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STORY LINES
• The 24th-ranked Mules wrap up their short two-game road trip with a Saturday night showdown against Emporia State. Tipoff at White Auditorium in Emporia is set for 7:30 p.m.
• The Mules are coming off an 88-62 win at Pittsburg State on Thursday night, while the Hornets are coming off an 87-80 win over Missouri Western at home on Wedneday night.
• The matchup with Emporia State will be Kim Anderson's 350th game as head coach of the Mules.
• This will be the only reguar season meeting between the two schools for the second straight season.
• Central Missouri was the preseason No. 3 pick in both the MIAA Preseason Coaches' and Media Polls.

QUICK HITS
• This is the 109th season of Central Missouri Mules basketball.
• Central Missouri is second all-time in NCAA Division II men's basketball with 1,598 wins.
• In the Mules' 13 wins this season they are averaging 82.9 points per game and shooting 51 percent from the field.
• In the Mules' two losses they are averaging 74.5 points per game and shooting 41 percent from the field.
• The Mules were 22-8 a season ago, the sixth 20-win season under Kim Anderson and the 22nd in school history.
• The 2012-13 season was the 10th straight season of at least 18 wins for UCM, the longest active streak in the MIAA. The longest streak in league history is 11 seasons, held by Northwest Missouri from 1997-2008.
• Central Missouri finished 13-5 in MIAA play last year and captured a share of the MIAA regular season championship for the second straight season. It was the fifth conference crown under Anderson and 23rd in school history.
• UCM returns one all-MIAA performer from a season ago. Charles Hammork was an honorable mention All-MIAA pick last season after averaging 11.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He was also an MIAA Tournament All-Tournament Team selection in helping the Mules to the conference tournament title.
• Three of the top nine single-season scoring leaders in UCM history have come during the 11-year tenure of head coach Kim Anderson.

SERIES HISTORY VS EMPORIA STATE
• This will be the 108th all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Emporia State. The Mules lead the series 68-39
• The Mules won the only meeting between the two schools last season and have won two straight and nine of the last 10.
• Emporia State leads the series 25-22 in games played in Emporia, but UCM has won four of the last five at White Auditorium.
• UCM is 13-9 against Emporia State under Kim Anderson, including a 5-5 mark at White Auditorium in Emporia.
• The Mules are 2-1 against the Hornets under third-year ESU head coach Shaun Vandiver. ESU won the only meeting at White Auditorium during that span.

LAST MEETING WITH EMPORIA STATE
• The Mules overcame a slow start to down Emporia State 72-65 on December 8, 2012 in the only meeting between the two schools last season.
• ESU jumped out to an early 13-3 lead and led by as many as 14 in the first half.
• The Mules out-scored the Hornets 22-4 between the last four minutes of the first half and the opening five and a half minutes of the second half.
• Widgett Washington led four Mules in double figures with 17 points. Matt Webb had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Reggie Stallings had 13 points and Charles Hammork finished with 12.
• UCM shot 39 percent from the field, while the Hornets shot 42 percent.
• Emporia State out-rebounded Central Missouri 40-37, but UCM turned 13 Hornet turnovers into 19 points.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS
• Emporia State enters the contest at 10-6 overall and 3-3 in MIAA play following an 87-80 win over Missouri Western on Wednesday night.
• The Hornets are averaging 78.4 points per game this season, while shooting 47 percent from the field. ESU shoots 36 percent from three-point range and has made 70 percent of their free throw attempts.
• Opponents are averaging 71.4 points per game against ESU, while shooting 40 percent from the field and just 31 percent from beyond the arc.
• Kaleb Wright leads the Hornets in scoring at 17.0 points per game, while Terrence Moore averages 14.6 points per contest. Five players average 8.3 points per contest or better.
• Wright scored 20 points against UCM last season. Paul Bunch finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds in the contest as well.
• Gavin Brown leads the team in rebounding at 6.4 boards per game and chips in 5.9 points per outing.
• The Hornets are 6-1 at White Auditorium this season, including a 2-1 home mark during MIAA play. Their only home loss was an 89-60 setback to Missouri Southern back on December 21.

LAST TIME OUT • CENTRAL MISSOURI 88, PITTSBURG STATE 62 • 1/9/14
PITTSBURG, Kan. -- The Central Missouri Mules used a big first half run to break open a close game as they rolled to an 88-62 win over Pittsburg State on Thursday night at John Lance Arena. UCM trailed 10-6 early in the game, but out-scored the Gorillas 49-16 the rest of the half.
    The Gorillas (5-6, 1-3 MIAA) jumped out to that early four point advantage with 16:42 to play in the first half, but a jumper from Kyle Wolf started the run. Ryan Magdziarz drilled a three to put UCM in front 11-10.
    The lead changed hands on the next three possessions before a 9-0 run gave UCM the lead for good. The Gorillas got to within six at 24-18 with 8:03 to play in the half, but a 20-2 run by UCM gave the Mules a 44-20 lead at the 4:03 mark. Central Missouri pushed the lead to 29 at the intermission, leading 55-26.
    Both teams got off to a sloppy start in the second half with neither team able to do much offensively and comitting fouls on the defensive end. The lead never dipped below 22 during the second half as the Mules would lead by as many as 34 with just over six minutes to play.
    Wolf led four Mules in double figures with 18 points to go along with seven rebounds. Magdziarz finished with 14 points, while Jon Gilliam and Daylen Robinson each finished with 10. Ten of the 12 Mules who played scored in the game.
    UCM was 29 of 55 from the field for 53 percent and 8 of 22 from three-point range for 36 percent. The Mules made 22 of 32 free throws for 69 percent.
    Devon Branch led the Gorillas with 17 points, but committed 10 turnovers as the Gorillas had 19 as a team.
    PSU was 17 of 44 from the floor for 39 percent, 4 of 21 from beyond the arc for 19 percent and 24 of 34 at the charity stripe for 71 percent.
    The Mules out-rebounded Pitt State 38-27 and held a 29-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
    The 26-point win was the Mules' largest margin of victory over the Gorillas since a 34-point win during the 1988-89 season.

THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• Central Missouri is 148-64 in MIAA play during the Kim Anderson era and 5-1 this season after a 88-62 win at Pittsburg State on Thursday night.
• The Mules were 13-5 in conference play last year and won a share of the MIAA regular season title.
• The Mules' best MIAA record under Anderson was an 18-2 mark during the 2009-10 season.
• The Mules have captured five MIAA regular season championships and four MIAA tournament titles under Kim Anderson.

MULES IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
• The Mules are 109-28 in non-conference games during the Kim Anderson era after the win over Culver-Stockton on December 16.
• Central Missouri is 53-1 in the last 54 non-conference games at home.

THE MULES AT HOME
• Central Missouri is 148-21 at the Multipurpose Building under Kim Anderson after beating Washburn 77-63 on Monday night.
• The Mules were 13-0 at home last season and have won 21 straight games at the Multi dating back to the 2011-12 season.
• Over the last nine years, UCM is 131-11 at home, including 53-1 against non-conference opponents and 78-10 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 459-88 in their 38th season playing home games at the Multi.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• UCM is 66-54 on the road during the Kim Anderson after beating Pittsburg State 88-62 on Thursday night at John Lance Arena in Pittsburg.
• The Mules are 3-2 on the road this season after going 4-5 on the road last season.

MULES IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
• The Mules entered the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)/Division II Poll for the first time this season with a No. 24 ranking this week.
• Central Missouri has been ranked in 135 polls in the history of the program, that number ranks seventh in NCAA-II history.
• This is UCM's first time in the top 25 since Feb. 7, 2012 when the Mules were ranked No. 25.
• The Mules had been in the others receiving votes section since the first regular season poll.

A UCM WIN WOULD...
• Give the Mules a 14-2 overall record and their best start since the 2009-10 season when they started 15-1.
• Give UCM a 6-1 mark in league play for the second straight season.
• Give the Mules four straight wins.
• Give UCM three straight wins over Emporia State and a 69-39 lead in the all-time series.

A UCM LOSS WOULD...
• Drop the Mules to 13-3 overall and 5-2 in MIAA play.
• Snap a two-game winning streak for the Mules against ESU and a three-game winning streak overall.
• Give ESU back-to-back wins over the Mules in Emporia and pull the Hornets to within 68-40 in the all-time series.

ANDERSON LEADING THE WAY
• Now in his 12th season leading the Mules, Central Missouri head coach Kim Anderson has compiled a career record of 257-92 (.736).
• His .731 winning percentage entering the 2013-14 season ranks seventh among all active NCAA Division II coaches.
• 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 (257), 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 109th season of UCM basketball the Mules have compiled a 1,598-921 (.634) record in 2,519 total games.
• The Mules are the second winningest program by victories in NCAA-II history.
• The Mules have won 20 or more games 22 times in the history of the program.
• Central Missouri has won 30 or more games in a season twice, both during the Kim Anderson era.
• UCM has won or shared 23 MIAA regular season championships and five MIAA tournament titles.

THE NEXT LEVEL
• In the Kim Anderson era, 22 former players have gone on to play professional basketball.
• Three players are either currently playing professionally or on a professional roster; Michael Hicks (Poland, Polpharma-Pakmet), Sanijay Watts (Germany, Dorsten) and Zack Wright (Germany, Brose Basket).

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
• Central Missouri has won a combined 193 MIAA regular-season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured three MIAA regular season titles and one tournament championship.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 139 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 550 Central Missouri student-athletes received 375 Academic Awards from the MIAA office for the 2012-13 academic year.
• 305 UCM student-athletes were named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
• 37 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.
• 33 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with a 4.0 GPA.
• UCM had eight student-athletes earn Academic All-America honors in their respective sports, including Brent Vogel being named the Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year for Men's Track & Field.

MULES BASKETBALL ON THE AIR
• Central Missouri basketball is broadcast live on the new 44,000-watt 98.5 "The Bar, 1450 KOKO and online at warrensburgradio.com. All games are broadcast by 1450 KOKO/98.5 "The Bar" Sports Director, Greg Hassler.
• The Kim Anderson Show presented by Bob Showers of Ameritas Investment Corp. airs on Monday nights at 7 p.m. on 98.5 The Bar and 1450 KOKO as well as warrensburgradio.com.
• The Central Missouri Sportspage is your weekly one-hour look at UCM athletics each Thursday night at 7 p.m. on KMOS-TV.

LIVE VIDEO STREAMING
• Live video coverage for every Central Missouri home game will be available through America One Sports. 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. Fans can access webcasts through the AmericaOneSports link on the UCM Athletics website or by going to AmericaOneSports.com

UPCOMING
• The Mules return home on Wednesday, Jan. 15 to host Missouri Western before heading back out on the road for two games.
• Central Missouri travels to Maryville on Saturday, Jan. 18 to play Northwest Missouri at 3:30 p.m. The Mules then head to Jefferson City on Wednesday, Jan. 22 to take on Lincoln.