In the first set of regional rankings of the year, the Jennies are ranked No. 2 in the Central Region. UCM holds an overall record of 21-3 on the season, and trail only Washburn, who holds the top spot in the rankings.

Central Missouri has two games remaining in the regular season before the start of the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City. Both games are against teams ranked among the top five in the region, Truman and Washburn.

National Leaders

The Jennies rank among the top teams in Division II in a number of statistical categories. As of Feb. 24, the Jens are 17th in total offense, averaging 73.8 points per game. They're also one of the deadliest deep-shooting teams in the country; the Jens 36.9% three-point shooting percentage is the 12th-highest in Division II, as the team hits an average of 7.3 treys per game, 21th-most in the nation. Overall Central Missouri shoots 42.3% from the field, ranking them 47th in the nation. With 14.7 turnovers committed per game, the Jens are one of the better ball handling teams in the country, with the 21st lowest turnover average. Finally, the Jennies have one of the best winning percentages in the nation, at .875 which ranks 12th.

Chasing History

The Jennies have a chance this season to record one of the best regular season records in program history. This season's record of 21-3 gives the Jens a .875 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 42.3% from the field. In the final five minutes of games, however, that percentage rises to 44.6%. The Jens also average 10.2 points per game in the last five minutes compared to 73.8 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

In her first season at UCM, junior forward Keuna Flax has become one of the top players in the MIAA. Flax is averaging a team-high 20.1 points per game, and is shooting 53.1% 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 1.8 points per game more than the second-highest average, and would rank fourth 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 all but one appearance this season; 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 third in the MIAA in scoring and 66th in Division II, with 16.4 points per game, and is shooting at a 38.9% clip from beyond the arc, ranking 37th nationally. She has the MIAA's highest average of three-pointers hit per game, with 3.13, which places her 6th 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. Interestingly, Lewis has recorded exactly 22 points in her past four games.

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 13.2 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). She ranks second in the MIAA in total rebounding, and leads the league in offensive boards (3.7 per game). Nationally, the Tuscaloosa, Ala. native ranks 25th in rebounds, and 32nd 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. With her 11 points at Southwest Baptist on Saturday, Caddell moved into 21st place on the UCM scoring list, surpassing  Tammy Noah (1982-85, 1986-87).

Caddell also pulled down her 600th career rebound against the Blue Lions. She now stands 10th on UCM's all-time rebounding list, with 653 boards in her career. 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
Point guard Brielle Wattley and forward Quinnecia Twine have developed into key components of the Jennies' success this season. Both players earned regular starting roles during the pair of games in Las Vegas in December.

Twine has started 16 games this season, and is averaging 7.8 points this season. The Atlanta, Ga. native is one of the Jennies most solid defenders, with the second-highest total of steals (28) this year. Offensively, Twine can also be a threat from deep; she has the team's second-most three-point field goals this year, and is shooting 34.1% (31-of-91) from long range. The junior 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 17 games at point guard, and is averaging 2.1 assists as a starter. She leads the team with a 1.70 assist-to-turnover ratio this season, and has committed just six turnovers in her last four games. The sophomore from Fort Wayne, Ind. averages 3.8 points per game, and shoots 46.1% (35-76) from the field.

Bench Notes

Junior Symone Murray leads the bench with 5.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game this season ... She has reached double-figures five times this season, and earned her first start in Nicole Caddell's absence during the win over Lincoln on Jan. 30, recording six points and six rebounds ... Erin Redmond is third on the team with 34 assists on the year, to go along with 3.0 points and 1.5 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 1.4 points and 2.0 boards this season ... Breonna Embray has appeared in all 24 games this year, averaging 1.3 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 166-94 record on the UCM sideline, and a 549-193 record during his 24-year coaching career. Slifer is just one win 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.

UCM in the Polls

With their first loss in the last nine games, the Central Missouri Jennies slipped six spots in the WBCA USA TODAY Sports Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll, to No. 13 this week. Central Missouri earned the 13th spot this week, totaling 425 points.

The Jennies are the second-highest MIAA team ranked in the poll, just behind No. 5 Washburn, who kept their same spot from a week ago. Truman re-enters the poll for the second time this year before their matchup with the Jennies, breaking into this week's poll at No. 25. The current No. 1 team, Clayton State (Ga.), becomes the third different No. 1 team in the last three weeks, and is now the nation's last unbeaten team.

Five of UCM's opponents this season, including two MIAA teams are earning votes in the poll but are not ranked; Fort Hays State collected 9 points this week, followed by Pittsburg State with 8.

UCM Program History

The UCM Jennies are 846-352 (.706) after 41 seasons, and 643-263 (.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 Truman

The Bulldogs will go into Wednesday's matchup having won the last two meetings over the Jennies, in a 73-64 win in Kirksville last month, and an overtime victory on last season's Senior Night in Warrensburg. UCM has dominated the overall series, however, going 58-10 against Truman, and 31-4 at home. Since 2002-03, the Jens and Bulldogs have gone to overtime four times, more than any other opponent UCM has faced in that time. The Jennies have gone 1-3 in those matchups.

Opponent Preview

The Bulldogs come to Warrensburg with a three-game win streak, defeating Southwest Baptist, Lindenwood, and Lincoln. Truman boasts a 42.1% success rate from long range, which ranks as the best in Division II, and is second only to Division I Duke among all divisions of the NCAA. Sophomore Allie Newton leads NCAA Division II with a 46.2% shooting percentage from beyond the arc.

Last Time Against the Bulldogs

Senior Nicole Caddell finished with a team-high 20 points, but it wasn't enough as the No. 11 Central Missouri Jennies were upset in their final MIAA road trip to Truman, falling to the Bulldogs 73-64 in Pershing Arena on Jan. 19. The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Jennies, and was the first of the season to an unranked opponent.

A Win for the Jennies Would...

... improve the Jennies record to 22-3 this season ... improve their conference record to 14-3 ... set the record for most conference wins in the Dave Slifer era ... clinch the first undefeated season in the Multipurpose Building since 1988-89 ... extend their home winning streak to 14 games.

A Loss for the Jennies Would...

... drop the Jennies record to 21-4 on the year ... drop their record to 13-4 against the MIAA this season ... snap a 13-game home winning streak ... be the second-straight loss, the longest losing streak of the season ... be the third straight loss to Truman, the longest losing streak to the Bulldogs in series history.

Jennies Basketball in the Multi

The Jens are 456-99 all-time in the Multipurpose Building, and 87-29 during the Slifer era ... Currently, the Jennies hold a 13-0 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, as well as a trip straight to Kansas City and through the first round. If the season were to end today, UCM would face the winner of Northwest Missouri at Fort Hays State.