Mules return home for a pair of non-conference matchups

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TIP-OFF
• The No. 10 nationally-ranked Mules resume play hosting a pair on non-conference games at the Multipurpose Building. UCM will host Arkansas-Fort Smith on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 4 p.m. and then host Tabor College on Sunday, Nov. 30 also at 4 p.m.
• The Mules are 5-0 on the season after a thrilling 90-84 overtime win over Quincy on Tuesday afternoon at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. The Mules rallied from a nine-point second half deficit to earn the win in overtime.
• The Mules enter the season as the top pick in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• The Mules were 30-5 a season ago, the third 30-win season in program history, the seventh 20-win season in the last 12 years and the 23rd in school history.
• The 2013-14 season was the 11th straight season of at least 18 wins for UCM, the longest active streak in the MIAA and tied for the longest streak in conference history with Northwest Missouri, who accomplished the feat from 1997-2008.
• Central Missouri finished 16-3 in MIAA play and captured a share of the MIAA regular season championship for the third straight season. It was the sixth conference crown in the last 12 years and 24th in school history.

QUICK HITS
• This is the 110th season of Central Missouri Mules basketball.
• Central Missouri is third all-time in NCAA Division II men's basketball with 1,620 wins.
• The Mules are averaging 81.6 points per game through their first five games of the season and shooting nearly 54 percent from the field. The opposition is averaging 67.0 points per game and shooting 41 percent from the field and 34 percent from beyond the arc.
• In the Mules' 30 wins last season they are averaged 81.5 points per game and shot 50.6 percent from the field. They limited opponents to 40 percent shooting and 66.2 points per game.
• In the Mules' five losses last year they averaged 75.2 points per game and shot 42 percent from the field.

SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the second all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Arkansas-Fort Smith. The Mules won the only previous meeting, 76-75 on Dec. 19, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
• This will be the third meeting between UCM and Tabor College. The Mules lead the series 2-0, including an 87-51 last year in Warrensburg. The only other meeting was a 92-46 UCM win on Nov. 23, 2007 in Warrensburg.

LAST MEETING WITH ARKANSAS-FORT SMITH
• The Mules held off the Lions 76-75 on Dec. 19, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
• Lance Beckwith hit two free throws with 3.9 to play in the game and UAFS' last second three-pointer was off the mark to give UCM the win.
• The Mules trailed 75-70 with 1:19 to play in the game, but scored the final six points of the game to steal the win.
• Beckwith led UCM with 23 points to go along with six rebounds and five steals. Dominique Long had 12 points and six rebounds and Ryan Magdziarz had 11 points.
• UCM shot 39 percent in the game, but made 26-of-32 at the foul line, including 15-of-16 in the second half.
• UAFS was led in scoring by Djordje Stojanovic and Xavier McClish with 16 points apiece. The Lions shot 48 percent from the floor and they were 15-of-16 at the charity stripe.

LAST MEETING WITH TABOR
• The Mules led by as many as 41 points in the second half as they rolled to an 87-51 win in last season's home opener on Nov. 13, 2013.
• Preston Brunz and Jordan Epps led four Mules in double figures with 14 points each.
• Lance Carter led the Bluejays with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting.
• The Mules shot 53 percent from the field and over 50 percent in both halves.
• UCM out-rebounded Tabor 42-30 and out-scored the Bluejays 34-18 in the paint.
• The Mules also had a decisive advantage in bench scoring at 45-14.
• Central Missouri had 17 assists and 16 turnovers compared to just six assists and 24 turnovers for Tabor.

SCOUTING THE LIONS
• Arkansas-Fort Smith enters the contest at 2-3 overall after an 86-40 win over Northeastern State on Tuesday at home.
• The Lions had four players in double figures, led by Alex Cooper's 21 points. DaVaunta Thomas had 19 points, while Seth Youngblood had 11 and Josh Harmon chipped in 10.
• UAFS is averaging 81.8 points per game while shooting 46 percent from the field. They give up 80.5 points per contest and 42 percent shooting to the opposition.
• They out-rebound opponents by about a rebound per game, but have turned the ball over 10 more times.
• Seth Youngblood leads the team in scoring at 18 points per game, while Alex Cooper averages 10.8 per contest and Kenny Martin chips in 10.3 per outing.

SCOUTING THE BLUEJAYS
• Tabor is 2-5 in the early going of the season and will play at Doane College on Friday night and at Hastings College on Sunday night before coming to Warrensburg on Sunday.
• Malik Brooks leads the team in scoring at 16.4 points per game and is joined in double figures by Andrew Thomas with 14.7 points per outing and Dewayne Biggs at 12.5 per contest.
• The Bluejays are averaging 76 points per game and giving up 77.7 per contest. They are shooting 45 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range, while opponents are shooting 42 percent from the floor and 35 percent from beyond the arc.
• Tabor is being out-rebounded by nearly five boards per game and they've committed 16.0 turnovers per game.

LAST TIME OUT • CENTRAL MISSOURI 90, QUINCY 84 OT • 11/25/14
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Rakeem Dickerson scored a career-high 41 points to help 10th-ranked UCM rally from a nine-point second half deficit to beat Quincy 90-84 in overtime on Tuesday at the Sprint Center. The 41 points is believed to be a Sprint Center record.
    The Hawks (2-3) came out on fire and jumped out to an early lead. Quincy shot 59 percent in the first half and opened up a six point lead at 24-18 ith 10:40 to play in the half. The Mules (5-0) used a 7-0 run to grab their first lead of the game at 25-24. The Hawks went right back in front on a layup from Scottie Bruxvoort at 26-25. The teams traded buckets with Dickerson's three-point play giving UCM a 30-28 lead with 5:44 remaining in the half.
    A layup from Herm Senor III and a three from Godson Eneogwe gave the Hawks a 33-30 lead and sparked a 14-4 run to end the half that gave Quincy a 42-34 lead at the intermission.
    The Hawks pushed the lead to nine out of the halftime break at 44-35. A 9-2 run by the Mules pulled it to within a pair at 46-44, but Evan McGaughey scored a layup to push the QU lead back to four at 48-44.
    The Mules got three-pointers from Preston Brunz and Kyle Wolf to knot the score at 50-all with 14:37 to play in the game, but Eneogwe scored a traditional three-point play to put the Hawks back in front.
    Quincy pushed the lead back to seven with a 8-2 run and led 61-54 with 10:49 to play in the game. The lead was still seven at the 5:49 mark after a Dalton Hoover layup gave Quincy a 68-61 lead.
    Wolf drained a three to make it a four-point game and Dickerson's jumper pulled UCM to within two. A pair of Bruxvoort free throws and a three from McGaughey gave the Hawks a 73-67 lead with 3:06 to play. Dickerson drained a triple to pull the Mules within three, but McGaughey scored again to make it a five-point game.
    Dillon Deck scored on a layup with 1:52 to play in the game and Dickerson drained another three at the 1:01 mark to tie the game at 75. The Mules had a chance at the end of regulation, but Dickerson's jumper was off the mark and the game headed to overtime.
    The teams traded buckets in the first three minutes of the extra period and the game was still tied 79-all with 1:51 to play. Another three from Dickerson gave the Mules an 82-79 lead and he made one of two free throws on the next trip to make it a four-point UCM lead.
    Brunz made a pair of free throws with :37 to play in the overtime session and the Mules led 85-79. Following a pair of Hawk free throws, Dickerson made two more and Wolf hit 1-of-2 and UCM led 88-81. Dickerson got a steal and a layup to make it a nine-point lead and UCM went on to the six-point overtime victory.
    Dickerson's 41 points are believed to be a Sprint Center record as he went 13-of-19 from the field, including 4-of-4 from three point range, and 11-of-14 at the free throw line. Wolf had 17 points and Deck had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
    The Mules shot 30-of-64 from the field for 46 percent and made 9-of-16 three pointers for 56 percent. UCM was 21-of-30 at the foul line for 70 percent.
    Eneogwe led three Hawks in double figures with 21 points. McGaughey and Thomas Jackson both finished with 13. Quincy was 31-of-65 from the field for 47 percent, 6-of-20 from beyond the arc for 30 percent and 14-of-19 from the charity stripe for 73 percent.
    The Mules out-rebounded QU 42-33 and turned 12 Quincy turnovers into 18 points.

THE MULES AT HOME
• Central Missouri is 156-21 at the Multipurpose Building over the last 13 years and 2-0 under Doug Karleskint after the 91-68 win over Westminster.
• The Mules were 13-0 at home each of the last two seasons and have won 29 straight games at the Multi dating back to the 2011-12 season.
• Over the last nine years, UCM is 139-11 at home, including 55-1 against non-conference opponents and 84-10 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 467-88 in their 39th season playing home games at the Multi.

MULES IN NEUTRAL SITE GAMES
• UCM is 53-20 in neutral site games over the last 13 years after the 90-84 overtime win over Quincy on Nov. 25 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
• The Mules were 9-1 in neutral site games last season.

A PAIR OF UCM WINS WOULD...
• Give the Mules a 7-0 record for the first time since the 2009-10 season.
• Give UCM two straight wins over Arkansas-Fort Smith and three straight over Tabor.
• Give the Mules 31 straight wins at the Multipurpose Building.
• Give the Mules a 7-0 start under Doug Karleskint. The first UCM coach to start his Central Missouri career 7-0.

A PAIR OF UCM LOSSES WOULD...
• Give the Mules an 5-2 record for the fourth time in five years.
• Snap UCM's home court winning streak at 28 games
• Be the first loss for UCM to both teams.

A UCM SPLIT WOULD...
• Give the Mules a 6-1 record for the second straight year.
• Give Doug Karleskint his first loss as head coach of the Mules.
• Snap UCM's long home-court winning streak at either 28 or 29 games.

MULES IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
• The Mules are 5-0 in non-conference games this season and 120-29 over the last 13 seasons after the win over Quincy.
• The Mules went 14-2 in non-MIAA games last year.
• Central Missouri is 55-1 in the last 56 non-conference games at the Multipurpose Building.

BLOCK PARTY
• Senior Dillon Deck now has 37 blocked shots in his UCM career, putting him 10th on Central Missouri's career blocks list. He is two blocks shy of tying Brian Rhodes for eighth place on the career list.
• He blocked 32 shots last season, the eighth most in a single season in Central Missouri history.

DISHING IT OUT
• Senior point guard Rakeem Dickerson leads the MIAA averaging 6.4 assists per game and has a 5.33 assist-to-turnover ratio through the first five games.
• He has had at least five assists in every game and dished out a career-high 10 in the win over Missouri S&T.

KARLESKINT ERA OFF TO A GOOD START
• Doug Karleskint is 5-0 in his first season as the head coach at Central Missouri and 95-34 (.736) overall in his fifth season as a head coach.
• He spent the previous five seasons at Arkansas Tech, including the last four as head coach. He compiled a 90-34 (.726) record with the Wonder Boys with four conference championships and four trips to the NCAA-II National Tournament, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2012.

MULES IN THE POLLS
• The Mules jumped in to the NABC/Division II Rankings at No. 10 in the latest poll released on Tuesday. UCM had been unranked to start the season, despite returning two starters and eight letterwinners from last year's national championship team.
• The Mules have been ranked in 140 polls in the history of the program, the seventh most in NCAA-II history.

MULES BASKETBALL HISTORY
• In the 110th season of UCM basketball, the Mules have compiled a 1,619-924 (.637) record in 2,543 total games.
• The Mules are the third winningest program by victories in NCAA-II history.
• Central Missouri is one of just three NCAA-II programs with 1,600 all-time wins.
• The Mules have won 20 or more games 23 times in the history of the program.
• Central Missouri has won 30 or more games in a season three times, including last year.
• UCM has won or shared 24 MIAA regular season championships and five MIAA tournament titles.

THE NEXT LEVEL
• In the past 12 years, 21 former UCM players have gone on to play professional basketball.
• Four players are either currently playing professionally or on a professional roster; Charles Hammork (Kosovo, Ylli Therande), 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 200 MIAA regular-season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured seven MIAA regular season titles, the most of any school in league history and the second time Central Missouri accomplished the feat.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 146 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
• Central Missouri has won six national championships since 1980 (men's and women's basketball in 1984, baseball in 1994 and 2003, women's bowling in 2003 and men's basketball in 2014) and eight national championships overall.

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
• Central Missouri had 220 student-athletes named to the 2013-14 MIAA Academic Honor Roll with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
• 41 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.
• 17 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with a 4.0 GPA.
• UCM had 12 student-athletes earn Academic All-Region awards in their respective sports with seven of those earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.

MULES BASKETBALL ON THE AIR
• Central Missouri basketball is broadcast live on the 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 and Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations, Mike Knipper.
• The Doug Karleskint Show, Live from Traditions Restaurant presented by Bob Showers of Ameritas Investment Corp. will air on Monday nights at 6 p.m. on 98.5 The Bar and 1450 KOKO as well as warrensburgradio.com. The first show of the season will air on Monday, Dec. 1.
• The Central Missouri Sportspage is your weekly 30-minute look at UCM athletics each Thursday night at 7 p.m. on KMOS-TV and re-airs on Saturdays at 5 p.m.

LIVE VIDEO STREAMING
• Live video coverage for all Central Missouri home and away MIAA games will be available through Stretch Internet on a pay-per-view basis. The cost is $9.95 for a day pass or $89.95 for an all-season pass for UCM basketball. With a day pass, fans can access any MIAA game being broadcast that day. Fans can access webcasts through the GameCentral by Stretch Internet link on the UCM Athletics homepage or through the "Video" links on the Mules Basketball schedule page. Fans can also go directly to
portal.stretchinternet.com/ucmo/

UPCOMING
• The Mules open MIAA play on Thursday, Dec. 4 at Fort Hays State. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at Gross Memorial Coliseum.