TIP-OFF• The 17th-ranked Central Missouri Mules return home for the first time in 2015 as they host MIAA rival Pittsburg State on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. at the UCM Multipurpose Building.
• The Mules are 12-2 on the season and 3-2 in MIAA play after escaping with a 63-60 win over Washburn on Monday night at Lee Arena in Topeka, Kansas.
• The Gorillas enter the contest at 7-5 overall and 3-1 in league play after a 74-50 win over Lincoln on Monday night in Pittsburg.
• 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 1,627 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 78.2 points per game and shooting 51 percent from the field. The opposition is averaging 68.1 points per game and shooting 41 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc.
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.
•
Preston Brunz leads the MIAA in three-point field goal percentage at 56.4 percent ... he is also second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.6 (36 assists/10 turnovers).
• Ten different Mules have scored in double figures this season ... seven different Mules have led the team in scoring.
SERIES HISTORY• This will be the 111th all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Pittsburg State with the Mules holding a 69-41 advantage in the series.
• The Mules beat the Gorillas 88-62 last year in Pittsburg. Central Missouri has won three straight 17 of the last 19 in the series.
• UCM holds a 43-11 lead in games played in Warrensburg and the Mules have won nine straight meetings against PSU at the Multi.
LAST MEETING WITH PITTSBURG STATE• The Mules closed the first half on a 49-16 run and never looked back in an 88-62 win at Pittsburg State on January 9, 2014. UCM trailed by four before the run, but led by 29 at halftime.
• The Mules shot 53 percent from the field and held Pittsburg State to 39 percent shooting.
•
Kyle Wolf led four Mules in double figures with 18 points and also had seven rebounds.
Ryan Magdziarz had 14 points, while
Jon Gilliam and
Daylen Robinson each finished with 10.
• Central Missouri the Gorillas into 19 turnovers and converted those in to 29 points.
• The Mules out-rebounded PSU 38-27 and held a 24-18 advantage in points in the paint.
• UCM had 17 assists on 29 made baskets. UCM had 13 turnovers, six steals and two blocks.
• Devon Branch was the only Gorilla in double figures with 17 points, but he did have 10 turnovers.
SCOUTING THE GORILLAS• Pittsburg State enters the contest at 7-5 overall and 3-1 in MIAA play after a 74-50 win over Lincoln on Monday night. The Gorillas have won six of their last seven games.
• PSU is averaging 72.2 points per game and giving up 69.1 to the opposition. The Gorillas shoot 48 percent from the floor, including nearly 40 percent from three-point range. They are 207-of-287 at the foul line for 72 percent. They average just over 17 made free throws per game.
• Opponents are shooting 45 percent against PSU, including just 34 percent from beyond the arc. Opponents have attempted one more free throw than the Gorillas.
• PSU averages just over 31 rebounds per game and is plus-two in rebounding vs. the opposition.
• Josiah Gustafson leads the team in scoring at 16.6 points per game and is joined in double figures by Devon Branch at 15.8 points per contest.
• Lamine Dieng averages 9.3 points per outing and leads the team in rebounding at 5.6 boards per game.
• Nine of the 10 Gorillas that have played this season are averaging at least 15 minutes per game.
• Pittsburg State averages 11.5 assists per game, but they commit 15 turnovers per contest.
• The Gorillas have been a better second half team all season, averaging nearly nine points more per game in the second half than the first.
LAST TIME OUT • CENTRAL MISSOURI 63, WASHBURN 60 • 1/5/15TOPEKA, Kan. -- The eighth-ranked Mules held Washburn to 39 percent shooting and escaped with a 63-60 win on Monday night at Lee Arena. The Mules used a late 5-0 run to break a 48-all tie and they were able to ice the game away at the free throw line.
   Both teams struggled offensively in the first half with UCM (12-2, 3-2 MIAA) shooting 39 percent and Washburn (8-9, 3-3 MIAA) shooting 40 percent with eight made field goals.
Brennen Hughes scored the first four points of the game to give the Mules a 4-0 lead.
   UCM extended their lead to eight at 12-4 with 12:26 to play in the first half, but the Ichabods battled back to within three at 15-12 with 5:09 remaining. A
TJ White layup gave the Mules a five point lead, but UCM would go into halftime leading 19-16.
   The Mules pushed their lead to seven at the 16:29 mark at 28-21, but a 5-0 run pulled Washburn with two. The Bods got to within a point at 33-32 with 11:50 to play in the game, but a 4-0 spurt pushed the Mules to a five point lead.
   UCM led by six at 44-38 with 7:20 left in regulation, but back-to-back threes from Kevin House tied the game at the 5:41 mark and his two free throws at the 4:19 mark gave the Ichabods their first lead of the game.
   Hughes' tip-in with 4:10 remaining tied the game and
Preston Brunz's two foul shots gave UCM a two-point lead. Washburn tied the game with 2:46 to play on a pair of Alex North free throws, but
Kyle Wolf's three pointer and
Dillon Deck's layup gave the Mules a 53-48 lead with 1:46 to play.
   Brunz made two free throws with :57 left to give the Mules a seven point advantage, but Kyle Wiggins' three-point play made it a four point game.
Rakeem Dickerson made two shots to push the lead back to six and Wolf made one of two to push the lead back to seven.
   Wiggins scored another layup to pull WU within five and after a UCM turnover, House hit two free throws to make it a three-point game with :29 to play.
Tony Cochran then made one of two for UCM to push the lead back to a two score game.
   Washburn got to within three when Wiggins was fouled on a three-point attempt with 0.8 to play. He intentionally missed the third free throw, but the rebound was tipped away and the clock expired.
   Hughes and Wolf led the Mules with 12 points apiece, while Deck finished with 11. Hughes added eight rebounds as well. The Mules shot 43 percent from the floor, going 18-of-42, including 4-of-14 from three-point range for just 29 percent. The Mules were 23-of-32 at the foul line for 72 percent.
   Washburn was 20-of-51 from the field for 39 percent and 6-of-14 from beyond the arc for 43 percent. The Ichabods were 14-of-20 for 70 percent at the charity stripe. Wiggins led WU with a game-high 22 points, while House added 13.
THE MULES AT HOME• Central Missouri is 161-22 at the Multipurpose Building over the last 13 years and 7-1 under
Doug Karleskint after the 81-62 win over Northeastern State.
• The Mules were 13-0 at home each of the last two seasons.
• Over the last nine years, UCM is 144-12 at home, including 59-1 against non-conference opponents and 85-11 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 472-89 in their 39th season playing home games at the Multi.
MULES ON THE ROAD• The Mules are 2-1 on the road this season after the 63-60 win at Washburn on Monday 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 3-2 in conference action under
Doug Karleskint after the win at Washburn on Monday night.
• Central Missouri is 162-68 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 2-0 this season in the games immediately following a loss after the 63-60 victory over Washburn on Monday.
• 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 13-2 record overall and 4-2 in MIAA play.
• Give the Mules four straight wins over Pittsburg State and a 70-41 lead in the all-time series.
• Give UCM 10 straight wins over the Gorillas at the Multipurpose Building.
A UCM LOSS WOULD...• Drop the Mules to 12-3 overall and give UCM a 3-3 record in MIAA play.
• Snap the Mules' three-game winning streak against Pittsburg State and their nine-game winning streak against PSU at home.
• Give the Mules three losses in their last five games.
• Give UCM two home losses in the same season for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
BLOCK PARTY• With his one block at Washburn on Monday night, senior
Dillon Deck now has 50 blocked shots in his UCM career, moving him past Darryl Somerset and Matt Webb and into a tie for fifth place on the career list with Doug Flowers.
• 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 12-2 in his first season as the head coach at Central Missouri and 102-36 (.739) 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 nine spots to No. 17 in the latest NABC/Division II Rankings released on Tuesday. UCM was ranked No. 8 last week before falling to UNK last Saturday.
• The Mules have been ranked in 145 polls in the history of the program, the seventh most in NCAA-II history.
• The Mules dropped from eighth to 21st in the Division II Media Poll sponsored by D2SIDA, released on Tuesday. 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 1,627-926 (.637) record in 2,553 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 brief two-game home stand hosting Emporia State on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. at the Multi.
