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STORY LINES
• The Central Missouri Mules travel to Kearney, Nebraska on Wednesday night for their first MIAA road game of the new year against the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers at 7:30 p.m. at the Health & Sports Center.
• The Mules come in at 10-3 overall and 4-1 and in a tie for first place in the MIAA after an 80-73 win over Pittsburg State on Saturday afternoon in Warrensburg.
• Central Missouri has won four straight games and six of their last seven games overall.
• Nebraska-Kearney enters the contest at 4-10 overall and 1-5 in their first year in the MIAA after a 72-56 loss to Washburn on Saturday at home.
• This will be just the fifth meeting all-time between these two schools and the first since the 1978-79 season.

QUICK HITS
• Central Missouri is in its 108th season of men's basketball.
• Central Missouri is second all-time in wins in NCAA Division II with 1,573.
• The Mules are averaging 74.7 points per game and giving up 68.2 points per contest.
• Central Missouri is shooting 45 percent from the floor, but 32 percent from three-point range. The Mules give up 43 percent shooting overall and 36 percent from beyond the arc.
• In their 10 wins, UCM is holding the opposition to 40 percent shooting and the Mules out-rebound their opponents by two boards per game. In their three losses, the Mules have given up 50 percent shooting and have been out-rebounded by over three boards per outing.
• The Mules are forcing 15.5 turnovers per game, while committing 12.6 turnovers of their own per contest.
• The Mules were 19-8 a season ago and captured a share of the MIAA regular season championship, the fourth under head coach Kim Anderson.
• The 2011-12 season was the ninth straight year that Central Missouri won at least 18 games, the longest active streak in the MIAA. The longest streak in MIAA history is 11 seasons, held by NW Missouri State from 1997-2008.

SERIES HISTORY
• This will be just the fifth all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Nebraska-Kearney. The series is tied 2-2, but the teams have not met since the 1978-79 season.
• Two games have been played in Kearney and two in Warrensburg with the records at 1-1 for each location.
• Current UNK head coach Tom Kropp scored 51 points for the Lopers in a 119-116 Mules win on Dec. 16, 1974 at Kearney. A UNK school record and the most points a player has scored against UCM in school history.
• In the four previous meetings, Nebraska-Kearney is averaging 113.5 points per game while the Mules are averaging 110.8.  
• Central Missouri failed to score 100 points in a 115-94 loss in the previous meeting. The only time both of the teams have not scored 100 points.

LAST MEETING WITH NEBRASKA-KEARNEY
• The Lopers beat the Mules 115-94 in Kearney during the 1978-79 season.
• The 94 points scored by UCM marked the first time in the series that both teams didn't score at least 100 points in a game.
• The Mules finished that season 14-13 overall and 5-7 in the MIAA for head coach Tom Smith.

SCOUTING NEBRASKA-KEARNEY
• The Lopers come into the week at 4-10 overall and 1-5 in MIAA play.
• UNK is led by co-head coaches Tom Kropp and Kevin Lofton. Kropp is in his 23rd season at the helm of the UNK program. This is the eighth season that these two have shared head coaching duties, with Lofton set to succeed Kropp as head coach at a future date.
• The Lopers' record during Kropp's time is 446-213, including a 120-83 mark over the past eight seasons.
• Nebraska-Kearney has lost two straight games, both at home to MIAA opponents.
• The Lopers are averaging 71.8 points per game, but giving up 78.9 per contest. They shoot 46 percent from the field and 39 from beyond the arc, while the opposition shoots 50 percent from the floor and 32 percent from three point range.
• Jon Henderson leads three Lopers in double figures at 15.6 points per game. Mike Dentlinger averages 13.2 per contest, while Pierre Newton chips in 12.3 per outing.
• Dentlinger also leads the team in rebounding at 5.9 per contest. UNK out-rebounds their opponents by nearly two boards per game.
• The Lopers average 15.9 turnovers per game and force 10.8 per contest.
• Loper opposition averages 17.6 assists per game and have recorded 44 more steals this year than UNK.

LAST TIME OUT
• The Mules built a 15-point second half lead then held off a late charge to beat Northeastern State 77-69 on Wednesday night at the UCM Multipurpose Building.
• The Mules made 14-of-17 free throws in the final three minutes to ice the game after the RiverHawks had pulled to within one.
• UCM shot 44 percent from the field and 38 percent from beyond the arc, while Northeastern State shot 50 percent from the floor and 39 percent from three-point range. NSU was 12-of-16 from the charity stripe.
• Lance Beckwith and Dominique Long led the Mules in scoring with 17 points apiece. Widgett Washington added 15 points and six assist.
• As a team, UCM dished out 13 assists and committed nine turnovers, while forcing 14 RiverHawks giveaways.
• Bryton Hobbs led all scorers with 25 points and Jermaine Bransford added 19 points and 13 rebounds to pace NSU.
• The Mules held a 18-12 advantage in points off turnovers with the RiverHawks out-scoring UCM 32-28 in the paint.

MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules are 133-59 in MIAA play during the Kim Anderson era and 3-1 this season after a 77-69 win over Northeastern State on Wednesday night at the Multi.
• UCM was 15-5 in conference play last year earning a share of the MIAA regular season title, the fourth under Anderson.
• Central Missouri's best MIAA record under Anderson was an 18-2 mark in the 2009-10 season.
• The Mules have captured four MIAA regular season championships and three MIAA tournament titles under Kim Anderson.

THE MULES AT HOME
• Central Missouri is 136-21 at the Multipurpose Building under Kim Anderson after the 80-73 win over Pittsburg State on Saturday.
• Over the last eight years, UCM is 119-11 at home. Over that same time period the Mules are 49-1 against non-conference opponents at home and 70-10 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 447-88 in their 37th season playing home games at the Multi.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• The Mules are 59-48 in road games during the Kim Anderson era after dropping their first road game of the season, 77-72 at Fort Hays State on December 5.
• UCM was 7-4 on the road last season.

A UCM WIN WOULD...
• Give the Mules an 11-3 overall record and a 5-1 mark in MIAA play keeping them in at least a tie for the top spot in the conference standings.
• Give the Mules five consecutive wins for the first time this season.
• Give the Mules their first road win of the season.
• Give UCM a 3-2 lead in the series with Nebraska-Kearney.

A UCM LOSS WOULD...
• Drop the Mules to 10-4 overall and 4-2 in MIAA play.
• Give the Lopers two straight wins over UCM and a 3-2 lead in the all-time series.
• Drop the Mules to 0-2 in road games this season.

LONG LEADING THE CHARGE
• Senior forward Dominique Long is 15th in the MIAA in scoring at 14.5 points per game. Last year, he finished ninth in the league at 12.7 points per contest.

WEBB NEAR THE TOP IN FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
• Senior forward Matt Webb leads the team and is ninth in the MIAA in field goal percentage at 53.8 percent. He has made 42-of-78 shot attempts this season.

WASHINGTON DISTRIBUTING THE BALL
• Senior guard Widgett Washington leads the team and is sixth in the MIAA in assists at 4.3 per game. There are nine players in the MIAA averaging 4.0 assists/game or more. Craig Nicholson of FHSU leads the league at 6.8 per game. Washington is also ninth in the league with 1.6 steals per game.

ANDERSON LEADING THE WAY
• Central Missouri head coach Kim Anderson has compiled a career record of 232-85 (.732) in his 11th season leading the Mules.
• He has led UCM to four MIAA regular season titles, more than any other coach in school history, three MIAA tournament championships, two Regional championships and two Final Four appearances.
• Anderson recorded career win No. 200 with a 65-61 win against Washburn on February 9, 2011.
• Anderson is one of only five coaches in Central Missouri history to record 100 or more career wins - Anderson (232), Tad. C. Reid (178), Earl Keth (159), Jim Wooldridge (131) and Lynn Nance (114).
• Three of the top nine single-season scoring leaders in Central Missouri history have come during the tenure of head coach Kim Anderson.

MULES BASKETBALL HISTORY
• In the 108th season of UCM basketball the Mules have compiled a 1,573-914 (.632) record in 2,487 total games.
• The Mules have won 20 or more games 21 times in the history of the program.
• Central Missouri has won 30 or more games twice, both during the Kim Anderson era.
• The Mules are the second winningest program by victories in NCAA-II.
• UCM has won or shared 22 MIAA regular season championships and five MIAA tournament titles.

THE NEXT LEVEL
• In the Kim Anderson era, 20 former players have gone on to play professional basketball.
• Seven players are either currently playing professionally or on a professional roster - Zack Wright (Greece, Rethimno), Sanijay Watts (Germany, USC Heidelberg), Esian Henderson (Czech Republic, Levice), Manny Richardson (ABA, Battle Creek Knights), Joel Barkers (Greece, Aris Thessolonikki), Michael Hicks (Poland, Polpharma-Pakmet) and Kevin Wollbrinck (France).

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE ATHLETIC ARENA
• Following the fall 2012 season, Central Missouri has won a combined 191 MIAA regular-season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• During the 2011-12 school year UCM captured seven MIAA regular season and three tournament championships.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 137 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
• Central Missouri has won five national championships since 1980 (men's and women's basketball in 1984, baseball in 1994 and 2003, and women's bowling in 2003) and seven national championships overall.

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
• The 500+ Central Missouri student-athletes received 245 Academic Awards from the MIAA office for the 2011-12 academic year.
• 195 UCM student-athletes were named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
• 32 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Scholar Athletes with at least a 3.5 GPA and having earned All-MIAA honors in their respective sport.
• 18 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with a 4.0 GPA.
• UCM had 10 student-athletes earn Academic All-America honors, including Shawn Boss being named the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year for Track & Field.

MULES BASKETBALL ON THE AIR
• Central Missouri basketball is broadcast live on 1450 KOKO/98.5 “The Bar” and on the Internet at www.warrensburgradio.com. 90.9 “The Bridge” will pickup the broadcast at tip-off. All games are broadcast by Senior Associate Athletic Director, Shawn Jones and 1450 KOKO/98.5 “The Bar” Sports Director, Greg Hassler.
• The Kim Anderson Mules Basketball Show, presented by Bob Showers of Ameritas Investment Corp. will air on Monday nights at 7 p.m. on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 “The Bar” and www.warrensburgradio.com. The show runs through the regular season. There is one remaining show in the month of December on Monday the 10th.
• The Central Missouri Sportspage is your weekly one-hour look at UCM athletics each Thursday night at 7 p.m. on KMOS-TV. Senior Associate Athletic Director Shawn Jones will sit down with Mules head coach Kim Anderson to discuss the previous week's games as well as weekly spotlights of Mules basketball players.

LIVE VIDEO STREAMING
• The UCM Media Network will provide live video coverage for every Central Missouri home game through a student-run webcast on AmericaOneSports.com. All home games and road MIAA games will be available on a pay-per-view basis. The cost is $8 per game, $30 for a 30-day pass or $89.95 for an all-season pass for UCM men's and women's basketball.

UP NEXT
• The Mules continue their two-game road swing at Truman State on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off in Kirksville is set for 3 p.m.
• After the trip to Truman State, UCM returns home for two straight games beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 23 hosting Missouri Western at 7:30 p.m. at the Multipupose Building. That game has been tabbed the Blackout game and #teamUCM Night. Fans are encouraged to wear black and follow the Mules and Jennies on social media to win prizes and take part in contests at the game.