TIP-OFF• The 25th-ranked Central Missouri Mules return home to host MIAA-leading Northwest Missouri State on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the Multi.
• The Mules are 14-3 on the season and 5-3 in MIAA play after a 64-58 win at Missouri Western on Wednesday night.
• The Bearcats enter the contest at 13-3 overall and a league-best 6-2 in conference action after a 77-73 overtime win over Southwest Baptist on Wednesday night in Maryville.
• Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri State have shared two of the last three MIAA Regular Season Championships. The Mules have won or shared three straight conference crowns and were joined at the top by the Bearcats in 2011-12 and 2013-14.
• 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 1,629 wins.
• The Mules are averaging 76.6 points per game and shooting 51 percent from the field. The opposition is averaging 67.6 points per game and shooting 43 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc.
• The Mules have won two NCAA Men's National Championships (1984 & 2014) and four National Championships overall (1937 & 1938 NAIB).
MULE TIDBITS•
TJ White has recorded his first three career double-doubles this season to lead all Mules.
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Dillon Deck has one double-double this season and seven during his two-year UCM career.
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Kyle Wolf recorded the second double-double of his career with 12 points and 12 rebounds against Nebraska-Kearney.
• Four Mules have recorded double-doubles this season (Deck, Dickerson, White, Wolf).
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Preston Brunz leads the MIAA in three-point field goal percentage at 58.0 percent ... he is also second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.6 (40 assists/17 turnovers).
• Ten different Mules have scored in double figures this season ... eight different Mules have led the team in scoring.
SERIES HISTORY• This will be the 212th all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri. The Mules lead the series 126-85 after taking two out of three from the Bearcats last season, including a 60-59 overtime win in the Central Region Championship game in Mankato, Minnesota.
• The Mules have won two straight in the series and 11 of the last 12 meetings.
• UCM has won six straight games against Northwest Missouri at the Multipurpose Building.
• This will be the first game against the Bearcats for
Doug Karleskint after serving as a graduate assistant for Northwest Missouri from 2005-07.
LAST MEETING WITH NORTHWEST MISSOURI• The Mules got a free throw from
Daylen Robinson with 2.4 seconds to play to beat Northwest Missouri 60-59 in overtime to claim the 2014 Central Regional title.
• Robinson led UCM in scoring with 13 points.
Charles Hammork added a double-double 12 points and 11 rebounds, while
Preston Brunz scored 10 points.
• UCM shot 47 percent from the field and held the Bearcats to 32 percent shooting. The Mules were 23-of-49 from the field compared to 18-of-56 for Northwest Missouri.
• The Bearcats were 15-of-21 at the free throw line while UCM was 7-of-12.
• Hammork was named the Central Regional Most Outstanding Player and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by
Dillon Deck.
• UCM out-rebounded Northwest Missouri 37-32 and held an 18-12 advantage in points in the paint.
• Central Missouri turned the ball over 12 times in the game compared to just seven for the Bearcats.
• DeShaun Cooper led the Bearcats with a game-high 24 points. No other player scored more than eight for NWMSU.
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS• Northwest Missouri State enters the game at 13-3 overall and 6-2 in MIAA play after a 77-73 overtime win over Southwest Baptist on Wednesday night in Maryville.
• The Bearcats have won seven of their last eight games with the only defeat coming last Saturday at home to Washburn, 70-64.
• The Bearcats are averaging 78.4 points per game and shooting nearly 50 percent from the field. They shoot 45 percent from three-point range and 68 percent at the foul line.
• Opponents are averaging 65.5 points per outing and shooting 45 percent from the floor and 35 percent from beyond the arc.
• Four Bearcats are averaging in double figures, led by Justin Pitts' 16.1 points per game. Connor Crooker averages 14.8 per contest while Zach Schneider and Grant Cozad chip in 12.6 and 11.8 points per game, respectively. Crooker scored 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting in the win over SBU and Matt Wallace scored 19.
• Cozad leads the team in rebounding at 5.3 boards per outing. Brett Dougherty pulls down 4.8 per game.
• The Bearcats average under 10 turnovers per game and they force nearly 14 per game by the opponents. They are also averaging over nine made three-pointers per game.
LAST TIME OUT • CENTRAL MISSOURI 64, MISSOURI WESTERN 58 • 1/14/15ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- The 25th-ranked Mules got back in the win colum with a 64-58 win over Missouri Western on Wednesday night at the MWSU Fieldhouse. The Mules move to 14-3 overall and 5-3 in MIAA play with the win.
   The game was close in the early going with the Mules leading by four early on, but the Griffons (7-8, 3-5 MIAA) fighting back. UCM opened up a five point lead at 13-8 with 9:47 to play in the half. The Mules pushed the lead to eight at 21-13 with 5:41 to play.
   The Griffons responded with a 10-0 run to take the lead 23-21 with 1:33 remaining in the opening stanza.
Preston Brunz gave the Mules the lead back with a three-pointer and following a Griffon layup he drilled another three at the buzzer to give UCM a 27-25 halftime lead.
   The Mules opened the second half on a 6-0 run to grab a 35-27 lead and force a Missouri Western timeout. The lead was still eight at 40-32 with 12:05 to play in the game when the Griffons went on an 8-1 run to pull within one at 41-40 with 8:44 left.
   A 9-0 run by the Mules pushed the lead back to 10 at 50-40 with 5:47 to play. The lead stuck around double digits and reached 11 with 2:41 to play at 56-45. MWSU got to within five at the :50 mark, but the Mules made 5-of-6 at the free throw line to ice the game and come out with the six-point win.
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TJ White led three Mules in double figures with 14 points to go along with seven rebounds and three steals. Brunz had 13 points and
Brennen Hughes finished with 12.
Kyle Wolf had eight points and nine rebounds as well.
   UCM shot 42 percent for the game, 20-of-48, but just 29 percent from beyond the arc going 4-of-14. The Mules were 20-of-34 at the foul line for 59 percent.
   Cortrez Colbert led Missouri Western with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Aaron Emmanuel finished with 15. The Griffons were 23-of-47 from the field for 49 percent, but just 4-of-18 from beyond the arc for 22 percent. MWSU was 8-of-19 at the charity stripe for 42 percent.
   The Mules out-rebounded MWSU 38-28 and held a 12-2 advantage in second chance points.
THE MULES AT HOME• Central Missouri is 162-23 at the Multipurpose Building over the last 13 years and 8-2 under
Doug Karleskint after the overtime loss to Emporia State on Saturday.
• Over the last nine years, UCM is 145-13 at home, including 59-1 against non-conference opponents and 86-12 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 473-90 in their 39th season playing home games at the Multi.
MULES ON THE ROAD• The Mules are 3-1 on the road this season after the 64-58 win at Missouri Western on Wednesday night.
• 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 5-3 in conference action under
Doug Karleskint after the win over Missouri Western on Wednesday night. The Mules are currently one game back of league-leading Northwest Missouri in the standings.
• Central Missouri is 164-69 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.
FOLLOWING A LOSS• Central Missouri is 3-0 this season in the games immediately following a loss after the 64-58 victory over Missouri Western on January 14.
• The Mules have not lost back-to-back games since dropping three straight from Feb. 2-9, 2013.
A UCM WIN WOULD...• Give the Mules an 15-3 record overall and 6-3 in MIAA play and pull UCM into a tie with Northwest Missouri in the conference standings.
• Give the Mules three straight wins over Northwest Missouri and wins in 12 of the last 13 meetings.
• Give UCM seven straight winst over the Bearcats at the Multipurpose Building.
A UCM LOSS WOULD...• Drop the Mules to 14-4 overall and give UCM a 5-4 record in MIAA play and leave them two games back of the Bearcats.
• Snap the Mules' six-game home winning streak against Northwest Missouri.
• Give UCM three home losses for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
BLOCK PARTY• Senior
Dillon Deck now has 54 blocked shots in his UCM career, moving him past Doug Flowers and into sole possession of fifth place on the career list. He is two blocks shy of tying Mike Moultrie for fourth place.
• He blocked 32 shots last season, the eighth most in a single season in Central Missouri history.
KARLESKINT ERA OFF TO A GOOD START•
Doug Karleskint is 14-3 in his first season as the head coach at Central Missouri and 104-37 (.738) 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 dropped eight spots to No. 25 in the latest NABC/Division II Rankings released on Tuesday.
• The Mules have been ranked in 146 polls in the history of the program, the seventh most in NCAA-II history.
• The Mules dropped out of the Division II Media Poll sponsored by D2SIDA after being ranked 21st last week. 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 1,629-927 (.637) record in 2,556 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.
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 wrap up their short two-game home stand hosting Lincoln on Wednesday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Multi.
• UCM heads out on the road for three straight games beginning next Saturday at Lindenwood. Game time on Jan. 24 in St. Charles is set for 3 p.m.
