TIP-OFF• The Central Missouri Mules continue their three-game road trip on Saturday, Jan. 31 against Missouri Southern in Joplin. Tip-off at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is set for 3 p.m.
• The Mules are 16-4 on the season and 7-4 in MIAA play after an 82-68 loss at Lindenwood last Saturday.
• The Lions are 14-6 overall and 8-3 in MIAA play after a 68-65 comeback win over Southwest Baptist on Thursday night in Bolivar. They are tied for first in the MIAA standings and have won four straight games.
• 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 1,631 wins.
• The Mules are averaging 75.4 points per game and shooting 50.5 percent from the field. The opposition is averaging 67.8 points per game and shooting 43 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc.
• In their 16 wins, the Mules are averaging 77.6 points per game and shooting 53 percent from the field, while holding opponents to 65.8 points per game and 41 percent shooting.
• In the four losses, UCM scores 66.8 points per contest and shoots 42 percent from the field, while opponents are averaging 75.8 points per outing and 51 percent shooting.
• 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.
•
Dillon Deck has one double-double this season and seven during his two-year UCM career.
•
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).
•
Preston Brunz leads the MIAA in three-point field goal percentage at 51.7 percent.
• Ten different Mules have scored in double figures this season ... nine different Mules have led the team in scoring.
SERIES HISTORY• This will be the 57th all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Missouri Southern with the Mules holding a 34-22 advantage in the series.
• The Mules won all three meetings last season, including a 94-84 win on March 16, 2014 in the Central Region Semifinals in Mankato, Minnesota.
• UCM has won three straight in the series and five of the last eight meetings overall.
• The Mules are 11-14 all-time in Joplin and have won two of the last three meetings at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
• UCM head coach
Doug Karleskint is 0-2 all-time against MSSU and 0-1 in Joplin.
LAST MEETING WITH MISSOURI SOUTHERN• The Mules built a 21-point second half lead and then held off a furious Missouri Southern rally to beat the Lions 94-84 on March 16, 2014 in Mankato, Minnesota to advance to the NCAA Central Region Finals.
• The Mules shot 53 percent from the field and 46 percent from three-point range in the win.
•
Dillon Deck led five Mules in double figures with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting.
TJ White had 18 points off the bench.
•
Charles Hammork had 17 points, while
Jordan Epps and
Daylen Robinson finished with 14 and 13 points, respectively.
• MSSU out-rebounded UCM 33-31, but the Mules held a 36-14 advantage in points in the paint, 29-15 in points off turnovers and 37-13 in bench scoring.
• The Mules forced 23 turnovers by the Lions, while committing 16 of their own.
• Each team finished with 14 assists.
SCOUTING THE LIONS• Missouri Southern enters the game at 14-6 overall and 8-3 and tied for first place in the MIAA. The Lions have won four straight games after a 68-65 win at Southwest Baptist on Thursday night.
• The Lions are averaging 78.4 points per game offensively and shooting 46 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range. Opponents are scoring 71.3 points per outing, shooting 42 percent from the floor and 30 percent from three-point range.
• In conference games, the Lions hold opponents to 28 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
• Taevaunn Prince leads four MSSU players averaging in double figures at 15.6 points per game. That number increases to 17.5 points per contest during MIAA play. He also leads the team in rebounding at 7.1 boards per outing.
• Lane Barlow scores 11.6 per game, Cameron Cornelius chips in 11.2 per outing and Austin Wright is scoring 10.5 points per game.
• The Lions have seven players averaging at least 5.5 points per contest.
• MSSU averages nearly 36 rebounds per game, almost three more boards per game than the Mules.
• The Lions do turn the ball over 14 times per game, but force 14.2 turnovers per outing.
LAST TIME OUT • LINDENWOOD 82, CENTRAL MISSOURI 68 • 1/24/15ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- The 22nd-ranked Mules had their three-game winning streak snapped with an 82-68 loss at Lindenwood on Saturday afternoon at Hyland Arena. With the loss, UCM falls to 16-4 overall and 7-4 in MIAA play.
   The Mules couldn't have asked for a better start as they raced out to a 7-0 lead in the first two minutes of the game. The Lions (13-6, 8-2 MIAA) used an 8-1 run to tie the game at 8-all with 14:49 to play in the half. The Mules went back in front by five at 17-12, but the Lions kept coming back.
   Lindenwood tied the game at 23 and then took their first lead of the game on a Darris Smith three-point play at 26-25 with 6:09 left in the first half. The Lions closed out the first half on a 12-5 run and led 38-30 at the intermission.
   The Mules scored the first five points of the second half to pull within three at 38-35. They had five straight possessions with a chance to tie or get to within one, but couldn't get their shots to fall.
   UCM would go 6:24 without a field goal in the second half. The deficit went from three points to nine in that span. The Mules battled back to within six at 51-45 on a Preston brunz three-pointer, but the Lions pushed the lead to 13 at 64-51. The Mules got back to within nine two different times, but the Lions iced the game at the free throw line.
   Brunz and
Kyle Wolf led UCM with 11 points each and
Brennen Hughes added 10. The Mules were 23-of-50 for 46 percent and 8-of-19 from beyond the arc for 42 percent. UCM was 14-of-21 at the foul line for 67 percent.
   Smith led LWU with 28 points, while Cory Arentsen had 22. Garrett Reeg chipped in 12 points off the bench and Sam Mader had 10.
   The Lions were 28-of-52 from the field for 54 percent and made just 2-of-13 from three-point range for 15 percent. LWU was 24-of-26 at the charity stripe for 92 percent.
THE MULES AT HOME• Central Missouri is 164-23 at the Multipurpose Building over the last 13 years and 10-2 under
Doug Karleskint after the win over Lincoln on Wednesday, January 21.
• Over the last nine years, UCM is 147-13 at home, including 59-1 against non-conference opponents and 88-12 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 475-90 in their 39th season playing home games at the Multi.
MULES ON THE ROAD• The Mules are 3-2 on the road this season after the 82-68 loss at Lindenwood last Saturday.
• 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 7-4 in conference action under
Doug Karleskint after the loss at Lindenwood last Saturday afternoon.
• Central Missouri is 166-70 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 17-4 record overall and 8-4 in MIAA play and keep UCM no more than one game out of first place in the league standings.
• Give the Mules four straight wins over Missouri Southern and back-to-back wins in Joplin.
• Give UCM a 35-22 lead in the all-time series with the Lions.
A UCM LOSS WOULD...• Drop the Mules to 16-5 overall and give UCM a 7-5 record in MIAA play.
• Snap the Mules' three-game winning streak against Missouri Southern.
• Give UCM back-to-back losses for the first time since dropping three in a row from Feb. 2-9, 2013.
BLOCK PARTY• Senior
Dillon Deck now has 58 blocked shots in his UCM career, moving him past Mike Moultrie and in to fourth place on UCM's career blocks list.
• 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 16-4 in his first season as the head coach at Central Missouri and 106-38 (.736) 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 out of the Top 25 in the latest NABC/Division II Rankings released on Tuesday. UCM is receiving nine votes this week to rank 32nd.
• The Mules have been ranked in 147 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 this week after being ranked 23rd in last week's poll. 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 1,631-928 (.637) record in 2,559 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 one season in league history, and the second time Central Missouri has 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 three-game road trip on Thursday, February 5 at Southwest Baptist at 7:30 p.m.
• UCM returns home on Saturday, February 7 to host Missouri Southern at 3:30 p.m. at the Multi.
