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| Shea Wiemann |
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- The first regular season venture outside the Bullman Multi-Purpose Building for the UMR men's basketball team was one it would just as soon forget.
The Miners ran into a hot-shooting Missouri Western team Friday night and suffered a
98-49 loss to the host Griffons on the first night of the Hillyard Classic. UMR will need to put that game behind quickly, as it will return to the court Saturday evening to face Truman State in a 5:30 p.m. game.
Truman also lost Friday night in the event as it dropped a 70-67 decision to Armstrong Atlantic State.
The Griffons never trailed in Friday's game, using a 17-0 run in the opening half to help build a lead that would reach as many as 25 points in the first 20 minutes. UMR trailed 15-11 after a basket by Shea Wiemann and moments later was down 21-16 after Wiemann knocked down a three-point shot, but Western followed the trey by going on its decisive run.
Western (1-0), who finished the game shooting 60.7 percent from the field, made seven straight shots at one point during the course of the run. UMR (1-1), which had gone through a six-minute stretch without a point in its season-opening win over Rhema Bible Wednesday, did not score for nearly six minutes again after the Wiemann three-pointer until Tyrone Davidson ended the streak with a dunk at the 5:56 mark.
Most of the scoring damage for the Griffons was done by guards J.R. Reed and Joe Manthe, who combined for 51 points (26 by Reed) and 10-of-13 shooting from three-point land. Western made 12 of its 19 three-point attempts in the contest.
Wiemann led the Miners with 13 points, while Yamani Ball had 12 points and Justin Taylor finished with 10.
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