WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Spencer Reaves scored a season-high 33 points and Jakob Lowrance added 17, but the Mules came up short in a 74-72 loss to Pittsburg State on Wednesday night at the Multi. The loss is the fifth straight for UCM and drops the Mules to 13-12 overall and 7-12 in MIAA play.

The Mules started hot from the field as they jumped out to a 13-7 lead just over six minutes in to the game, but the Gorillas (15-11, 10-10 MIAA) came roaring back. A three-pointer from Trey Starks, one of nine in the game for PSU, jump started a 12-3 run that gave Pitt State a 19-16 lead with 10:38 left in the half. The Gorillas pushed the lead to four only to see the Mules come back with a 5-0 run to regain the lead, 25-24, with 7:50 left.

A layup from Josiah Gustafson put PSU back in front, but Reaves hit one of his six threes in the game to put the Mules in front 28-26. Jaxon Holden answered with a three for Pitt State and they led 29-28 with 6:43 left.

The Mules jumped back in front 32-30 on a Jakob Lowrance layup, but Dakota Jones answered with a jumper to knot the game at 32 with 4:08 left. Both teams made just one field goal the rest of the half and it was tied 34-34 at the intermission.

The Mules opened the second half on a 5-0 run and scored 14 of the first 18 points to open a 48-38 lead with 15:03 to play in the game, but that's when UCM went ice cold. The Mules didn't make another field goal until the 8:38 mark, a span of 6:25, on a D'Marnier Cunningham steal and fast-break layup, by that time it was 52-50 Gorillas.

The Mules came back and regained the lead 59-58 with 6:31 to play on a Reaves jumper and three straight points from Lowrance pushed the UCM lead to 62-58 with 5:01 left. The lead was three at the 3:29 mark, but a missed UCM layup led to a three-pointer from Jones that tied the game at 63-all with 2:41 to play. A jumper from Cunningham put UCM back in front, but Starks buried a three from the top of the key that put PSU back in front for good.

A three from Jones made it a four-point PSU lead, but Marquiez Lawrence's layup with :32 to play cut it to a 69-67 lead. The Gorillas then made four straight free throws to lead 73-67 with just :17 to play. Reaves made two foul shots to cut it back to four, but Starks hit one of two and PSU led 74-69.

Reaves was fouled shooting a three with :01 to play. He made all three shots, but PSU was able to inbound the ball and run out the clock and hand the Mules their fifth straight loss.

Reaves finished the game 9-of-14 from the field as the Mules shot 52 percent as a team. UCM was 7-of-15 from beyond the arc for 47 percent and made 15-of-18 at the foul line for 83 percent.

Pittsburg State was led by Jones and Starks with 19 points each, while Holden added 10 off the bench. PSU shot 47 percent from the floor and 9-of-21 from beyond the arc for 43 percent. The Gorillas made 17-of-26 at the free throw line for 65 percent.

The Mules turned the ball over 14 times in the game, leading to 19 PSU points. The Gorilla bench also outscored UCM's 22-7. Both teams finished with 28 rebounds.

UCM looks to get back on the winning track on Saturday when Missouri Southern comes to town for a 3:30 p.m. showdown. Saturday is Senior Day with the UCM seniors being honored at halftime of the Jennies game.