In the second week of regional rankings this year, the Jennies held steady at No. 2 in the Central Region, unchanged from a week ago. UCM holds an overall record of 22-4 on the season, and trail only Washburn, who continues to hold the top spot in the rankings.

Jennies Basketball in the Multi

The Jennies clinched their first undefeated season in the Multi since 1988-89 on Wednesday nigth with the win over Truman ... The Jens are 457-99 all-time in the Multipurpose Building, and 88-29 during the Slifer era ... Central Missouri finished the year with a 14-0 record in the Multi ... UCM has won at least nine home games every year since 2004-05 ... the Jennies have now gone undefeated at home four times: 1982-83 (15-0, finished 3rd in the nation), 1985-86 (14-0, regional champions), 1988-89 (15-0, finished 4th in the nation), and 2012-13 ... from 1988 to 1990, the Jennies won a school-record 34 consecutive games at the Multi ... Currently, UCM is riding a 14-game winning streak at the Multi.

National Leaders

The Jennies rank among the top teams in Division II in a number of statistical categories. As of March 3, the Jens are 28th in total offense, averaging 72.4 points per game. The team is also one of the best in the nation in controlling the ball, as the Jennies commit and average of only 14.2 turnovers per game, good for 18th in Division II. 

UCM has been one of the deadliest deep-shooting teams in the country all season; the Jens 34.8% three-point shooting percentage is the 32nd-highest in Division II, as the team hits an average of 6.8 treys per game, 35th-most in the nation. Finally, the Jennies have one of the best winning percentages in the nation, at .846 which ranks 15th.

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 22-4 gives the Jens a .846 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.

This season, the Jennies have also set the record for the most MIAA victories in the Dave Slifer era, with 14.

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 19.6 points per game, and is shooting 52.1% from the field. Flax hasn't qualified for any MIAA or NCAA statistical leaderboards due to missing the first seven games of the year, but will finally appear on the league leaders list with two more appearances. With her current averages, Flax would lead the conference in scoring with 1.4 points per game more than the second-highest average, and would rank seventh nationally in Division II. The Haltom City, Tex. native has scored 20 or more points in ten 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 Feb. 7. In the regular season matchup with Missouri Western this year, Flax scored 22 points off 8-of14 shooting, and pulled down 10 rebounds for second of six double-doubles this season, while also kicking off a stretch of three straight double-doubles.

Senior Leader

Senior forward Nicole Caddell has been dominant in the post this season, averaging a double-double with 13.4 points and 10.0 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 (3.5 per game). Nationally, the Tuscaloosa, Ala. native ranks 29th in rebounds, and 38th in the country with ten double-doubles this season.

Caddell also reached a major milestone in her UCM career in the win over Lincoln on Jan. 30, 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 23 points against Truman on Feb. 27, Caddell moved into 19th place on the UCM scoring list, surpassing Margaret Nielson (1978-80) and Bethany Orendorff (2001-05).

Caddell also pulled down her 600th career rebound against the Blue Tigers. She now stands 10th on UCM's all-time rebounding list, with 662 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).

Scoring Threat

Junior BreAnna Lewis has been one of the nation's best three-point shooters this season. Lewis ranks fourth in the MIAA in scoring and 81st in Division II, with 16.0 points per game, and is shooting at a 36.4% clip from beyond the arc, ranking 56th nationally. She has the MIAA's second-highest average of three-pointers hit per game, with 2.92, which places her 10th on the national leaderboard. The guard has struggled from deep in her past few games, going a combined 1-of-16 from beyond the arc in her last two games, against Truman and Washburn. Lewis still contributed in a big way against the Lady Blues, recording her first double-double with 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.

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 35.6 points per game, just under half of the team's scoring average.

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 preliminary round matchups took place Tuesday night, with two lower-seeded teams pulling off upsets and advancing the Municipal Auditorium; ninth-seeded Northwest Missouri defeated eighth-seeded Missouri Southern in Joplin, while Missouri Western knocked off Pittsburg State in the 7-seed/10-seed matchup.

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.

Milestone Victory

After defeating Truman on Wednesday, head coach Dave Slifer moved into a tie for second place on the Jennies all-time wins list, matching Scott Ballard (1995-03). Slifer surpassed Mildred Barnes (1971-80) for third place on the list earlier this season, with a win at home over Pittsburg State on Jan. 12. After defeating Lincoln on Feb. 16, head coach Dave Slifer earned his 550th career victory; he now has a 167-95 record on the UCM sideline, and a 551-194 record during his 24-year coaching career. 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 eight active coaches to reach the 500 wins mark. Slifer also has the most victories in MIAA history, with nine seasons at UCM and nine at Missouri Western from 1995-2004.

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 spots during the pair of games in Las Vegas in December.

Twine has started 18 games this season, and is averaging 7.5 points this season. The Atlanta, Ga. native is one of the Jennies most solid defenders, with the second-highest total of steals (30) 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 31.7% (32-of-101) 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 19 games at point guard, and is averaging 1.9 assists as a starter. She leads the team with a 1.71 assist-to-turnover ratio this season, and has committed just one turnover in her last three games. The sophomore from Fort Wayne, Ind. averages 3.8 points per game, and shoots 43.5% (37-85) from the field.

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.

Winning Time

The Jennies have developed a knack for pulling out close games this season; the team is 7-0 in games decided by five points or less, most recently in their Senior Night victory over Truman on Wednesday. On the season, the Jens shoot 41.5% from the field. In the final five minutes of games, however, that percentage rises to 42.4%. The Jens also average 9.9 points per game in the last five minutes compared to 72.4 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 19-0 when leading at the five-minute mark.

Bench Notes

Junior Symone Murray leads the bench with 4.8 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 fourth on the team with 36 assists on the year, to go along with 2.8 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 2.4 boards per game ...  She matched her season-high with five points at Washburn on Saturday ... 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 26 games this year, averaging 1.2 points per game.

UCM in the Polls

Despite their second loss in the past three games, the Central Missouri Jennies held steady at No. 13 in the latest WBCA USA TODAY Sports Division II Coaches' Top 25 Poll. The Jennies are the second-highest MIAA squad in the poll, behind No. 9 Washburn, who slid four spots from last week after falling to Emporia State last Wednesday.

Earlier this season (Feb. 12-19), the Jennies reached their highest rank in the WBCA Coaches Poll, when they earned the No. 7 spot.

Three MIAA squads that are competing in the MIAA Tournament this Friday are recieving votes this week, including Fort Hays State (7 points), Truman (5), and Northeastern State (3).

Series History with Missouri Western

The Griffons have held their own in the all-time series with the Jennies, as UCM leads 30-26 in program history. The Jens have recently taken the lead in the series, having won the past 10 meetings, currently the longest winning streak over any MIAA opponent. Missouri Western holds a 4-2 record over the Jennies in MIAA Tournament matchups. Three of those wins for the Griffons came while current Jennies head coach Dave Slifer was on the Missouri Western bench.

Opponent Preview

The Griffons head to Kansas City riding a two-game winning streak, following their Senior Day victory over Southwest Baptist, and the upset over Pittsburg State in the preliminary round of the MIAA Tournament. Senior Heather Howard leads the team with 13.2 points and 9.5 rebounds this season, and was named to the All-MIAA Second Team.

Last Time Against the Griffons

The then-No. 16 Central Missouri Jennies needed an extra five minutes to earn a thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Missouri Western Griffons, 74-71. The Jens overcame an eight point deficit with just 3:20 remaining in regulation to force overtime, where they led the rest of the game.

The Jens outscored Missouri Western 11-8 in the extra session, the only overtime period that UCM has faced all season. Keuna Flax led the Jennies with a double-double, 22 points and 10 rebounds. For the Griffons, Heather Howard also had a double-double, with 26 points and 11 rebounds.

A Win for the Jennies Would...

... advance the team to the MIAA semifinals for the second time in as many seasons ... improve the Jennies record to 23-4 this season ... extend the current winning streak over the Griffons to 11 games, the longest win streak the Jennies hold over any MIAA foe ... 

A Loss for the Jennies Would...

... drop the Jennies record to 22-5 on the year ... be the first time this season the Jennies will have lost two straight games ... be the third loss in the past four games ... be the first loss to Missouri Western since 2007-08 ... be the first loss in the MIAA Tournament first round since 2010-11.

UCM Program History
The UCM Jennies are 847-353 (.706) after 41 seasons, and 644-264 (.709) 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.

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 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 193 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. This season, Central Missouri has collected three MIAA titles, in women's soccer, men's indoor track and field, and most recently, men's basketball.

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.

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.

NCAA Selection Show

The NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Selection Show will be broadcast online at www.NCAA.com, on Sunday, March 10, at 9 p.m. Beginning at 8:55 p.m., 98.5 The Bar, 1450 KOKO, and www.warrensburgradio.com will broadcast a live selection show special, announcing where the Jennies will be headed for the NCAA Central Regional, and featuring interviews with Coach Dave Slifer and key players after the bracket is released.