LAS VEGAS, Nev. -
After overcoming a 12-point first half the deficit, the
seventh-ranked Rollins men's basketball team couldn't complete the
upset and fell 78-66 to No. 1 Central Missouri, Friday afternoon at
Las Vegas High Desert Classic played at Desert Oasis High
School.
With the loss, the Tars fall to 7-1 on the season, while the Mules
remain perfect on the year at 9-0. In the all-time series between
the two schools, Central Missouri increases its lead to 3-1.
Leading the way for the Tars was junior Matt Robertson who
finished with a career-high 17 points and four rebounds. Fellow
junior Nick Wolf was the team-high
in rebounds with seven and trailed Robertson in points with 16.
Nikola Baran rounded out the
Tars' scorers in double-digits with 13. He was 3-for-4 from
3-point range and 5-of-6 from the floor.
For the Mules, Sanijay Watts was the game-best with 21 points and
13 rebounds. Tremaine Luellen was a point-shy of recording a
double-double when he finished with 12 boards and nine points.
Bruce Brunz scored 20 points off the bench for Central Missouri
shooting 6-of-9 from behind the arc.
Rollins shot 51 percent from the field in the second half after
being limited to 42 percent in the first half. Defensively, the
Tars held the Mules to 38 percent shooting from the floor, but
Central Missouri countered with 34 rebounds, 14 of which were on
the offensive glass.
The teams came out playing even basketball for the first ten
minutes as neither squad could increase their lead beyond three.
At the 8:11 mark, the Mules started their run on a Watts' lay-in to
earn a five-point lead. Three minutes later an Alex Moosmann
3-pointer capped a 13-1 run for Central Missouri to give the Mules
a 12-point lead.
Rollins fought back in the closing minutes of the half to trim the
Mule's lead to three after Julian Wilkison capitalized
on a last second bucket to close the half, 32-29.
In the second half, the Mules possessed a narrow margin in the
first four minutes, Rollins eventually tied the game at 38 on a Myk
Brown jumper with 15:18 left to play. It marked the only tie of
the half as the Mules started to separate themselves from
Rollins.
With 11:47 remaining, a Brunz 3-pointer increased the Mules lead,
which preceded a Luellen 3-pointer to allow Central Missouri to
build its lead back to nine. Rollins wouldn't go away and cut the
Central Missouri lead to four on four different occasions. It
wasn't until a Wolf free-throw at the 4:36 mark the Tars cut the
Central Missouri advantage to three, but it would be the closest
the Tars would get the rest of the way.
The Mules went back to Moosmann for another 3-pointer and a Watts
jumper ensued to bring their lead back to eight under the four
minute mark. Rollins got with seven twice, but the clutch
free-throw shooting down the stretch secured the Mule's
victory.
It was the second time this season, the Tars bench was outscored by
its opponent. The Mules also won the second chance points 18-2,
but Rollins dominated inside scoring 26 points in the paint to
Central Missouri's 14.
Rollins returns to the Las Vegas High Desert Classic for its final
game against Missouri Western State, Saturday, Dec. 19, at 6:30 PST
(9:30 EST).
