TIP-OFF• The third-ranked Central Missouri Mules resume MIAA play, hosting Central Oklahoma on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. at the UCM Multipurpose Building.
• The Mules are 10-0 on the season after an 81-59 win over Culver-Stockton on Monday night at the Multi.
• The Bronchos are 9-2 overall and 2-0 in conference play after their 93-70 win over Lincoln in Edmond back on December 7.
• The Mules enter the season as the top pick in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• The Mules were 30-5 a season ago when they captured the NCAA-II National Championship. It was 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 last year 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 1,625 wins.
• The Mules have won two NCAA Men's National Championships (1984 & 2014) and four National Championships overall (1937 & 1938 NAIB).
• The Mules are averaging 83.0 points per game and shooting nearly 55 percent from the field. The opposition is averaging 69.5 points per game and shooting 41 percent from the field and 41 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 10th all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Central Oklahoma with the Mules holding a slight edge, 5-4.
• The Mules held off the Bronchos 72-70 last year in Edmond and have won back-to-back games in the series.
• The series is tied 1-1 in games played in Warrensburg. The Bronchos won the previous meeting at the Multipurpose Building, 72-71, back on February 14, 2012. That was UCM's lost loss at home.
LAST MEETING WITH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA• The Mules rallied from a 10-point second half deficit to beat UCO 72-70 on December 19, 2013 in Edmond.
•
Charles Hammork led UCM with 18 points, while
Jon Gilliam and
Jordan Epps each chipped in 13.
• The Mules shot 42 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range, while the Bronchos shot 40 percent from the floor and 41 percent from beyond the arc.
• UCM was 20-of-25 from the free throw line in the victory and held a 34-7 advantage in bench scoring.
• It was the first win for UCM in Edmond since the 1988-89 season.
• Josh Gibbs led UCO with a game-high 27 points and Seth Heckart chipped in 14.
SCOUTING THE BRONCHOS• Central Oklahoma is 9-2 overall and 2-0 in MIAA play entering the contest on Thursday night. The Bronchos have won five straight games by an average of 14.6 points per game.
• UCO beat Lindenwood and Lincoln by identical 93-70 scores to open MIAA play two weeks ago.
• The Bronchos lead the MIAA in scoring at 91.3 points per game and are shooting over 50 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range.
• They give up 75.6 points per contest and 42 percent shooting from the opposition. They hold opponents to 35 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
• Mahlon Jones leads four players averaging in double figures at 15.3 points per outing. Garen Wright (14.1), Cal Andrews (10.7) and Seth Heckart (10.5) are all averaging double digits as well.
• Trai Jordan leads the team in rebounding at 5.7 boards per game and also chips in 7.9 points per contest.
• The Bronchos have gotten off to fast starts this year outscoring opponents 528-391 and averaging 48 points in the first halves of games.
• UCO out-rebounds opponents by over four boards per game and leads the MIAA in rebounding at 38.7 per contest.
LAST TIME OUT • CENTRAL MISSOURI 81, CULVER-STOCKTON 59 • 12/15/14WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- The fourth-ranked Mules overcame a slow start and rolled to an 81-59 win over Culver-Stockton on Monday night at the UCM Multipurpose Building. The Mules are now 10-0 as they head into a pair of MIAA games this weekend.
   The Wildcats (6-5) opened the game on a 16-3 run in the first 4:55. Three straight layups by
Dillon Deck pulled UCM (10-0) to within seven at 16-9 and he added an and one free throw to make it 16-10 with 13:06 to play in the first half.
   UCM got to within one at 22-21 on a three-pointer from
Preston Brunz, but four straight points by Travon Mitchell pushed the Culver-Stockton lead back to five at 26-21. The Mules then went on an 18-0 run to take the lead for good and went into the intermission leading 39-27.
   Central Missouri opened the second half on an 11-0 run and the lead ballooned to 50-27 with 16:45 to play in the game. The Mules pushed the lead to as many as 29 at 74-45 on a
Donte Adams three with 7:04 to play in the game. Culver-Stockton got back to within 21, but UCM cruised to the 22-point win.
   The win was the 16th straight for UCM dating back to last year and the 33rd straight win at home.
   Adams and Deck led UCM with 16 points apiece.
TJ White added 13 off the bench and
Brad Woodson finished with 10. Deck also added seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
   The Mules shot 54 percent from the field, going 29-of-53. They were 8-of-20 from three-point range for 40 percent and 15-of-23 at the free throw line for 65 percent. The Mules had 12 assists, but did turn it over 15 times. UCM out-rebounded CSC 41-28, held a 36-16 advantage in points in the paint and a 55-26 edge in bench scoring.
   Mitchell led Culver-Stockton with a game-high 19 points. The Wildcats were 19-of-56 from the field for 33 percent and 9-of-25 from beyond the arc for 36 percent. They made 12-of-17 at the charity stripe for 70 percent.
THE MULES AT HOME• Central Missouri is 160-21 at the Multipurpose Building over the last 13 years and 6-0 under
Doug Karleskint after the 81-59 win over Culver-Stockton on Monday night.
• The Mules were 13-0 at home each of the last two seasons and have won 33 straight games at the Multi dating back to the 2011-12 season.
• Over the last nine years, UCM is 143-11 at home, including 59-1 against non-conference opponents and 84-10 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 471-88 in their 39th season playing home games at the Multi.
MULES ON THE ROAD• The Mules are 1-0 on the road this season after the 90-81 win at Fort Hays State on Dec. 4. It was the first win in Hays, Kansas since the 2009-10 season.
• UCM was 8-4 on the road last season, including 7-3 in MIAA play.
MULES IN NEUTRAL SITE GAMES• UCM is 3-0 this year and 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.
MULES IN MIAA PLAY• The Mules are 1-0 in conference action under Doug Karlskint after an 80-71 win at Fort Hays State on Thursday night.
• Central Missouri is 160-66 in MIAA play over the last 13 seasons.
• UCM has won or shared 24 MIAA regular season championships and five MIAA Tournament titles.
MULES IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION• The Mules are 9-0 in non-conference games this season and 124-29 over the last 13 seasons after the win over Culver-Stockton on December 15.
• The Mules went 14-2 in non-MIAA games last year.
• Central Missouri is 58-1 in the last 59 non-conference home games at the Multipurpose Building.
A UCM WIN WOULD...• Give the Mules an 11-0 record for the first time since the 2009-10 season, when they started the year 12-0.
• Give UCM three straight wins over Central Oklahoma and move them to 2-0 in MIAA play this year.
• Give the Mules a 17-game winning streak dating back to last season and 34 straight home wins.
A UCM LOSS WOULD...• Be the first of the year for the Mules and snap a two-game winning streak against UCO.
• Snap UCM's 16-game winning streak dating back to last season and snap the Mules' 33-game home court winning streak.
• Be the first loss at home since a 72-71 loss to Central Oklahoma back on February 14, 2012.
• Give
Doug Karleskint his first loss as head coach of the Mules.
BLOCK PARTY• Senior
Dillon Deck now has 46 blocked shots in his UCM career, placing him eighth all-time on Central Missouri's career blocks list. He is three blocks shy of tying Darryl Somerset and Matt Webb for sixh 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 is second in the MIAA averaging 5.5 assists per game and has a 2.9 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• He has had at least five assists in eight of 10 games this season and dished out a career-high 10 in the win over Missouri S&T.
STUFFING THE STAT SHEET• Senior
TJ White has his name all over the MIAA statistic leaders sheet. Heading into this week he was sixth in the league in rebounding (6.7 rpg), first in field goal percentage (64.9), third in steals (1.9), and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (3.7).
KARLESKINT ERA OFF TO A GOOD START•
Doug Karleskint is 10-0 in his first season as the head coach at Central Missouri and 100-34 (.746) overall in his fifth season as a head coach.
• He became the first Mules' head coach to start his first season at UCM 7-0.
• 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 moved up one spot to No. 3 in the latest NABC/Division II Rankings released on Tuesday. UCM had been unranked to start the season and moved up to No. 10 in the first regular season poll after starting the season 4-0. They then moved up to No. 6, No. 4 a week ago and now third.
• The Mules have been ranked in 143 polls in the history of the program, the seventh most in NCAA-II history.
• The Mules are also ranked third and receiving two first place votes in the Division II Media Poll sponsored by D2SIDA. The poll is in its first year of existence and is voted on by Division II Sports Information Directors.
MULES BASKETBALL HISTORY• In the 110th season of UCM basketball, the Mules have compiled a 1,625-924 (.638) record in 2,549 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• Following the fall sports seasons, Central Missouri has won a combined 202 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 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 host Northeastern State on Saturday morning, Dec. 20 at 10:05 a.m. The game will be broadcast to a national television audience on CBS Sports Network.
