The Jennies rank among the top teams in Division II in a number of statistical categories. As of Sunday, the Jens are 14th in total offense, averaging 75.4 points per game. They're also one of the deadliest deep-shooting teams in the country; the Jens 38.0% three-point shooting percentage is the seventh-highest in Division II, as the team hits an average of 7.3 treys per game, 19th-most in the nation. Overall Central Missouri shoots 42.7% from the field, ranking them 40th in the nation. With 14.8 turnovers committed per game, the Jens are one of the better ball handling teams in the country, with the 19th lowest turnover average. Finally, the Jennies have one of the best winning percentages in the nation, at .905 which ranks 8th.

Chasing History

The Jennies have a chance this season to record the best regular season record in program history. This season's record of 20-2 gives the Jens a .909 winning percentage. The school record currently sits at .906, which was set during the 1982-83 and 1989-90 seasons, when the Jennies posted identical 29-3 records. Both of those teams won MIAA regular season and tournament titles, NCAA regional championships, and reached the national semifinals and quarterfinals, respectively.

Winning Time

The Jennies have developed a knack for pulling out close games this season; the team is 6-0 in games decided by five points or less, most recently in their come-from-behind win over Missouri Western. On the season, the Jens shoot 42.7% from the field. In the final five minutes of games, however, that percentage rises to 46.7%. The Jens also average 10.7 points per game in the last five minutes compared to 75.4 on the year. UCM has claimed three wins after trailing with five minutes left in regulation (Southwest Baptist, Northeastern State, Missouri Western), and are a perfect 16-0 when leading at the five-minute mark.

Instant Impact

Junior forward Keuna Flax has performed as become one of the top players in the MIAA. Flax is averaging a team-high 20.6 points per game, and is shooting 54.0% from the field. Because she missed the first seven games of the year Flax doesn't qualify for any MIAA or NCAA leaderboards, but if she did, she would lead the conference in scoring with 2.0 points per game more than the second-highest average, and would rank fifth nationally in Division II. The Haltom City, Tex. native has scored 20 or more points in nine games for UCM this season, and has scored in double figures in every appearance; she set a new career high with 30 points in the win over Central Oklahoma on Thursday.

Scoring Threat

Junior BreAnna Lewis has been one of the nation's best three-point shooters this season. Lewis ranks second in the MIAA in scoring and 106th in Division II, with 15.6 points per game, and is shooting at a 38.0% clip from beyond the arc, ranking 52nd nationally. She has the MIAA's highest average of three-pointers hit per game, with 3.1, which places her 15th on the national leaderboard. In the win over Academy of Art, Lewis knocked down seven three-pointers, tying her for the third-most in a single game in Jennies program history; she has hit five or more treys in six games, and has hit six in her last two games, against Missouri Southern and Lindenwood.

Lewis, along with Keuna Flax, were former teammates at Trinity Valley CC, where they won the NJCAA national championship a year ago. With the Jennies, the pair account for 36.5 points per game, just under half of the team's scoring average.

Senior Leader

Senior forward Nicole Caddell has been dominant in the post this season, averaging a double-double with 13.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. She is just one of two players in the MIAA to be averaging a double-double on the season. Caddell has matched her career high of 16 rebounds three times this season (St. Mary's, Lewis, Arkansas Tech), and leads the MIAA in total rebounding and in offensive boards (3.7 per game). The Tuscaloosa, Ala. native ranks 17th in the nation in rebounds, and 23rd in the country with nine double-doubles this season.

Caddell also reached a major milestone in her UCM career in the win over Lincoln earlier this month, surpassing the 1,000 point mark. Caddell became the 24th player in Jennies basketball history to reach that total, and was the third-fastest Jennie to do so, reaching the milestone in just 74 games played. She now sits 22nd on the UCM scoring list, surpassing Ashley Millham (2003-07) with her 15 points at Central Oklahoma.

Caddell also pulled down her 600th career rebound against the Blue Lions. With her one block at Lindenwood, Caddell, became just the third player in Jennies history to have at least 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, and 100 blocks, joining Rosie Jones (1981-85) and Barb Sorensen (1986-90).

Disappointing Departure

After leading the Jennies offense during the first eight games of the season, freshman Shelby Winkelmann suffered a season-ending injury during the win over Dixie State. Winkelmann was averaging 17.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, leading the team in scoring at the time. The current team leader, Keuna Flax, played together with Winkelmann for one game (Dixie State) before the freshman's injury.

Starting Roles

A pair of Jennies worked their way into the starting lineups beginning with the trip to Las Vegas, in junior Quinnecia Twine and sophomore Brielle Wattley.

Twine is averaging 9.1 points as a starter, up from her season average of 8.2 points per game. She has scored in double figures in seven starts, and set a new career high with 24 points in the win over Central Oklahoma. Twine also hit a career-high five three-pointers against the Bronchos.

Wattley has started the last 15 games at point guard, and is averaging 2.0 assists as a starter. She leads the team with a 1.80 assist-to-turnover ratio this season, and has committed just six turnovers in her last six games.

Bench Notes

Junior Symone Murray leads the bench with 4.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game this season ... She scored a career-high 13 points at Fort Hays State, and has reached double-figures five times this season ... Erin Redmond is fourth on the team with 31 assists on the year, to go along with 3.0 points and 1.6 rebounds per game ... Against Missouri Southern, Redmond tallied three assists, her highest total since the win over Northeastern State on Jan. 9 ... Junior Kiersten Orton has been one of the best rebounders off the bench for the Jens, averaging 2.5 boards per game ...  Freshman Danielle Barry scored a career-high seven points in the first half of the win over Pittsburg State, and is averaging 1.5 points and 1.9 boards this season ... Breonna Embray has appeared in all 22 games this year, averaging 1.5 points per game.

Milestone Victory

After defeating Pittsburg State on Jan. 12, head coach Dave Slifer moved into third place on the Jennies all-time wins list, surpassing Mildred Barnes (1971-80). Slifer has a 165-93 record on the UCM sideline, and a 548-192 record during his 24-year coaching career. Slifer is just two wins away from tying Scott Ballard (1995-03) for second on UCM's wins list, with 167. At the start of the season Slifer ranked seventh among active coaches at the Division II level in total wins, and is one of just seven active coaches to reach the 500 wins mark.

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 Middle School Math Education.

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. 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. 

UCM in the Polls

After wrapping up a four-game road trip with a perfect 4-0 mark, the Central Missouri Jennies were rewarded with their highest ranking in the history of the WBCA USA TODAY Sports Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll. Central Missouri earned the No. 7 rank this week, totaling 543 points after earning road wins over Central Oklahoma and Missouri Southern.

The Jennies are the second-highest MIAA team ranked in the poll, just behind No. 6 Washburn, who also improved three spots from last week. The current No. 1 team, Ashland (Ohio) held onto their spot from a week ago, collecting all 31 first-place votes.

Four MIAA teams are earning votes in the poll but are not ranked, including Truman (51 pts.), Pittsburg State (16), Fort Hays State (12), and Northeastern State (5).

UCM Program History

The UCM Jennies are 845-351 (.707) after 41 seasons, and 642-262 (.710) in the 30 seasons since joining NCAA Division II ... The matchup with Lincoln on Jan. 30 marked the 900th game for the Jennies since joining the 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 National Championship.

Series History with Lincoln
Central Missouri is 46-2 against Lincoln in the all-time series, but one of those two losses came last season, in a 57-53 defeat at home.

The Jens have won 16 of the last 17 meetings, including all nine matchups when Lincoln was a member of the Heartland Conference, ranging from 1998-2005. The only other loss came in 1997-98, when the Blue Tigers claimed a 51-47 win in Jefferson City.

Opponent Preview

The Blue Tigers come to Warrensburg in the midst of a four-game road swing, and will look to end a three-game skid. Lincoln has collected just one MIAA road win this season, at Lindenwood on Jan. 19. The Blue Tigers are led by three seniors who average double figures, in Arriana Walker (14.0 ppg), Freddie Sims (13.7 ppg) and Dahlia Booker (11.5 ppg.).

Last Time Against the Blue Tigers

Senior forward Nicole Caddell became the 24th player in Jennies basketball history to score 1,000 points, as the 11th-ranked Jennies kicked off a four-game road swing with a 77-67 win on Jan. 30. Two Jennies finished with double-doubles, led by Keuna Flax's game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds. Caddell picked up her seventh double-double of the year with 20 points and 15 boards.

A Win for the Jennies Would...

... improve the Jennies record to 21-2 this season ... improve their conference record to 13-2 ... match the record for most conference wins in the Dave Slifer era ... be the 13th win in the Multi this season, the most home victories since 1996-97 ... extend their home winning streak to 13 games.

A Loss for the Jennies Would...

... drop the Jennies record to 20-3 on the year ... drop their record to 12-3 against the MIAA this season ... snap a seven-game winning streak, and a 12-game home winning streak ... be just the third loss ever to Lincoln, and the second loss to the Blue Tigers in the last four meetings.

Jennies Basketball in the Multi

The Jens are 455-99 all-time in the Multipurpose Building, and 86-29 during the Slifer era ... Currently, the Jennies hold a 12-0 record in the Multi this season ... 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.

UCM Athletics

The 2011-12 school year saw Central Missouri's 15 sports combine for seven MIAA regular season titles, and three MIAA tournament championships (women's soccer, baseball, men's golf). The Mules and Jennies have totaled 191 MIAA regular season championships across all sports, the most of any MIAA program. UCM 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 titles overall.

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.

Each MIAA contest througout the season will also be available online through AmericaOneSports.com. Every home game broadcast is produced by the student-run UCM Media Network. The cost for the webcasts is $8 for a single game, $30 for a 30-day pass, and $89.95 for a season pass, which includes both Mules and Jennies basketball.

MIAA Tournament

The 2013 MIAA Tournament is scheduled for March 8-10, at the Municipal Auditorium in downdown Kansas City, Mo. This year's edition of the conference tournament has a slightly different format, as four preliminary first-round matchups will take place on Tuesday, March 5 to round out the eight-team field. The top four seeds will earn a bye and automatically punch their tickets to Kansas City, while seeds 5-8 will host a first-round game against seeds 9-12.

The Jennies have claimed seven MIAA tournament titles, second only to Washburn's nine titles, but haven't cut the nets down since 1990. Last season, the Jennies knocked off Fort Hays State, 73-61 in the first round before falling to the eventual conference tournament champions Washburn, 64-62 in the semifinals. The Jens have officially earned a spot in the MIAA Tournament this season, and clinched no worse than the seventh seed. If the season ended today, UCM would face the winner of Pittsburg State and Northwest Missouri in Kansas City.