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STORY LINES
• The Mules return home to host Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 3:30 p.m. as they resume MIAA play following the holiday break.
• The Mules are coming off a 72-71 loss at Northeastern State back on December 21. UCM rallied from a six-point deficit in the final minute, but UCM's last second shot was off the mark as they dropped their first MIAA game of the season.
• The Lopers beat Lindenwood 98-96 in Kearney back on December 20 in their last game out.
• Central Missouri was the preseason No. 3 pick in both the MIAA Preseason Coaches' and Media Polls. Nebraska-Kearney was picked to finish 13th in the league in both 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 1,595 wins.
• The Mules were 22-8 a season ago, the sixth 20-win season under Kim Anderson and the 22nd in school history.
• Last 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 NEBRASKA-KEARNEY
• This will be just the sixth all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Nebraska-Kearney with UCM holding a 3-2 series lead.
• The Mules beat Nebraska-Kearney 78-64 in Kearney back on January 16, 2013 in last season's only meeting.
• The series is tied 1-1 in Warrensburg with the last meeting happening during the 1974-75 season.

LAST MEETING WITH NEBRASKA-KEARNEY
• Five Mules scored in double figures as UCM beat Nebraska-Kearney 78-64 back on January 16, 2013 in Kearney.
• The Mules shot 51 percent from the field and made 11 of 27 three-point attempts in the victory.
• Charles Hammork led the Mules with 15 points and a then career-high nine rebounds. Dominique Long and Widgett Washington had 13 points apiece, while Reggie Stallings and Ryan Magdziarz each chipped in 12.
• The Mules were out-rebounded 37-27 by the Lopers, but UCM forced 18 UNK turnovers and turned those into 18 points.
• The Central Missouri bench out-scored the Loper bench 36-6 in the contest.
• Pierre Newton led UNK with 16 points, while Mike Dentlinger had 15 points and Tyler Shields recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

SCOUTING THE LOPERS
• Nebraska-Kearney enters the game at 4-5 overall and 2-2 in MIAA play following a 98-96 win over Lindenwood back on December 20.
• The Lopers have won back-to-back games after losing three straight earlier in the season. UNK beat Lincoln 84-58 on December 14. Both of UNK's conference losses have come on the road (MSSU and SBU).
• The Lopers are shooting 47 percent for the season and are averaging 80.8 points per game. Opponents  are shooting 50 percent and scoring at 82.1 points per outing.
• Connor Beranek leads the team and MIAA in scoring at 23.9 points per game. He also leads the team in rebounding at 7.7 rebounds per contest. In the win over Lindenwood, he scored 40 points and against Lincoln he poured in 38 points to go along with 17 rebounds.
• Three other Lopers are averaging in double figures as well. Tyler Shields averages 14.9 points per game, while Mike Dentlinger and Davion Pearson chip in 12.0 and 10.4 points per contest, respectively.
• UNK out-rebounds the opposition by nearly 1.5 boards per game, but the Lopers have committed 10 more turnovers and average 13.7 giveaways per outing.
• The Lopers and their opponents have been to the free throw line 233 times each this season, an average of nearly 26 foul shots per game.

LAST TIME OUT • NORTHEASTERN STATE 72, CENTRAL MISSOURI 71 • 12/21/13
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Central Missouri Mules battled back from six points down in the final minute, but came up just short falling to Northeastern State 72-71 on Saturday afternoon at the NSU Event Center.
     The Mules (10-20, 2-1 MIAA) took an early 3-2 lead over NSU (9-2, 4-0 MIAA) on a three from Ryan Magdziarz. The teams traded buckets in the early going before the RiverHawks grabbed a 13-10 lead with 14:08 to play in the half.
     The Mules got a jumper from Dillon Deck and a three from Jordan Epps to tie the game at 15 with just over 11 minutes left. Northeastern State went back in front on a traditional three-point play from Keon Littleton and extended their lead to four at 21-17.
     Kyle Wolf's three-point play cut the lead to one and a Jon Gilliam trey gave UCM a 23-21 lead with 6:56 left in the half. NSU regained the lead at 27-25 with under five to play, but six straight points from Deck gave UCM a 31-27 advantage. NSU made 3 of 4 free throws in the final 2:10 of the first half to close within 31-30 at the intermission.
     The RiverHawks opened the second half on an 8-4 spurt to grab a 38-35 lead, but a three from Gilliam and a jumper by Daylen Robinson gave UCM back the lead at 40-38. NSU went right back in front on Dalen Qualls' three-point play.
     The teams traded the lead on seemingly every possession over the next few minutes. NSU went in front by three, but Ryan Donald's three-point play tied the game with 13:44 to play in regulation.
     UCM grabbed a 49-48 lead on a Dillon Deck tip-in only to see the RiverHawks go back in front on a pair of free throws from Littleton. The Mules regained the lead 55-53 on a Deck layup, but two Bryton Hobbs free throws tied the game and a three from Michael Harmon gave the RiverHawks a 58-55 lead with 7:03 remaining.
     Marcus Sheppard's tip-in with 4:11 on the clock gave the RiverHawks a three-point lead, but Donald's traditional three-point play tied it at 60-all with 3:48 to play and Charles Hammork's steal and assist to Robinson on the next play gave UCM a 62-60 lead.
     The RiverHawks regained the lead at 63-62, but Gilliam drained a three to put UCM back in front 65-63 with 1:58 to play in the game. On the ensuing possession Harmon hit a trey and was fouled. He made the free throw to give NSU a 67-65 lead.
     Four straight free throws gave the RiverHawks a 71-65 advantage before Robinson hit a three to pull UCM within 71-68 with 17.0 on the clock. After Hobbs hit one of two at the foul line to give NSU a 72-68 lead, Robinson drained a long trey to pull the Mules within one at 72-71 with 7.3 seconds on the clock.
     NSU turned it over on the ensuing inbounds play, but Hammork's fade away jumper at the buzzer was no good.
     Deck led UCM with 22 points on 10 of 18 shooting. Robinson added 13 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
     The Mules were 29 of 65 from the field for 44 percent and 8 of 21 from three-point range for 38 percent. UCM made 5 of 6 free throw attempts.
     Curtis Evans led five RiverHawks in double figures with 17 points, while Littleton had 16. NSU was 20 of 57 from the floor for 35 percent and made 8 of 24 from beyond the arc for 33 percent. The RiverHawks shot 24 of 31 at the charity stripe for 77 percent.
     The Mules out-rebounded NSU 39-35 and held a 36-18 advantage in points in the paint.

THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• Central Missouri is 145-64 in MIAA play during the Kim Anderson era and 2-1 this season after a 72-71 loss at Northeastern State back on December 21.
• 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 146-21 at the Multipurpose Building under Kim Anderson after beating Culver-Stockton 106-74 back on December 16.
• The Mules were 13-0 at home last season and have won 19 straight games at the Multi dating back to the 2011-12 season.
• Over the last nine years, UCM is 129-11 at home, including 53-1 against non-conference opponents and 76-10 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 457-88 in their 38th season playing home games at the Multi.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• UCM is 65-54 on the road during the Kim Anderson after losing at Northeastern State 72-71 back on December 21.
• The Mules are 2-2 on the road this season after going 4-5 on the road last season.

A UCM WIN WOULD...
• Give the Mules an 11-2 record for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
• Give UCM a 3-1 MIAA record for the second straight season.
• Give the Mules back-to-back wins over UNK and a 4-2 series lead against the Lopers.
• Give UCM 20 straight wins at the Multipurpose Building.

A UCM LOSS WOULD...
• Give the Mules a 10-3 overall record for the second consecutive season and even their MIAA record at 2-2.
• Even the all-time series with Nebraska-Kearney at 3-3.
• Snap a 19-game home court winning streak.

ANDERSON LEADING THE WAY
• Now in his 12th season leading the Mules, Central Missouri head coach Kim Anderson has compiled a career record of 254-92 (.735).
• 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 (254), 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 1,595-921 (.634) record in 2,516 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 turn right around and host Washburn on Monday night, Jan. 6 at 7:30 p.m.