ROLLA, Mo. – After overcoming a double-digit deficit to take a lead in the first half, Missouri S&T was unable to do it again in the second half as it went ice cold after the intermission and fell 92-73 to Central Missouri Saturday night at Billy Key Court.

S&T spotted the Mules (4-0) the first 10 points of the game, but clawed its way back throughout the opening half.  The Miners were able to draw to within two by the 9:17 mark after Tyler Anderson (Lee's Summit, Mo./Lee's Summit North) converted a pair of free throws, then closed to within a point on B.J. McLaughlin (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central)'s jump with 7:49 to go in the half.

Central eventually pushed its lead back out to nine after Brad Woodson drilled back-to-back three-pointers, but a 12-2 spurt by S&T, capped by a three-pointer by freshman Quinn Poythress (Jackson, Mo./Notre Dame Regional), gave the Miners their first lead of the night at 39-38 at the 2:38 mark.

That would also end up being the Miners' only lead of the game, as following a UCM timeout, Isiah Sykes hit a trey to put the Mules back into the lead.  Another three-pointer, this one from Tony Cochran, gave Central a six-point halftime lead.

When the second half started, the Miners struggled to find the mark from the field as the Mules pushed their lead back into double figures, putting it there for good on a lay-in by Spencer Reaves four minutes into the half.

The Miners made only two of their first 11 shots in the second half and turned the ball over six times during the first eight minutes as the Mules extended their lead to 16; Central's lead was never under 13 from that point on.

S&T shot just 38.7 percent from the field for the game, was guilty of 21 turnovers and was plagued by foul issues all night in a tightly-called contest, as the Miners were whistled for 33 of the 59 fouls called in the game and had three players foul out.

The Miners (1-3) had three players – all freshmen – score in double figures, led by Poythress with 11 points.  Allen Billinger (Carbondale, Ill./Carbondale) and Telloy Simon (Kitchener, Ont./St. Mary's) finished with 10 points apiece, while Zach Ellis (St. Louis, Mo./Whitfield School) had nine.  S&T held a 42-32 advantage on the boards, led by eight from Rokas Paulauskas.

Sykes led all scorers in the game with 16 points, while Woodson, Tereke Eckwood and Marquiez Lawrence each finished with 13 for UCM, who shot 52.6 percent from the field on the night.  The Mules entered the game ranked 10^th in the Division II media poll and received votes in the NABC's pre-season poll; the first regular season poll will be released Tuesday.

Missouri S&T returns to action Friday when it faces St. Mary's at 3 p.m. in the first of two games it will play over the Thanksgiving weekend in San Antonio, Texas.  S&T will also take on Angelo State Saturday afternoon.