Nicole Caddell returns to Central Missouri after leading the Jens to the NCAA Tournament a year ago, and picking up All-MIAA First Team and All-American Honorable Mention honors. The 5-11 senior forward led the team last season in both scoring and rebounding, all while coming off the bench for the final 18 games of the year. Caddell still averaged 27.1 minutes per game without starting, and recorded similar numbers in both scoring and rebounding average.

Caddell was the go-to player in the closing seconds a year ago; the Tuscaloosa, Ala. native hit four game-winning buzzer-beaters to grab wins from Midwestern State, Quincy, Southwest Baptist, and Washburn. Caddell also set career high marks in that win over Midwestern State, picking up 14 rebounds and six assists in the double-overtime thriller.

Working Their Way Back

Two guards will return from injury this season after missing out on all of 2011-12, in senior Erin Redmond and sophomore Danielle Bounds. Redmond started 18 games for the Jennies as a junior in 2010-11, when she averaged 5.9 points and 2.1 assists per game from the point guard spot. In her 18 starts, those averages rose to 7.1 points and 2.4 assists. She finished the year strong, scoring in double figures in four of her last six games, with a career high of 19 points coming against Fort Hays State.

Bounds joined the team as a transfer from Division I Robert Morris last season, before suffering a season-ending injury during the preseason. As a freshman, Bounds appeared in 12 games for Robert Morris, scoring a total of 10 points over a combined 49 mintues on the floor.

Miss Basketball

Another key newcomer for Central Missouri will be freshman guard Shelby Winkelmann. A two-sport star at Hermann HS, Winkelmann won the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Ms. Show-Me Basketball award her senior season. Winkelmann scored a career 3,226 points over her high school career, good for second on Missouri's all-time girl's basketball scoring list. The Rhineland native also led her school to two state championships in volleyball. Before coming to UCM, Winkelmann spent her first year in college as a member of the Nebraska volleyball team that won the Big Ten championship in 2011. 

Sophomore Duo

Guards Brielle Wattley and Breonna Embray return for 2012-13 after gaining valuable on-court experience last season as freshmen. Wattley appeared in all 29 games last year, averaging 2.4 points and 1.3 assists per game. She scored a career-high eight points twice, first in the season-opening win over Evangel, then on the road at Missouri Southern. She also set a personal best with five assists in the win at Lincoln.

Embray averaged 10.2 minutes per game over her 19 appearances last year, with the bulk of playing time coming in the first half of the year. She scored a career-high four points on the road at Midwestern State, then again at home against Southwest Baptist. The St. Joseph native had one of the higher free-throw percentages last year, going 12-of-15 (80%) from the charity stripe.

Championship Teammates

The Jennies bring in a pair of transfer teammates in guard BreAnna Lewis and Keuna Flax, who join the team after their NJCAA national championship run with Trinity Valley CC. Both Lewis and Flax were key members of that team, averaging double-figures leading their team to a perfect 36-0 on their way to the title. Flax averaged 16.7 points per game at Trinity Valley, and pulled down 7.3 boards per game. Lewis scored 13.6 points a game, while also dealing out 2.0 assists each night.

Ready to Contribute

Junior Kiersten Orton will look to have a breakout season after averaging 2.5 points per game over 22 appearances last season. The Waukee, Iowa native missed the first six games of the year in 2011-12, before making her season debut in the loss at Emporia State. In her third appearance of the year against Lewis, Orton scored a season-high eight points, while dealing out three assists and pulling down three boards. The forward put up eight points again at Southwest Baptist, and recorded another three helpers in the win.

Impact Transfers

Two more newcomers join the Jennies squad this year after successful junior college campaigns. Forward Symone Murray comes to Central Missouri after two seasons at Cowley CC, where she averaged 9.2 points per game in 2011-12, shooting 35.1% from the field. Cowley finished with 21 victories last year, and claimed a conference title during Murray's freshman season in 2010-11.

Guard Quinnecia Twine led College of Central Florida with 14.6 points per game a year ago, while averaging 3.0 steals a game on defense. Twine was named Central Florida's female athlete of the season, as well as team MVP.

In the Classroom

As much success as the Jennies saw on the court in 2011-12, they achieved just as much in the classroom. Nine players on last year's roster earned the MIAA Academic Honor Roll award, for earning at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Two players from a year ago, Alyssa Rhodes and Taylor Hanson, were honored with the MIAA Scholar-Athlete award, as the two seniors were recognized for earning All-MIAA Team honors while maintaining a 3.5 GPA or higher.

Junior forward Kiersten Orton was one of just 18 athletes across all sports at Central Missouri to earn the MIAA Academic Excellence Award. Orton has recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA during her time at UCM, while studying Accounting.

Guard Quinnecia Twine joins Central Missouri after seeing academic success during her first two seasons at College of Central Florida; the junior earned the FCSAA Scholar-Athlete Award, as well as the Central Florida Academic Athlete of the Year.

MIAA Preseason Polls

After a fourth place regular season finish a year ago, the Jennies debuted at No. 6 in the MIAA Preseason Coaches and Media Polls. The Jens finished behind Fort Hays State in both polls, after finishing ahed of the Tigers in the MIAA standings in 2011-12, and knocking Fort Hays State out of the MIAA Tournament in the first round. UCM also tallied fewer votes than MIAA newcomers Northeastern State (Okla.); the Riverhawks earned an NCAA Tournament at-large bid after competing as an independent last year, and reached the second round before falling to the eventual regional champs, Pittsburg State.

Washburn, who won the regular season and tournament titles last year, were picked to repeat by both the coaches and the media. Pittsburg State, who reached the first round of the NCAA Elite Eight, were picked second in both polls. Emporia State and Northeastern State placed third and fourth, while Fort Hays State rounds out the top five in both polls.

UCM in the Polls

The Jennies debut in the WBCA USA TODAY Sports Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll in the receiving votes section, having picked up three votes to start the year. UCM is 56th overall in the poll, and is one of six MIAA schools to be mentioned. Ashland (Ohio) start the year at No. 1, after last season's national championship game appearance. Bentley (Mass.) is second in the poll, after reaching the national semifinal last year. MIAA foe and defending regional champion Pittsburg State takes the No. 3 rank. Washburn (No. 17), Emporia State (No. 19), and Northeastern State (No. 23) are the rest of the conference's representation in the poll, while Fort Hays State recieved six votes, just ahead of the Jens.

Central Missouri was nationally ranked for a short period last season, appearing in the top 25 for three weeks. The Jens debuted at No. 25 after starting the season 5-0, then moved up to No. 22 with their first two conference wins of the year, against Southwest Baptist and Missouri Southern. A 1-4 stretch through the middle of December dropped UCM out of the poll, and although they responded with six straight wins and a 9-1 mark over the following ten games, the team was never able to climb back into the poll.

UCM Program History

The UCM Jennies are 825-349 (.703) after 41 seasons, and 623-260 (.706) in the 30 seasons since joining NCAA Division II ... the Jennies have won 9 MIAA regular season championships, 7 MIAA Tournament titles, 6 NCAA regional titles, and the 1984 NCAA Division II Championship.

Series History with Webster

Saturday's game marks the first ever meeting between Webster and Central Missouri ... The Jennies have played a total of 12 games against Division III opponents in program history, and hold a 11-1 mark in those meetings ... Webster is the first opponent from the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference the Jens have ever faced ... The lone defeat to a Division III program came in 1976, when the Jens fell 85-74 to Wisconsin-LaCrosse on a neutral court.

A Win for the Jennies Would...

... start the Jennies season with a perfect 1-0 ... be the fifth straight season-opening victory ... extend the Jennies' win streak against non-conference opponents to seven straight games.

A Loss for the Jennies Would...

... be the first season-opening loss since 2007, a 70-59 loss to SIU-Edwardsville ... be just the second season-opening loss in the Dave Slifer era ... be the first loss to an NCAA Division III program since 1976 ... be the 100th loss all-time in the UCM Multipurpose Building.

Jennies Basketball in the Multi

The Jens are 443-99 all-time in the Multipurpose Building, and 76-29 during the Slifer era ... UCM has won at least nine home games every year since 2004-05 ... the Jennies have gone undefeated at home three times: 1982-83 (15-0, finished 3rd in the nation), 1985-86 (14-0, regional champions), and 1988-89 (15-0, finished 4th in the nation) ... from 1988 to 1990, the Jennies won a school-record 34 consecutive games at the Multi.

Jennies on the Air

Central Missouri women's basketball can be caught throughout the season on 98.5 “The BAR,” 1450 KOKO, and warrensburgradio.com as Greg Hassler provides play-by-play alongside Shawn Jones.

Fans can catch highlights each week on Central Missouri Sportspage, Thursday nights at 7 p.m., and Saturdays at 5 p.m. on KMOS-TV. Shawn Jones will sit down with Coach Slifer throughout the season to discuss the latest game, as various Jennies will be featured throughout the year.

Jennies fans can also tune in to 98.5 “The Bar” and 1450 KOKO each Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. for Central Missouri Sports Talk, with Greg Hassler and Bill Turnage. The pair will talk UCM athletics, as well as other hot topics in the sports world. Jennies coaches and players will drop in throughout the season as well.