STORY LINES
• The 20th-ranked and No. 2 seed Central Missouri Mules look to advance to their third Elite Eight under Kim Anderson when they meet fifth-seeded Northwest Missouri in the Central Region Championship Game on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
• The Mules took down Missouri Southern 94-84 in the Central Region semifinals on Sunday evening.
• The Mules won a share of their third straight MIAA Regular Season Champioship. It was the sixth conference title under head coach Kim Anderson, the 24th in school history and the first three-peat in school history.
• Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri were MIAA regular season co-champions and split the regular season series with each team winning on their own home floor.
• The Bearcats beat Winona State 98-77 in their Central Region quarterfinal on Saturday and then took down top-seeded Minnesota State 71-66 in the semifinals on Saturday night.
QUICK HITS
• This is the 109th season of Central Missouri Mules basketball.
• Central Missouri is third all-time in NCAA Division II men's basketball with 1,611 wins.
• The 26 wins this season are tied for the fifth most in a single-season in school history and the fourth best win total for Central Missouri during the Kim Anderson era.
• In the Mules' 26 wins this season they are averaging 82.0 points per game and shooting 51 percent from the field. They are limiting opponents to 41 percent shooting and 65.1 points per game.
• In the Mules' five losses they are averaging 75.2 points per game and shooting 42 percent from the field.
• The win over Southwest Baptist on Feb. 6 gave UCM 18 wins on the season. It marks the 11th straight season of at least 18 wins for the Mules, which ties the MIAA record for the longest streak in conference history. The Mules tied Northwest Missouri, which accomplished the feat from 1997-2008.
• The Mules 26 wins this season mark the seventh 20-win season under Kim Anderson and the 23rd in school history.
• Three of the top nine single-season scoring leaders in UCM history have come during the 11-year tenure of head coach Kim Anderson.
MIAA POSTSEASON HONORS
• The Mules had three players named to the All-MIAA Team as voted on by the league coaches. Junior forward
Dillon Deck was a first team selection, senior guard
Daylen Robinson earned third team honors and senior guard
Charles Hammork earned honorable mention accolades.
• This is the second straight All-MIAA honor for Hammork and the first for both Deck and Robinson. This is Deck's second straight first team all-conference award, however, as he was a first team All-GLVC pick last season at William Jewell.
SERIES HISTORY VS NORTHWEST MISSOURI
• This will be the 211th all-time meeting between the Mules and the Bearcats. Central Missouri leads the seriesÂ
125-85.
• The teams split their two regular season meetings with each team winning on their own home floor.
• Northwest Missouri's 80-68 win back on January 18 snapped a nine-game winning streak in the series for UCM. The Mules won the last meeting 76-64 on March 1 to close out the regular season.
• The Mules are 12-1 since their loss to the Bearcats in Maryville on Jan. 18.
• UCM has won 10 of the last 11 meetings between the two schools.
• The Mules lead the series 16-9 during the Kim Anderson era, including a 1-0 mark on a neutral floor. Central Missouri is 1-0 against Northwest Missouri in the NCAA Tournament during the Anderson era.
LAST MEETING WITH NORTHWEST MISSOURI
• The Mules shot 51 percent from the field and held the Bearcats to 40 percent shooting in a 76-64 win in the regular season finale. The win gave UCM a share of the MIAA regular season title with Northwest Missouri. It is the third straight conference crown for the Mules.
• The Mules out-rebounded NWMSU 35-33 and forced 15 Bearcat turnovers.
• Dillon Starzl led three Bearcats in double figures with 18 points. DeShaun Cooper had 16 points, while Zach Schneider chipped in 12. Matt Wallace had six assists for Northwest Missouri.
• The Mules led by as many as 14 in the first half and led by 11 at halftime. The Bearcats got to within five midway through the second half, but could get no closer.
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
• Northwest Missouri enters the regional semifinal at 24-8 overall after beating top-seeded Minnesota State 71-66 in the regional semifinals on Sunday night.
• The Bearcats are shooting 50 percent from the field and averaging 80.9 points per game. They give up 68.8 points per contest and 44 percent shooting to the opposition.
• NWMSU shoots 43 percent from three-point range and 75 percent at the free throw line. They are holding opponents to just 35 percent shooting from beyond the arc and the Bearcats have attempted 160 more free throws than their opponents.
• MIAA Player of the Year DeShaun Cooper leads four NWMSU players in double figures at 17.4 points per game. He also dishes out a team-leading 4.0 assists per game.
• Dillon Starzl averages 14.9 points per contest and a team-high 5.5 rebounds per game. Conner Crooker is scoring 11.4 points per outing and Grant Cozad chips in 10.1 per game.
• The Bearcats are out-rebounding opponents by nearly five boards per game and limit the opposition to just 29.7 rebounds per game.
• Northwest Missouri averages over six steals a game and nearly 14 assists per game. The Bearcats turn the ball over 11.5 times per game on average.
LAST TIME OUT • CENTRAL MISSOURI 94, MISSOURI SOUTHERN 84 • 3/16/14
MANKATO, Minn. -- The Central Missouri Mules built a big lead then held off a late MSSU charge to beat the Lions 94-84 on Sunday night and advance to the Central Regional Championship Game on Tuesday night.
The Mules (26-5) led by as many as 21 points midway through the second half before the Lions (25-6) cut it to five with three and half minutes to play.
The teams traded buckets in the early going with Missouri Southern grabbing a 7-5 lead on a pair of Cameron Cornelius free throws just three minutes into the game. A three from
Charles Hammork gave UCM an 8-7 lead and sparked a 12-0 run that
Kyle Wolf ended with a three at the 12:56 mark to put the Mules in front 17-7.
A Marquis Addison jumper cut the lead to 19-11, but six straight points from
Dillon Deck gave Central Missouri a 25-11 lead with 9:22 to play in the half. UCM pushed the lead to 15 at 31-16 on a three from
Jordan Epps with 7:19 to play in the half, but MSSU responded with a 9-0 run to pull within six.
Four straight free throws from
TJ White pushed the Mules back in front by 10 with 4:31 to play in the half.
Daylen Robinson knocked down a pair at the line and
Charles Hammork had a fast break dunk to give the Mules a 13-point advantage. The lead got back up to 15 with 90 seconds left in the half, but a three from Austin Wright cut the lead to 12 at the intermission.
A jumper from Deck out halftime pushed the lead to 14, but five quick points by the Lions cut the lead to nine just a minute into the second half. The lead was 10 at 49-39 when UCM went on a 28-7 run to open a 67-46 lead with 10:25 to play in the game.
Missouri Southern didn't back down and began to whittle away at the Mule lead. A layup from Slim Magee and a three from Addison cut the lead to 16 at the 9:12 mark. The Mules got the lead back to 17 at 75-58, but seven straight points got the Lions back to within 10 at the 6:05 mark.
White made a pair of foul shots to put UCM back in front by 12, but a jumper from Matt Everson sparked another 7-0 run that pulled MSSU within 77-72 with 4:04 to play in the game.
Deck made a jumper to stem the tide and put UCM back up seven, but Addison calmly knocked down two more free throws to make it five point game again. Deck hit another jumper and
Daylen Robinson had a fast break layup to push the lead back to nine. The Lions got back to within seven at the 1:58 mark, but five straight points by the Mules pushed the lead back to 12 and all but iced the game. The Mules went 5-of-6 at the free throw line down the stretch to earn the win.
The Mules had five players finish in double figures led by Deck's 21 points on 9 of 13 shooting. White chipped in a season-high 18 points off the bench, while Hammork had 17 and
Jordan Epps finished with 14. Robinson had 13 points and six assists.
UCM shot 53 percent from the field, 30 of 57, including 5 of 11 from beyond the arc for 46 percent. The Mules shot 83 percent at the free throw line, 29 of 35. UCM turned had 14 assists to 16 turnovers, but did force 23 MSSU giveaways.
The Lions were led by Addison's game-high 28 points. Jordan Talbert had 16 points and Magee finished with 10. MSSU was 24 of 55 from the field for 44 percent. The Lions were 10 of 23 from three-point range for 44 percent and 26 of 31 at the foul line for 84 percent.
The Mules held a 36-14 advantage in points in the paint and scored 29 points off the 23 MSSU turnovers. The UCM bench also outscored MSSU's 37-13.
With the win, the Mules advance to the regional title game for the fourth time under Kim Anderson and the first since 2009-10. The Mules will play No. 5 seed Northwest Missouri on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
MULES IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
• Central Missouri has a 33-21 record in 22 NCAA Tournament appearances. UCM played in five regional consolation games between 1965 and 1985 after losing in the first round.
• Central Missouri is 13-6 overall in seven NCAA Tournament appearances under Kim Anderson.
• The Mules are 16-9 in NCAA Tournament games played on a neutral court, which will be the case for Tuesday's regional championship game against Northwest Missouri.
• UCM is 13-9 in regional first round games.
• The Mules are 5-2 in first round games under Anderson.
• UCM is 4-1 in regional semifinal games under Anderson.
• This will be the fourth regional championship game appearance for UCM under Anderson. The Mules are 2-1 in the previous three. In their last appearance, UCM fell 60-59 at Midwestern State in the 2009-10 regional final.
• The Mules are making their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and seventh overall under Anderson.
THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• Central Missouri is 159-66 in MIAA play during the Kim Anderson era and 16-3 this season after the 76-64 win over Northwest Missouri to close out the regular season.
• The Mules were 13-5 in conference play last year and won a share of the MIAA regular season title for the second straight season.
• The Mules' best MIAA record under Anderson was an 18-2 mark during the 2009-10 season.
• The Mules captured their sixth MIAA regular season championship this season and have four MIAA tournament titles under Kim Anderson.
MULES IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
• The Mules are 111-29 in non-conference games during the Kim Anderson era, including an 10-2 mark this season after beating Missouri Southern on Sunday evening.
• Central Missouri is 53-1 in the last 54 non-conference games at home.
MULES IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
• Central Missouri dropped five spots in the latest NABC/Division II Coaches' Poll to No. 20 after their first round exit from the MIAA Tournament.
• The Mules have been ranked in 139 polls in the history of the program, the seventh most in NCAA-II history.
• This is Central Missouri's fifth week in the rankings this season.
THE MULES AT HOME
• Central Missouri is 154-21 at the Multipurpose Building under Kim Anderson after beating Northwest Missouri on Saturday.
• The Mules were 13-0 at home last season and have won 27 straight games at the Multi dating back to the 2011-12 season.
• Over the last nine years, UCM is 137-11 at home, including 53-1 against non-conference opponents and 84-10 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 465-88 in their 38th season playing home games at the Multi.
THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• The Mules are 8-4 on the road this season, including 7-3 in MIAA play, after the win at Missouri Western on Wednesday night.
• The Mules are one of just four MIAA teams to have a winning road record during conference play.
• UCM is 71-56 on the road during the Kim Anderson. The Mules were 4-5 on the road last season.
MULES IN NEUTRAL SITE GAMES
• UCM is 46-20 overall in neutral site games during the Kim Anderson era and 5-1 this season after the 94-84 win over Missouri Southern on Sunday evening.
THE MULES FOLLOWING A LOSS
• Central Missouri is 5-0 this season when coming off of a loss after their win over Arkansas Tech on Saturday afternoon.
• The Mules are 57-27 following a loss during the Kim Anderson era.
• UCM has not lost back-to-back games since a three-game losing streak in early February of last season.
DISHING IT OUT
• Senior guard
Daylen Robinson moved into third place on UCM's single-season assist list with 171 when he dished out six assists in the win over Missouri Southern. He is 12 assists shy of second place on the list.
• He is fourth in the MIAA in assists per game at 5.5.
SWATTING HIS WAY
• Junior forward
Dillon Deck has registered 28 blocks this year. He is one block away from cracking UCM's single-season top 10 list.
A UCM WIN WOULD...
• Give the Mules a 27-5 overall record and their third regional championship under head coach Kim Anderson.
• Give the Mules back-to-back wins over Northwest Missouri and wins in two of the three meetings this season.
• Give UCM a 3-1 record in regional championship games under Anderson.
A UCM LOSS WOULD...
• End the Mules season at 26-6 overall.
• Give the Mules two straight losses in regional championship games and a 2-2 record in four regional title games under Anderson.
ANDERSON LEADING THE WAY
• Now in his 12th season leading the Mules, Central Missouri head coach Kim Anderson has compiled a career record of 270-95 (.740).
• His .731 winning percentage entering the 2013-14 season ranks seventh among all active NCAA Division II coaches.
• He has led UCM to six 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 (270), 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 1,611-924 (.636) record in 2,535 total games.
• The Mules are the third winningest program by victories in NCAA-II history.
• Central Missouri became just the third NCAA-II program with 1,600 all-time wins.
• The Mules have won 20 or more games 23 times in the history of the program, including this season.
• Central Missouri has won 30 or more games in a season twice, both during the Kim Anderson era.
• UCM has won or shared 24 MIAA regular season championships and five MIAA tournament titles.
THE NEXT LEVEL
• In the Kim Anderson era, 23 former players have gone on to play professional basketball.
• Four players are either currently playing professionally or on a professional roster; Michael Hicks (Poland, Polpharma-Pakmet),
Reggie Stallings (Rochester Razor Sharks), Sanijay Watts (Germany, Dorsten) and Zack Wright (Greece, Panathinaikos Athens).
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
• Following the 2013-14 winter seasons, Central Missouri has won a combined 198 MIAA regular-season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• This season, UCM has captured five MIAA Regular Season Championships.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director
Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 144 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 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 through the season.
UPCOMING
• A win over Northwest Missouri on Tuesday night would give the Mules their third trip to the Elite Eight under head coach Kim Anderson.
