Mules Return Home to Battle Missouri Southern

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TIP-OFF
• The 25th-ranked Central Missouri Mules return to the UCM Multipurpose Building for the first time since January 21. Tip-off time is slated for 3:30 p.m. 
• The Mules are 18-4 on the season and 9-4 in MIAA play after a 67-64 win in overtime at Southwest Baptist on Thursday night.
• The Lions are 14-7 overall and 8-4 in MIAA play. They last played a week ago when UCM made the trip to Joplin, defeating the Lions 89-79.
• 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 1,633 wins.
• The Mules are averaging 75.6 points per game and shooting 50.4 percent from the field. The opposition is averaging 68.1 points per game and shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.
• In their 18 wins, the Mules are averaging 77.6 points per game and shooting 52.6 percent from the field, while holding opponents to 66.4 points per game and 41.2 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.
• Brennen Hughes recorded his first double-double of the season Thursday at SBU. Hughes scored a team-high 17 points and pulled in 10 rebounds.
• Five Mules have recorded double-doubles this season (Deck, Dickerson, White, Wolf, Hughes).
• Ten different Mules have scored in double figures this season ... nine different Mules have led the team in scoring.
• Rakeem Dickerson and Preston Brunz are third and fourth, respectively, in the MIAA in assist-to-turnover ratio. 

SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the 58th all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Missouri Southern with the Mules holding a 35-22 advantage in the series.
• The Mules won their first meeting in Joplin January 31, 89-79.
• UCM went 3-0 against the Lions in 2013-14 including a 94-84 win on March, 16, 2014 in the Central Region Semifinals in Mankato, Minnesota. 
• The Mules are 18-8 against MSSU in Warrensburg and haven't lost to the Lions at home since December 3, 2011.

LAST MEETING WITH MISSOURI SOUTHERN
• The Mules shot 56 percent from the field  and 18-of-24 at the free throw line in an 89-79 win in Joplin a week ago on January 31, 2015.
• Rakeem Dickerson led UCM with 22 points to go along with three assists and three rebounds. Jordan Epps added 16 points  while Brad Woodson chipped in 15 including four three-pointers• The Mules held a 39-16 advantage in points off the bench.
• Taevaunn Prince led MSSU in scoring with 20 points. Lane Barlow had 18 points and Greg Renfroe and Cameron Cornelius each had 11 points apiece.
• The Mules had 13 assists on 32 made field goals and turned the ball over just eight times. MSSU had 12 assists on 27 made buckets and turned the ball over just seven times.

SCOUTING THE LIONS
• Missouri Southern enters the game at 14-7 overall and 8-4 in MIAA play after an 89-79 loss at home to Central Missouri last Saturday afternoon.
• The loss to the Mules snapped a four game winning streak for the Lions. The Lions are 6-3 so far in the 2015 calendar year.
• MSSU is scoring 78.5 points per game and shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from three-point range. The Lions give up 72.1 points per contest, 42.8 percent shooting from the floor and 30.4 percent from beyond the arc. They are third in the MIAA in field goal percentage defense and lead the conference in three-point field goal percentage defense.
• Taevaunn Prince leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging a 15.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per outing.
• Lane Barlow is second on the squad in scoring 11.9 per contest.
• MSSU leads the MIAA in free throw percentage. The Lions are connecting at 74.7 from the charity stripe.
• The Lions are averaging 13.7 turnovers per outing, while forcing almost 14 per game.

LAST TIME OUT • CENTRAL MISSOURI 67, SOUTHWEST BAPTIST 64 • 2/5/15
BOLIVAR, Mo. - The 25th ranked Mules basketball team concluded a three game road trip with an overtime win against Southwest Baptist, 67-64. The win pushes the Mules to 18-4 overall and 9-4 in the MIAA.
    UCM stumbled out of the gates allowing the Bearcats to go up early 9-5 heading to the first media timeout. The Mules finally took their first lead of the game when Preston Brunz hit his first of two three-pointers, just under seven minutes in.
    The two foes traded baskets over the next eight minutes with SBU regaining a slight advantage at 21-20. The lead was short-lived however as the Mules went on a 6-0 spurt thanks to a pair of free throws from TJ White and Brennen Hughes each and a jumper from Brunz.
    After a three-pointer from SBU's Quinton Smith made it a two-point game, Dillon Deck scored the next three points to match UCM's largest lead of the game to that point at 29-24.
    It looked like that lead would hold up into the intermission, but Derrick Stewart nailed a buzzer-beating three to cut the Mule lead back to two, 29-24, heading to the locker room.
    At the break, Brunz led the Mules with seven points while Hughes had six and White tallied four points to go along with five rebounds and an assist.
    Both teams opened the second half cold from the floor. Kyle Wolf recorded the first points of the frame on a layup at the 17:33 mark.The Bearcats scored the next five points to reclaim the lead, 32-31, but the Mules rallied and went on a 7-0 stretch of their own, capped off with a Hughes layup, giving them a six-point edge, 38-32 and forcing an SBU timeout.
    Coming out of the timeout, Smith ended the Mules run with a three, but Brunz quickly answered with a trey of his own, bumping the lead back to six.
    UCM pushed their lead to eight, their largest of the game, 47-39, with 9:08 remaining, but the Bearcats continued to hang around.
    SBU quickly trimmed the lead down to one, 47-46, as they scored on three straight possessions with five points coming from Stewart.
    The Mules maintained a slight lead until Daymond Cowlah got a second-chance layup to go after corralling his own rebound off of a Hughes block, to take a 54-53 lead.
    After Hughes missed a layup with 20 seconds remaining, the Mules needed to foul and Menas Stephens sank both free throw attempts, making it a three-point game, 56-53.
    With only seconds remaining, Wolf came down with an offensive rebound, and Rakeem Dickerson found Jordan Epps for a three to tie the game with three seconds left on the clock. The basket was the first from the floor from the Mules in nearly seven and a half minutes. 
    UCM's defense didn't allow a last second shot attempt and for the fourth time this season, the Mules would head to overtime.
    In the extra period, the Mules scored the first three points thanks to an Epps free throw and Hughes layup. Down three, SBU's Stewart came up with a steal, put down a fast-break layup and drew a foul to make it a 59-58 ball game. However Stewart missed the ensuing free throw, failing to tie the game.
    A Hughes layup and a pair of Brunz free throws extended the Mule lead to four, 63-59, and SBU needed to call a timeout with 21 seconds remaining.
    Out of the timeout, UCM missed a pair of free throws and Cowlah connected on a three, again cutting the UCM lead to one, 63-62.
    That was as close as they'd come though, as Dickerson and Brunz both knocked down two free throws each in the final ten seconds, and a desperation three at the buzzer fell short and the Mules walked away with a hard-fought 67-64 win.
    Hughes led the Mules with 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double. He also swatted four shot attempts, tying the most in a single-game by a Mule this season. Brunz finished with 16 points and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe.
    SBU's Stewart led all scorers with 19 points and Stephens also picked up a double-double in the loss tallying 13 points and rebounds each.
    UCM shot 43.1% from the field on 22-of-51 shooting while holding the Bearcats to just 35.5%, the lowest for an opponent since Northeastern shot 34.5% back on Dec. 20.
    The Mules will return home to the UCM Multipurpose Building for the first time since Jan. 21. They'll welcome Missouri to Warrensburg Saturday, Feb. 7 as part of a doubleheader with the Jennies. The Mules and Lions tip-off at 3:30 p.m.

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 5-2 on the road this season after the 67-64 win at Southwest Baptist on Thursday 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 9-4 in conference action under Doug Karleskint after the win at Southwest Baptist on Thursday. UCM is one game back of conference leading Lindenwood and .5 games back of second place Pittsburg State.
• Central Missouri is 168-70 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 4-0 this season in the games immediately following a loss after the 89-79 victory over Missouri Southern on January 31.
• 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 19-4 record overall and 10-4 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.
• Give UCM 19 wins in a season for the fourth consecutive season.

A UCM LOSS WOULD...
• Drop the Mules to 18-5 overall and give UCM a 9-5 record in MIAA play.
• Snap the Mules' four-game winning streak against Missouri Southern.

BLOCK PARTY
• Senior Dillon Deck 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 18-4 in his first season as the head coach at Central Missouri and 108-38 (.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 re-entered the NABC/Division II Rankings this week at No. 25.
• The Mules have been ranked in 148 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 last week after being ranked 23rd in the previous 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 1,632-928 (.638) record in 2,560 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. 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 are back on the road for a single game Wednesday, February 11 to take on Lincoln.
• UCM then has a three-game homestand, their final regular-season home games of the season Feb.14-25.