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STORY LINES
• The Central Missouri Mules will look to win the MIAA regular season championship outright as they close out the regular season at Washburn on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
• The Mules claimed at least a share of the MIAA title with a 76-64 win over Truman on Wednesday night. UCM is now 19-6 overall and 13-4 in the MIAA.
• Washburn comes into the game at 18-7 overall and 11-6 in MIAA play after a 61-55 loss at Emporia State on Thursday night. The loss drops WU out of contention for a shared MIAA championship.
• Saturday night's game is the MIAA Television Game of the Week. KMOS TV in will re-broadcast the game on Sunday at 9 p.m.
• Saturday's game is also game No. 2500 in the history of Central Missouri Mules basketball. UCM has compiled a 1,582-917 record in 108 years of basketball.

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 1,582.
• The Mules are averaging 78.0 points per game and giving up 69.2 points per contest this year.
• Central Missouri is shooting 47 percent from the floor and 36 percent from three-point range. The Mules give up 41 percent shooting overall and 34 percent from beyond the arc.
• In their 19 wins, UCM is holding the opposition to 39 percent shooting, while they shoot 47 percent from the field. In their five losses, the Mules have given up 48 percent shooting overall and 50 percent from beyond the three-point line.
• The Mules are forcing 13.8 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.
• This season marks the 10th straight year that Central Missouri has 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 the 93rd meeting all-time between Central Missouri and Washburn and the first this season.
• The Mules lead the all-time series 47-45 with Washburn, but the Ichabods have won two straight in the series and four of the last five.
• Washburn swept last season's series winning 75-67 in Warrensburg and 78-68 in Topeka.
• UCM is 14-10 against the Ichabods during the Kim Anderson era and 5-5 at Lee Arena in Topeka.

LAST MEETING WITH WASHBURN
• The Mules had their nine-game winning streak snapped in a 78-68 loss at Washburn on February 8, 2012.
• The Ichabods led from start to finish in the game and led by as many as 23 in the second half.
• A 19-7 run near the end of the first half turned a one-point Ichabod lead into a 13 point advantage with just over a minute and a half to play in the opening period.
• Dominique Long led UCM with 17 points, while Will Kirksey had 11, all in the second half.
• The Mules shot 44 percent for the game and 43 percent from three-point range.
• Will McNeill led Washburn with 35 points, including a 16-for-18 night at the free throw line. The 'Bods were 24-of-56 from the field for 43 percent and made 6-of-17 three-point attempts.
• Central Missouri out-rebounded Washburn 32-30, but the Ichabods had 16 offensive rebounds.

SCOUTING WASHBURN
• The Ichabods enter the game at 18-7 overall and 11-6 in MIAA play following a 61-55 loss at Emporia State on Wednesday night.
• The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for WU, they have won four of their last six games.
• The Ichabods are under the direction of 34th-year head coach Bob Chipman, the Washburn Hall of Famer has compiled a 739-303 record during that time.
• Washburn is averaging 72.0 points per game as a team and giving up 62.5 per contest. The 'Bods shoot 44 percent from the field and 37 percent from beyond the arc. They have attempted 553 free throws on the season and are shooting 72 percent at the foul line.
• The Ichabods are led in scoring by Will McNeill's 18.7 points per game, which ranks second in the MIAA. He also leads the team in rebounding at 6.3 boards per game and dishes out a team-leading 3.4 assists per outing.
• Martin Mitchell also averages in double figures at 13.6 per contest and is tied with McNeill with a team-best 3.4 assists per game.
• The Ichaobds are holding their opponents to 41 percent shooting from the field and 34 percent from beyond the arc. WU also out-rebounds the opposition by over two boards per contest.

LAST TIME OUT
• The Mules captured at least a share of the MIAA regular season championship with 76-64 win over Truman State on Wednesday night.
• UCM took a 5-4 lead on a Widgett Washington three-pointer and never trailed again.
• Charles Hammork led the Mules with his first double-double of the season with 20 points and 11 rebounds. He also added three steals and three blocks.
• Alex Dean also recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
• The Mules shot 49 percent from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc and 50 percent from the foul line.
• Truman shot 41 percent for the game and made just 1-of-19 three-point attempts for 5 percent.
• The win gave UCM back-to-back conference championships for the first time since the 1983-84 and 84-85 seasons.

THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules are 143-62 in MIAA play during the Kim Anderson era and 13-4 this season after the 76-64 MIAA title-clinching win over Truman State on Wednesday night
• 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 five MIAA regular season championships and three MIAA tournament titles under Kim Anderson.

THE MULES AT HOME
• Central Missouri is 141-21 at the Multipurpose Building under Kim Anderson after the 76-64 win over Truman on Wednesday night.
• Over the last eight years, UCM is 124-11 at home. Over that same time period the Mules are 49-1 against non-conference opponents at home and 75-10 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 452-88 in their 37th season playing home games at the Multi.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• The Mules are 63-51 in road games during the Kim Anderson era and 4-4 this season following the 108-91 win at Southwest Baptist on Feb. 23.
• UCM was 7-4 on the road last season.

A UCM WIN WOULD...
• Give the Mules a 20-6 overall record and a 14-4 mark in conference play and the outright MIAA championship and the No. 1 seed in the MIAA tournament.
• Give UCM 20 wins for the sixth time under Kim Anderson and the 22nd time in school history.
• Snap a two-game skid against Washburn.
• Give UCM a five-game winning streak for the second time this season.

A UCM LOSS WOULD...
• Drop the Mules to 19-7 overall and 13-5 in MIAA play and possibly give them a shared conference crown with Fort Hays State and the No. 2 seed in the MIAA tournament.
• Snap UCM's four-game winning streak.
• Give Washburn three straight wins over the Mules for the first time since a 12-game streak from 1998-2004.
• Give the Mules a 4-5 road record on the season.

REGIONAL RANKINGS
• The Mules moved up two spots to No. 4 in this week's Central Region rankings that were released by the NCAA on Wednesday.
• The top eight teams in the final rankings on Sunday, March 10 qualify for the Central Regional tournament March 16, 17 and 19 at a campus site to be determined.
    Central Region    Overall Record    In-Region Record
    1. Minnesota State    20-4    18-4
    2. Winona State    23-6    19-5
    3. Augustana (S.D.)    17-7    17-7
    4. Central Missouri    14-6    14-5
    5. Washburn    15-6    15-6
    6. Harding    16-8    16-8
    7. St. Cloud State    17-7    15-7
    8. Northeastern State    16-7    15-7
    9. Fort Hays State    13-7    13-7
    10. Southwest Minnesota State    16-12    14-11

LONG LEADING THE CHARGE
• Senior forward Dominique Long is eighth in the MIAA in scoring at 16.0 points per game. Last year, he finished ninth in the league at 12.7 points per contest.
• The Waynesville, Mo. native is also ninth in the league in free throw percentage at 82.5 percent. He shot 85.8 percent at the line last season, the ninth best single-season total in school history.
• Long is also third in the MIAA in three-point field goal percentage at 44.1. He has made 49-of-111 three-point attempts.

HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS
• Matt Webb, Dominique Long and Charles Hammork are all in the top 15 in the MIAA in field goal percentage. Webb is ninth, Hammork 14th and Long 15th. Webb is shooting 53.9 percent, 89-of-165, Hammork has made 97-of-192 shot attempts for 50.5 percent and Long is shooting 50.4 percent, 117-of-232.

WASHINGTON DISTRIBUTING THE BALL
• Senior guard Widgett Washington leads the team and is fourth in the MIAA in assists at 5.3 per game. There are seven players in the MIAA averaging 4.3 assists/game or better. Craig Nicholson of FHSU leads the league at 7.0 per game.
• Washington leads the league with a 2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio. He has 117 assists to 52 turnovers.

KANSAS CITY HERE WE COME
• With the win over Truman State on Wednesday, the Mules have clinched a share of the MIAA regular season title and have a bye to the MIAA Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday in Kansas City.
• Central Missouri has made the MIAA Tournament every year since it's inception, the only school to do so.
• This year's tournament will begin on Monday, March 4 with seeds Nos. 5-12 playing play-in games at the higher seeded school. The winners of those four games will advance to play at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium March 7-10 along with the top four teams in the league, who all receive byes to Kansas City. Men's quarterfinal action will tip-off on Thursday, March 7.

ANDERSON LEADING THE WAY
• Central Missouri head coach Kim Anderson has compiled a career record of 241-88 (.733) in his 11th season leading the Mules.
• He has led UCM to five MIAA regular season titles, including this year, 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 (241), 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 1,582-917 (.633) record in 2,499 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 23 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. airs 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.
• 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 will open MIAA Tournament play on Thursday, March 7 at historic Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. Seeding and game times are still to be determined.