TIP-OFF• The 12th-ranked Central Missouri Mules wrap up the home portion of their 2013-14 regular season hosting Missouri Western on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Multi.
• The Mules are 22-4 overall this season and 13-4 in MIAA play after a 71-67 win over Southwest Baptist Saturday afternoon. UCM comes in on a six-game winning streak.
• Missouri Western comes in at 11-13 overall and 7-10 in MIAA play after a 72-54 loss at Northwest Missouri State last Saturday. The Griffons are 2-2 in their last four games.
• UCM's win over Southwest Baptist on Feb. 5 gave the Mules their 18th win of the season. It marked the 12th straight season of at least 18 wins for UCM and set a new MIAA record. The old streak of 11 straight seasons of 18 or more wins was held by Northwest Missouri (1997-2008).
• 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.
• 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 1,636 wins.
• The win at Lincoln on February 11 gave the Mules their third straight 20-win season and the 24th in program history.
• The Mules are averaging 74.3 points per game and shooting 50.3 percent from the field. The opposition is averaging 66.7 points per game and shooting 43 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from beyond the arc.
• In their 22 wins, the Mules are averaging 75.6 points per game and shooting 52 percent from the field, while holding opponents to 65.0 points per game and 41.7 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 four 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.
•
Brennen Hughes recorded his first double-double of the season at Southwest Baptist. Hughes scored a team-high 17 points and pulled in 10 rebounds.
• Five Mules have recorded double-doubles this season (Deck, Dickerson, Hughes, White and Wolf).
• Ten different Mules have scored in double figures this season ... nine different Mules have led the team in scoring.
•
Rakeem Dickerson,
Preston Brunz and
TJ White are second, third and 11th, respectively, in the MIAA in assist-to-turnover ratio. Dickerson is also second in the league in assists, Brunz is second in three-point field goal percentage and White is third in steals.
•
Brennen Hughes (65.0) leads the MIAA in field goal percentage.
• The Mules are 12th in the nation in field goal percentage.
SERIES HISTORY• This will be the 60th all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Missouri Western. The Mules lead the series 32-27 after the 64-58 win in St. Joseph back on January 14.
• UCM won six straight games in the series and 12 of the last 15 meetings between the two schools.
• The Mules are 18-7 all-time at home against the Griffons and they've won three in a row at the Multi in the series.
LAST MEETING WITH MISSOURI WESTERN• The Mules shot 42 percent from the field and held off Missouri Western for a 64-58 win in St. Joseph back on January 14.
•
TJ White led the Mules with 14 points to go along with seven rebounds.
Preston Brunz finished with 13 points, while
Brennen Hughes chipped in 12
• The Griffons shot 49 percent from the field and were led by Cortrez Colbert's 20 points. Aaron Emmanuel chipped in 15 points for Missouri Western
• UCM out-rebounded the Griffons 38-28 and held a 12-2 advantage in second chance points
• The Mules had just seven assists in the game, but forced 13 Griffon turnovers
SCOUTING THE GRIFFONS• Missouri Western enters the game at 11-13 overall and 7-10 in MIAA play after a 72-54 loss at Northwest Missouri State on Saturday afternoon. The Griffons are 2-2 in their last four games and 3-7 away from St. Joseph this season.
• The Griffons are averaging 67.4 points per game offensively and shooting 43 percent from the field. They shoot 33 percent from three-point range and 68 percent at the free throw line.
• They give up 68.2 points per outing to opponents. They allow 44 percent shooting from the floor and 36 percent from beyond the arc.
• Cortrez Colbert leads MWSU in scoring at 16.6 points per game on 45 percent shooting. He is the only Griffon averaging in double figures. Kevin Thomas chips in 8.6 pointds per contest and leads the team in rebounding at 6.2 boards per outing.
• The Griffons are dead even in rebounding with opponents at 33.9 boards per game as well as assists with 10.5 per contest.
• Missouri Western averages almost seven steals per game and two blocks per contest as well.
LAST TIME OUT • CENTRAL MISSOURI 71, SOUTHWEST BAPTIST 67 • 2/21/15WARRENSBURG, Mo. - The 16th-ranked Mules got career-highs from
Kyle Wolf and
Preston Brunz as they outlasted Southwest Baptist 71-67 on Senior Day on Saturday. Wolf scored a career-high 23 points and Brunz tied his career-high with 17 in the win.
   The win was the sixth in a row for Central Missouri and gives the Mules a 22-4 overall mark and 13-4 in league play. The Mules are tied for first in the conference standings with two games to play.
   The Mules jumped out to a 6-0 and held Southwest Baptist (11-15, 6-11 MIAA) without a field goal until the 16:39 mark. The Mules pushed the lead to seven at 15-8 with 13:08 to play in the first half, but the Bearcats responded with a 9-0 run to take a 17-15 lead at the 9:24 mark.
   Daymond Cowlah's three-pointer with 6:39 left in the first half gave SBU a 20-18 lead, but back-to-back buckets from
TJ White put UCM back in front 22-20. Menas Stephens tied the game with a bucket at the 3:38 mark, but the Mules closed the half on a 7-3 spurt, including a three-pointer from
Kyle Wolf late in the half to lead 29-25 at the intermission.
   David Gabrovsek scored the first bucket of the second half to pull SBU within two at 29-27, but the Mules went on a 13-2 run to open up a 42-29 lead with 16:01 to play in the game. Quinton Smith hit a pair of free throws to pull SBU within 11, but Wolf hit another three, one of his career-high six in the game, to give UCM the largest lead of the night at 45-31 with 14:42 to play.
   The Bearcats slowly began to claw their way back in to the game. Afam Obukwelu hit a pair of foul shots and Gabrovsek scored on a layup to cut the UCM lead eight. A
Brennen Hughes layup pushed the lead back to 10, but Derrick Stewart was fouled and made both shots to make it an eight-point game.
   Wolf drained another three to push UCM in front by 11, but the Bearcats kept coming back. A 9-2 run cut the lead to four with 4:09 to play in the game.
Rakeem Dickerson made two free throws to break the run and put the Mules back up six. Following a Finn Delany jumper, Wolf hit another triple and the Mules led by seven.
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Preston Brunz calmly hit two free throws with 1;58 to play and Wolf hit a pair at the 1:07 mark to give the Mules a 66-55 lead. The Bearcats would get back to within four, but it was too little too late as the Mules got the victory.
   Wolf and Brunz led three Mules in double figures as White added 10. The Mules were 21-of-47 from the field for 45 percent. They were 9-of-16 for 56 percent from three point range, but just 20-of-32 from the free throw line for 63 percent.
   Stewart led SBU with 22 points, while Cowlah added 10. The Bearcats were 22-of-42 for 52 percent from the floor and 9-of-16 from three-point range. They made 14-of-17 at the charity stripe for 82 percent.
   The Mules out-rebounded SBU 29-26, including 10 offensive boards. The Mules forced 13 SBU turnovers and turned those in to a 20-10 advantage in points off turnovers.
THE MULES AT HOME• Central Missouri is 167-23 at the Multipurpose Building over the last 13 years and 13-2 under
Doug Karleskint after the win over Southwest Baptist on Saturday.
• Over the last nine years, UCM is 150-13 at home, including 59-1 against non-conference opponents and 91-12 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 478-90 in their 39th season playing home games at the Multi.
MULES ON THE ROAD• The Mules are 6-2 on the road this season after the 67-47 win at Lincoln on February 11.
• The Mules are one of only three teams with a winning record on the road during MIAA play.
• 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 13-4 in conference action under
Doug Karleskint and tied atop the league standings after the win over Southwest Baptist Saturday.
• Central Missouri is 171-70 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.
CENTRAL REGION RANKINGS• The Mules were ranked No. 3 in the initial Central Region rankings that were released by the NCAA last Wednesday afternoon.
• The top eight teams in the final rankings on Sunday, March 8 qualify for the Central Regional tournament March 14, 15 and 17 at a campus site to be determined.
• The NCAA-II Men's Selection Show is set for 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 8 on NCAA.com.
   Central Region   Overall D-II Record   In-Region Record   1. Augustana (S.D.)   21-1   21-1
   2. Minnesota State-Moorhead   23-2   21-2
   3. Central Missouri   18-4   18-4   4. Minnesota State-Mankato   18-6   16-6
   5. Northern State   17-7   17-7
   6. Northwest Missouri State   15-5   15-5
   7. Pittsburg State   15-8   15-8
   8. Ouachita Baptist   15-4   15-4
   9. St. Cloud State   14-9   14-9
   10. Lindenwood   13-9   13-9
A UCM WIN WOULD...• Give the Mules an 23-4 overall record and a 14-4 mark in MIAA play and keep UCM in at least a tie for first place in the league standings heading into the regular season finale on Saturday.
• Give UCM seven straight wins over Missouri Western and seven straight wins overall.
• Secure a top two seed for the Mules at the MIAA Tournament and a bye to the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 5 in Kansas City.
A UCM LOSS WOULD...• Drop the Mules to 22-5 overall and give UCM a 13-5 record in MIAA play and possibly drop them out of first place in the league standings with just one game to play.
• Snap UCM's current six-game winning streak and snap the six-game winning streak against Missouri Western.
• Give the Mules three home losses in a season for the first time since 2011-12.
BLOCK PARTY• Senior
Dillon Deck has 66 blocked shots in his UCM career, fourth most on UCM's career blocks list, while
Brennen Hughes has 44 in his career, the ninth most.
• Deck is 10 blocks shy of tying Kelvin Richardson (1995-96) for third place on UCM's career list, while Hughes is five away from Darryl Somerset (2005-07) and Matt Webb (2011-13) for seventh on the list.
• Deck blocked 32 shots last season, the eighth most in a single season in Central Missouri history. His 34 blocks this season are tied with Manny Richardson (2010-11) for the seventh most in a single season.
• Hughes has 28 blocked shots this season, two shy of 10th most on the single-season blocks list.
MULES SECURE SPOT IN MIAA TOURNAMENT• With the win over Missouri Southern on February 7, the Mules clinched a spot in the MIAA Postseason Tournament. The Mules have made the MIAA Tournament every year since it's inception, the only school in the league to do so.
• The Mules' magic number to clinch a top four seed and a bye to the quarterfinals in Kansas City is one.
• This year's tournament will begin on Monday, March 2 with seeds Nos. 5-12 playing play-in games at the higher seeded school. The winners of those four games will advance to play at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium March 5-8 along with the top four teams in the league, who all receive byes to Kansas City. Men's quarterfinal action will tip-off on Thursday, March 5.
KARLESKINT ERA OFF TO A GOOD START•
Doug Karleskint is 22-4 in his first season as the head coach at Central Missouri and 112-38 (.747) 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.
• Karleskint became the fourth Mules' head coach to win at least 20 games in his first season.
• 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 moved up four spots to No. 12 in the latest NABC/Division II Rankings released on Tuesday afternoon.
• The Mules have been ranked in 151 polls in the history of the program, the seventh most in NCAA-II history.
• The Mules moved up three spots to No. 17 in last week's Division II Media Poll sponsored by D2SIDA. The D2SIDA poll is in its first year of existence and is voted on by a panel of Division II Sports Information Directors.
MULES BASKETBALL HISTORY• In the 110th season of UCM basketball, the Mules have compiled a 1,637-928 (.638) record in 2,565 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 24 times in the history of the program, including this season.
• 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 98.5 The Bar, 1450 KOKO and online at warrensburgradio.com. 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 the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 28 at Northwest Missouri. Tip-off in Maryville is set for 3:30 p.m. at Bearcat Arena.
