(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) — For the second straight game, the Mules held one of the MIAA’s top offenses 30 points below their season average.

This time it was the first-place Lincoln Blue Tigers, the league’s top offense. UCM limited LU to 29 percent shooting in a 51-48 win on Saturday afternoon at the Multi.

The Mules (11-5, 5-5 MIAA) shot 41 percent from the floor and held Lincoln to to just 16 first half points in the win. The Blue Tigers (11-6, 7-4 MIAA) came into the game averaging almost 84 points per game, but the solid defensive effort by UCM limited them to just 48.

The game was slow starting for both teams with a Jakob Lowrance layup the only bucket through the first 3:09 of the game. Lincoln grabbed a 7-4 lead behind five points from Anthony Virdure, the league’s third leading scorer. A 7-0 run by the Mules gave them an 11-7 lead, but Virdure came right back with a three to pull LU within one.

The Mules led 15-14 at the 7:17 mark when a Tereke Eckwood layup started an 8-0 run that gave UCM a 23-14 lead with 1:26 to play. Aaron Spudich made two free throws with just under a minute to play to pull the Blue Tigers within 23-16 at the break. The Mules held LU without a field goal over the final 7:17 of the first half.

Central Missouri pushed the lead to 11 early in the second half on a three from Lowrance. The Blue Tigers didn’t get their first field goal of the half until the 16:34 mark, a span of 10:43 between field goals. The Mules pushed the lead to 12 at 32-20 with 15:12 on the clock, but Lincoln began to crawl back in to the game.

A three-point play from Richie Lewis cut the lead to nine and sparked a 14-2 run that tied the game at 34 with 9:17 to play. Lawrence’s dunk at the 8:15 mark put UCM back in front and a layup from D’Marnier Cunningham pushed the lead to four. A three-pointer from Jaylon Smith and a later three from Lewis tied the game at 40 with 6:01 to play.

Kyle Wolf made two free throws, however, and Lowrance scored on a layup to push UCM back in front by four, 44-40. Two free throws from Brett O’Neil made it a six point lead with 4:23 to play. Virdure scored on a layup and Smith made two foul shots to cut the lead to 48-46 with :49 left in regulation, but a layup from Cunningham pushed the lead to four and Spencer Reaves made one of two free throws to give UCM a 51-46 lead. Lewis scored on a layup with just over a second to play, but the Mules quickly inbounded the ball to run out the clock.

Cunningham and Lowrance led the Mules with 15 points each with Lowrance adding six boards. Lawrence had eight and five rebounds off the bench.

UCM shot 19-of-46 from the field for 41 percent, but made just 2-of-15 three-point attempts for 13 percent. UCM was 11-of-14 at the foul line for 78 percent.

Lewis and Virdure led Lincoln with 13 points apiece. Lewis also added a game-high nine boards. The Blue Tigers were 5-of-26 from three-point range for 19 percent and 11-of-18 at the foul line for 61 percent.