No. 5 Mules kick off season with 86-51 win
Nov 18, 2009, 7:25 AM
WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The No. 5 University of Central Missouri Mules opened the 2009-10 season on Tuesday night against Westminster College (Mo.), coasting to an 86-51 win at the UCM Multipurpose Building.
It was the 1,500th win in Mules basketball history, and the 159th win for head coach Kim Anderson (159-59), tying him for second all-time at UCM with Earl Keth.
The Blue Jays (0-2) took an early 5-4 lead in the contest, but it didn’t take long for the Mules (1-0) to take the lead for good, going on a 12-0 run to make it 16-5. Senior All-American forward Sanijay Watts put up six points in the rally.
By the 8:17 mark, the Mules were up by 19 on a jumper by sophomore forward Dusty Allen, and another Watts lay-in with 23 seconds left in the period made it a 22-point lead at the break (48-26).
UCM shot 50 percent in the period, while holding WC to only 30 percent from the floor. Watts had a game-high 15 at the break, while junior guard Ryan Harris put up seven. The Mules also had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 13-to-4 in the half.
The margin would get to as much as 35 in the final stanza as the Mules cleared the bench. Thirteen different players scored in the game for UCM. No player from WC reached double-digit points in the game.
Junior guard Bryce Brunz finished the contest with 15 points on five three-pointers, while Watts had 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting to go with his seven boards. The Mules also tallied a 42-27 advantage on the glass.
The Mules will play Benedictine (Kan.) on Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. at the Multi.
