearcats with a career-high 24 points.

"Their guard Sullivan was great, and we didn't do anything to stop him," Anderson said.

Other key ingredients for the success of the Bearcats were their ablility to force the Mules into 21 turnovers, in addition to shooting the best field-goal percentage of the season against the Mules at 54 percent.

Continued...

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