STORY LINES
• The Central Missouri Mules will be making their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance under Kim Anderson when they open Central Region play on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. against Harding in Mankato, Minn.
• The Mules enter the tournament as the No. 4 seed with a 22-7 overall record. Harding is the fifth seed and stands at 21-9 overall.
• The Mules captured the MIAA Tournament Championship with a thrilling 79-76 overtime win against Northwest Missouri on Sunday afternoon at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. It was the fourth tournament title under head coach Kim Anderson and the sixth crown overall.
• UCM finished the regular season with a 13-5 conference mark and a share of their second straight MIAA regular season championship. It was the fifth regular season crown under head coach Kim Anderson and the 23rd title in school history.
• The Mules have secured their sixth 20-win season under Kim Anderson and the 22nd in school history.
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 1,585.
• The Mules are making their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance under Kim Anderson and the 21st in school history.
• The Mules are averaging 78.2 points per game and giving up 70.0 points per contest this year.
• Central Missouri is shooting 46 percent from the floor and 36 percent from three-point range. The Mules give up 42 percent shooting overall and 35 percent from beyond the arc.
• In their 22 wins, UCM is holding the opposition to 40 percent shooting, while they shoot 47 percent from the field. In their seven losses, the Mules have given up 48 percent shooting overall and 51 percent from beyond the three-point line.
• The Mules are forcing 13.7 turnovers per game, while committing 12.1 turnovers of their own per contest.
• 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 Northwest Missouri from 1997-2008.
MIAA POSTSEASON HONORS
• The Mules had three players earn All-MIAA honors. Senior forward
Dominique Long was a first team selection, senior guard
Widgett Washington earned third team honors and junior guard
Charles Hammork was an honorable mention pick by the league coaches.
• This is the second straight all-conference award for both Long and Washington and the first for Hammork.
• Additionally, Washington was named the Most Outstanding Player of the MIAA Tournament and Hammork was named to the All-Tournament Team.
SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the first ever meeting between Harding and Central Missouri.
• The teams have played two common opponents this season, however. The Bison beat MIAA schools Northeastern State (65-63) on November 29 and Northwest Missouri (68-66) on December 16. The Mules went a combined 3-0 against those two schools this year, including a 79-76 overtime win over NWMSU in the MIAA Tournament Championship Game on Sunday.
SCOUTING HARDING
• The Bison enter the Central Regional at 21-9 overall. Their regular season concluded with a 78-63 loss to Ouachita Baptist in the GAC Tournament semifinals.
• Harding is led by 20th-year head coach Jeff Morgan. He has compiled a 348-221 record during his time leading the Bison.
• HU is averaging 72.1 points per game this season and giving up 66.4. The Bison shoot 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from beyond the arc.
• Opponents are shooting 41 percent against Harding, but just 31 percent from three-pint range.
• The Bison shoot 75 percent from the foul line and have made 521 free throws, 102 more than their opponents.
• Zach Roddenberry leads the team in scoring and rebounding at 17.0 points and 7.5 boards per game. Hayden Johnson averages 11.6 points per contest. Spencer Bradley chips in 9.4 points and 4.9 boards per outing.
• The Bison out-rebound their opponents by about one board per game and they average over four assists more per game.
• Harding averages 14.0 turnovers per game and has committed 60 more turnovers than opponents.
LAST TIME OUT
• The Mules outlasted Northwest Missouri 79-76 in overtime to win the MIAA Tournament Championship on Sunday in Kansas City. It was the fourth MIAA Tournament title under Kim Anderson and the sixth overall.
• The Mules shot 40 percent from the field and 47 percent from beyond the arc, while the Bearcats shot 45 percent for the game and a blistering 53 percent from three-point range.
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Widgett Washington led the Mules with 20 points as he was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
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Dominique Long finished with 16 points and
Charles Hammork added 10 points and six rebounds. Hammork was also named to the All-Tournament Team.
• The Bearcats out-rebounded UCM 48-32, but the Mules forced 20 Northwest Missouri turnovers compared to just nine of their own.
• There were 12 ties and 13 lead changes in the game.
MULES IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
• Central Missouri has a 31-20 record in 20 NCAA Tournament appearances. UCM played in five regional consolation games between 1965 and 1985 after losing in the first round.
• The Mules are 14-8 in NCAA Tournament games played on a neutral court, which will be the case for their first round matchup with Harding.
• UCM is 12-8 in regional first round games.
• The Mules are 4-1 in first round games under Kim Anderson.
• Central Missouri is 11-5 overall in five previous NCAA Tournament appearances under Anderson.
• The Mules are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2009-10 season, when they lost in the South Central Regional final at Midwestern State (60-59).
MULES IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
• The Mules are 101-26 in non-conference games during the Kim Anderson era and 9-2 this season.
• Central Missouri is 49-1 in the last 50 non-conference games at home.
THE MULES IN NEUTRAL SITE GAMES
• The Mules are 5-2 this season in neutral site games following the 79-76 overtime win over Northwest Missouri in Sunday's MIAA Championship Game.
• UCM is 41-18 overall in neutral site games during the Kim Anderson era.
A UCM WIN WOULD...
• Give the Mules a 23-7 overall record and a spot in Sunday night's Regional Semifinal.
• Give UCM a 32-20 overall record in NCAA Tournament games and 12-5 under Kim Anderson.
• Give the Mules a 1-0 all-time series lead against Harding.
A UCM LOSS WOULD...
• End Central Missouri's season at 22-8 overall.
• Snap the Mules' three-game winning streak.
• Drop the Mules to 31-21 in NCAA Tournament games, including 11-6 during the Kim Anderson era.
WASHINGTON CONTINUES TO CLIMB THE CHARTS
• Senior guard
Widgett Washington, who was named the MIAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, has moved into eighth place on UCM's career assists list with 269.
• Washington had 12 assists in three games at the MIAA Tournament to pass Alex Moosman (260) and Brian Pesko (263) on the all-time list.
ANDERSON LEADING THE WAY
• Central Missouri head coach Kim Anderson has compiled a career record of 244-89 (.733) in his 11th season leading the Mules.
• He has led UCM to five MIAA regular season titles, more than any other coach in school history, four 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 (244), 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 1,585-918 (.633) record in 2,503 total games.
• The Mules have won 20 or more games 22 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 history.
• 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.
• 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 throughout the 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 WEBCAST
• Minnesota State will provide a free video webcast of all games played in the Central Regional. Fans can find a link on the Mules basketball schedule page on UCMathletics.com or on the tournament website at www.msumavericks.com.
• All UCM games during the tournament will be shown at the Elliott Union Cinema, room 234, and at Traditions Restaurant at Pertle Springs.
UP NEXT
• If the Mules beat Harding they will play the winner of top-seeded Minnesota State and eighth-seeded Arkansas Tech on Sunday night at 7:30 p.m.
• The Central Region Championship Game will take place on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
