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STORY LINES
• The 20th-ranked Central Missouri Mules will make their third Elite Eight appearance under head coach Kim Anderson when they take on fourth-ranked Southern Connecticut State at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind.
• The Mules captured the Central Regional title with a 60-59 overtime win over rival Northwest Missouri on March 18 in Mankato, Minn.
• 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.
• Southern Connecticut State captured the East Regional Championship with a 78-72 win over Saint Anselm last Tuesday. The Owls won the Northeast-10 Conference regular season and tournament titles as well.

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 1,612 wins.
• The 27 wins this season are tied for the fourth most in a single-season in school history and are the third best win total for Central Missouri during the Kim Anderson era.
• In the Mules' 27 wins this season they are averaging 81.1 points per game and shooting 51 percent from the field. They are limiting opponents to 40 percent shooting and 64.9 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 27 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.

DECK NAMED NABC ALL-DISTRICT
• Junior forward Dillon Deck was named to the NABC All-District Second Team as announced last week. The first team All-MIAA selection leads the Mules in scoring and is second in rebounding.

SERIES HISTORY VS SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE
• This will be the first ever meeting between Central Missouri and Southern Connecticut State.
• This will be the Mules' first ever game against a team from the state of Connecticut.

SCOUTING THE OWLS
• Southern Connecticut State enters the Elite Eight at 30-2 overall and champions of the East Region. This is their second Elite Eight trip and the fifth NCAA appearance overall. The Owls are 6-5 in NCAA Tournament games and they enter the Elite Eight on a 19-game winning streak.
• SCSU is led by head coach Michael Donnelly. In his fourth season, he has led the Owls to a 73-40 record during his tenure.
• Southern Connecticut State is averaging 86.1 points per game offensively and the Owls shoot 45 percent from the field. Opponents shoot 40 percent against them and are averaging 74.7 points per contest.
• The Owls shoot 37 percent from three-point range and 71 percent at the free throw line. They hold opponents to just 30 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
• Conference Player of the Year Greg Langston leads the team in scoring at 19.8 points per game and pulls down 6.5 boards per contest. Three other players are also averaging in double figures. Tylon Smith averages 19.0 points per outing, Northeast-10 Rookie of the Year Michael Mallory scores 15.6 per contest and Deshawn Murphy chips in 12.4 per game.
• Luke Houston averages 9.0 points per game and a team-high 6.6 rebounds per contest.
• The Owls are forcing 14.3 turnovers per game, while committing 10.9 turnovers per game.

LAST TIME OUT • CENTRAL MISSOURI 60, NORTHWEST MISSOURI 59 (OT) • 3/18/14
MANKATO, Minn. -- The Central Missouri Mules got a free throw with 2.4 seconds to play in overtime and outlasted Northwest Missouri 60-59 on Tuesday night to capture the NCAA-II Central Region Championship. With the win, the Mules advance to their third Elite Eight under head coach Kim Anderson.
    The Mules (27-5) trailed Northwest Missouri (24-9) 7-5 in the early going as both teams struggled offensively. Jordan Epps scored five straight points to put UCM in front 10-7. A free from Dillon Deck made the lead four, but a three from DeShaun Cooper cut it to one, 11-10, with 9:27 to play in the half.
    Tyler Funk scored three straight points to tie the game at 13-13 and then Bryston Williams knocked down two free throws to put the Bearcats back in front 15-13 with 5:33 to play. Cooper knocked down a jumper to push NWMSU in front by four, but Jon Gilliam drained a three to pull UCM back within one at 17-16 at the 4:45 mark.
    The Mules tied the game at 18 on a jumper from Charles Hammork, but Williams knocked down a three to put NWMSU up 21-18. The Mules went back in front 22-21 on a Preston Brunz jumper, but the Bearcats closed the half on a 5-0 run to lead 26-22 at halftime.
    Brunz knocked down a pair of threes in the opening 90 seconds of the second half and Deck added a layup to put the Mules back in front 30-28. The Bearcats tied the game at 32-32 on a Zach Schneider three and took the lead on a pair of Funk free throws. Brennen Hughes' layup at the 15:02 mark tied the game at 34 and Brunz knocked down a jumper to put UCM back in front.
    A Matt Wallace layup tied the game again, but Epps scored a layup and Hammork knocked down a three to give the Mules their largest lead of the game, 41-36, with 12:18 to play. Conner Crooker knocked down a triple to pull Northwest Missouri within two, but Daylen Robinson scored a jumper to put UCM up four. The jumper came at the 10:29 mark and would be the final made field goal for the Mules in regulation.
    Grant Cozad made one of two free throws and Cooper nailed a three to tie the game at 43 with 7:19 to play in the game. Neither team would score until the 3:24 mark when Cozad again made one of two at the line to give the Bearcats a 44-43 lead.
    Robinson made a pair of free throws to put UCM in front 45-44, but Cooper's jumper at the 1:41 mark gave the Bearcats a one-point lead. Hammork was fouled with 26 seconds to play in regulation and made one of two to tie the game. Williams had a three-pointer at the buzzer that was off the mark and the game was headed to overtime.
    Hammork's driving layup 25 seconds into the extra period gave UCM a 48-46 lead. The Mules pushed their lead to three, but Schneider drilled a three to tie the game at 50-all with 2:47 to play. Cooper got a layup and a foul to put NWMSU in front 53-52 with just under two minutes to play, but TJ White put UCM back in front with a layup. On the next trip down the floor Deck was fouled and calmly made two free throws to put UCM in front 56-53 with 1:05 to play.
    A layup from Cooper made it a one point game again, but Robinson drained a three with 28 seconds left to put the Mules up 59-55. Cooper was fouled on the next possession and made two free throws to cut it to a two-point game. After a foul, UCM missed both free throws giving the Bearcats a shot. Cooper's three was airballed and Robinson was fouled with just over two seconds to play. After being fouled he tossed the ball into the air in celebration and was whistled for a technical foul.
    Williams calmly hit both free throws to tie the game. Robinson then went to the other end and made one of two free throws with just over two seconds to play in the game to break the 59-all tie. Cooper had a good look at a three from just inside half court, but the ball bounced off the back of the rim and gave UCM the win.
    The game had 12 ties and 17 lead changes as the teams battled back and forth throughout. The Mules finished the game shooting 47 percent from the field, 23 of 49, and 47 percent from three-point range, 7 of 15. UCM was 7 of 12 at the foul line for 58 percent.
    Robinson led the Mules with 13 points. Hammork finished with a double-double 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Brunz had 10.
    Cooper led all scorers with 24 points to lead the Bearcats. No other player had more than eight for Northwest Missouri. The Bearcats were 18 of 56 from the field for 32 percent and 8 of 24 from beyond the arc for 33 percent. They were 15 of 21 at the foul line for 71 percent.
    Hammork was named the Central Region Tournament Most Outstanding Player and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Deck.

MULES IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
• Central Missouri has a 34-21 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 14-6 overall in seven NCAA Tournament appearances under Kim Anderson. This is the third Elite Eight trip for UCM during his tenure.
• The Mules are 2-0 in Elite Eight games under Anderson.
• The Mules are 17-9 in NCAA Tournament games played on a neutral court, which will be the case for Wednesday's Elite Eight matchup with Southern Connecticut State.
• The Mules are making their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and seventh overall under Anderson.

REGIONAL TOURNAMENT HONORS
• Senior guard/forward Charles Hammork was named the Central Regional's Most Outstanding Player after averaging 15.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game during the tournament.
• He was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammate Dillon Deck.

THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• Central Missouri was 16-3 in MIAA play this season, capturing a share of their third straight conference crown. The Mules are 159-66 in conference play during the Kim Anderson era.
• 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 112-29 in non-conference games during the Kim Anderson era, including an 11-2 mark this season after beating Northwest Missouri for the regional title last Tuesday night in Mankato, Minn.

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 47-20 overall in neutral site games during the Kim Anderson era and 6-1 this season after the 60-59 win over Northwest Missouri on Tuesday night.
DISHING IT OUT
• Senior guard Daylen Robinson moved into third place on UCM's single-season assist list when he dished out six assists in the win over Missouri Southern. He now has 173 assists on the season and is 10 assists shy of second place on the single season list.
• He was fourth in the MIAA in assists per game this season at 5.5.

SWATTING HIS WAY
• Junior forward Dillon Deck has registered 30 blocks this year, he moved into a tie for ninth place on UCM's single-season list with two blocks in the regional championship game win over Northwest Missouri.

A UCM WIN WOULD...
• Give the Mules a 28-5 overall record and their third trip to the national semifinals under Kim Anderson.
• Give UCM a 3-0 record in the Elite Eight under Anderson.

A UCM LOSS WOULD...
• End the Mules season at 27-6 overall.
• Give the Mules their first Elite Eight loss under Kim Anderson (2-1).

ANDERSON LEADING THE WAY
• Now in his 12th season leading the Mules, Central Missouri head coach Kim Anderson has compiled a career record of 271-95 (.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 (271), 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 1,612-924 (.636) record in 2,536 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 Southern Connecticut State would put the Mules in the national semifinals on Thursday night at 6 p.m.against the winner of Metro State and Tuskegee. It would be the third trip to the national semifinals under Kim Anderson.