WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The 2017-18 Missouri Western men's basketball (6-21) season ended with a 75-59 loss to Central Missouri (20-9) in the first round of the MIAA Championships.  
 
The 12^th-seeded Griffons traded runs with the 5^th-seeded Mules. Central Missouri's 12-2 run to end the first half gave the Mules the cushion they needed to hold off several pushes by the Griffons. Missouri Western opened the second half on an 11-2 run to cut the UCM lead to four, but the Mules answered with another 12-2 run to stretch their lead to 17 with nine minutes remaining. The Griffons got within eight with six minutes left off a 9-0 run but gave up 9-0 UCM run right after.
 
NOTABLES

• Lavon Hightower led Missouri Western with 23 points and six rebounds
• Bryan Hudson scored 16 points off the bench for the Griffons
• Missouri Western went 4-for-12 from three-point range in the first half and 2-for-10 in the second half
• Central Missouri shot better than 55 percent in the game with the Griffons shooting 45 percent
• Two Griffon starters (TJ Evans and Beau Baker) were held without a point in the game
• Missouri Western is now 25-21 all-time in the MIAA Championships and 1-4 in the current format's first round