18th-ranked Mules begin MIAA Tournament play against Central Oklahoma

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TIP-OFF
• The 18th-ranked Central Missouri Mules open MIAA play as the No. 2 seed on Thursday at 6 p.m. against seventh-seeded Central Oklahoma at historic Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.
• The Mules are 23-5 overall this season and finished 14-5 in MIAA play after an 83-73 loss at Northwest Missouri on Saturday to close out the regular season. The loss snapped UCM's seven-game winning streak.
• Central Oklahoma comes in at 20-9 overall after their dramatic 73-72 come-from-behind win over Missouri Western in Monday night's play-in game.
• 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 1,637 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 73.9 points per game and shooting 50.4 percent from the field. The opposition is averaging 66.4 points per game and shooting 43 percent from the field and 38 percent from beyond the arc.
• In their 23 wins, the Mules are averaging 75.1 points per game and shooting 52 percent from the field, while holding opponents to 64.0 points per game and 41.6 percent shooting.
• In the five losses, UCM scores 68.0 points per contest and shoots nearly 45 percent from the field, while opponents are averaging 77.2 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 FEED
• TJ White has recorded his first four 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 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.
• Preston Brunz, Rakeem Dickerson and TJ White are second, fifth and 13th, respectively, in the MIAA in assist-to-turnover ratio. Brunz is also third in three-point field goal percentage, Dickerson is third in the league in assists, and White is fifth in steals.
• Brennen Hughes (65.5) leads the MIAA in field goal percentage, while TJ White (56.0) is fifth.
• The Mules are 12th in the nation in field goal percentage.

MIAA POSTSEASON HONORS
• The Mules had five players earn All-MIAA honors as voted on by the league's coaches. Brennen Hughes was a First Team All-MIAA selection, Rakeem Dickerson was named to the Second Team and Dillon Deck earned Honorable Mention honors. Preston Brunz and TJ White were both named to the MIAA's All-Defensive Team.
• This is the second straight All-MIAA honor for Deck and the first for the other four players.

SERIES HISTORY
• This will be just the 11th all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Central Oklahoma. The series is all square at 5-5.
• The Bronchos won the only meeting between the two this season, 72-57, back on December 18 in Warrensburg. The win for UCO snapped UCM's 33-game home court winning streak, and the 16-game winning streak that dated back to last season.
• The win also snapped the Mules' two-game winning streak in the series.
• This will be the second meeting between the two in the MIAA Tournament. The Mules beat the Bronchos 92-73 in the 2013 MIAA Tournament Semifinals.

LAST MEETING WITH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
• The Mules were held to a season-low 29 percent shooting and 23 second half points as Central Oklahoma handed them their first loss of the season, 72-57, on Dec. 18 in Warrensburg.
• Rakeem Dickerson led the Mules with 16 points, but was just 5-of-17 from the field. The Mules were 20-of-67 from the floor as a team.
• The loss snapped the Mules 16-game winning streak dating back to last year and their 33-game home court winning streak.
• The 57 points was the lowest output since UCM scored 56 in the NCAA Tournament opener against Arkansas Tech last year.
• The Mules made one field goal in final 8:27 of the game.
• The Bronchos shot 49 percent from the field and 56 percent from three-point range. Mahlon Jones led UCO with 18 points and Cal Andrews chipped in 17. UCO held a 32-18 edge in points in the paint and recorded seven blocked shots.

SCOUTING THE BRONCHOS
• Central Oklahoma enters the MIAA Tournament Quarterfinal matchup at 20-9 overall after a 73-72 comeback win over Missouri Western on Monday night in a tournament play-in game. The Bronchos are on a five-game winning streak.
• UCO sports the league's top scoring offense at 78.8 points per game. They shoot 49 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range. They are 66 percent at the free throw line.
• They allow 71.1 points per game, which ranks 10th in the league, and opponents shoot 41 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range.
• UCO has gotten to the free throw line 161 more times than their opponents.
• The Bronchos are also the top rebounding team in the league, averaging 36.2 boards per game.
• Mahlon Jones leads four UCO players averaging in double figures at 13.4 points per game. Philip Brown scores 10.9 points per outing and pulls down a team-leading 5.2 rebounds per contest. Seth Heckart shoots 44 percent from three-point range and averages 10.6 points per game and Garen Wright chips in 10.0 per outing.
• The Bronchos average over 14 assists per game, but they also average over 14 turnovers per outing. They are second in the MIAA in blocks at nearly four per game. They blocked seven UCM shots in the previous meeting.

LAST TIME OUT • NORTHWEST MISSOURI 83, CENTRAL MISSOURI 73 • 2/28/15
MARYVILLE, Mo. - The 12th-ranked Mules bid for a fourth straight MIAA title came up short in an 83-73 loss at Northwest Missouri on Saturday afternoon. The Mules shot 63 percent from the field in the game, but went the final 7:22 without a field goal and were just 13-of-26 at the free throw line.
    The Mules' (23-5, 14-5 MIAA) final field goal of the game came at the 7:22 mark when Rakeem Dickerson scored a three-point play to give UCM a 66-62 lead. The Bearcats (22-5, 15-4 MIAA) closed the game on a 21-7 run and won their first outright MIAA title since 1986-87 and kept the Mules from becoming just the fourth team in MIAA history to win four straight conference titles.
    The Mules started out hot, jumping to a 12-2 lead four minutes in to the game. They made their first eight shots from the field and shot a blistering 70 percent in the first half. When the Mules did miss their first shot, Brennen Hughes was right there with a putback dunk to give UCM a 10-point lead.
    The Bearcats rallied, however, using a 23-8 run to go from 23-13 down to 36-31 ahead with 2:37 to play in the half. The Mules scored the final six points of the half, however, on three-pointers from Brad Woodson and Jordan Epps to lead 37-36 at the intermission.
    The Mules used a 7-0 run early in the second half to break a 44-all tie and lead 51-44 with 14:38 to play in the game. A 9-2 run by the Bearcats tied the game, but the Mules went right back in front with four quick points. The lead was five with 8:09 to play in the game, but a pair of free throws and a Justin Pitts layup cut the lead to 63-62. The next trip down the floor Dickerson scored his three-point play, but the Mules would go cold from the field the rest of the way.
    The lead was two with just over six minutes to play when Conner Crooker hit a deep three to beat the shot clock and give NWMSU a one-point lead. The Mules went back in front on Hughes' two free throws, but Zach Schneider hit a trey with 4:56 to play that gave the Bearcats the lead for good. The lead grew to five before Preston Brunz made two free throws with 2:35 to play to make it a 74-71 game, but Northwest would ice the game away at the free throw line.
    Dickerson led all scorers with 23 points, while Hughes chipped in 14 points and eight rebounds and Kyle Wolf added 10 points. UCM was 26-of-41 from the field and 8-of-14 from three-point range.
    The Bearcats shot 50 percent for the game, 25-of-50, and made 8-of-17 from three-point range. They were 25-of-30 at the free throw line. NWMSU was led by Grant Cozad's 21 points. Pitts had 19 and Schneider chipped in 18.
    Northwest out-rebounded UCM 28-23 and turned 10 UCM turnovers in to 17 points.

MULES IN THE MIAA POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT
• The Mules are 32-28 all-time in the MIAA Tournament and 14-8 in games played in Kansas City after falling in the quarterfinals last year.
• The Mules have captured six MIAA Tournament championships in school history, more than any other league school. UCM has been in the championship game 14 times in the history of the tournament.
• The Mules have made the championship game five of the 12 years the tournament has been held in Kansas City.
• UCM has won tournament championships in 1981-82, 1983-84, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2008-09 and 2012-13.
• The Mules have played in every MIAA Tournament since it's inception, the only school to do so.
• Overall, here is how the Mules have fared against conference opponents in the MIAA postseason tournament:
Team    Quarters    Semis    Finals    In KC    Overall
Central Oklahoma    -    1-0    -    1-0    1-0
Emporia State    2-0    1-0    -    1-0    3-0
Fort Hays State    1-0    -    -    1-0    1-0
Lincoln    -    0-1    -    -    0-1
Lindenwood    -    -    -    -    -
Missouri Southern    4-0    -    1-0    3-0    5-0
Missouri Western    1-3    1-1    1-1    2-0    3-5
Nebraska-Kearney    -    -    -    -    -
Northeastern State    0-1    -    -    0-1    0-1
Northwest Missouri    0-2    3-0    2-1    1-0    5-3
Pittsburg State    2-3    1-0    1-0    2-2    4-3
Southwest Baptist    0-1    1-0    0-2    1-1    1-3
Washburn    0-4    1-1    -    1-3    1-5
    -- vs former MIAA members --
Missouri-Rolla    -    -    0-1    -    0-1
Missouri-St. Louis    1-0    1-0    -    -    2-0
Nebraska Omaha    0-1    -    -    0-1    0-1
Southeast Missouri    1-0    2-1    1-3    -    4-4
Truman State    -    2-1    -    1-0    2-1
Totals    12-15    14-5    6-8    14-8    32-28

THE MULES AT HOME
• Central Missouri is 168-23 at the Multipurpose Building over the last 13 years and 14-2 under Doug Karleskint after the win over Missouri Western on Wednesday.
• Over the last nine years, UCM is 151-13 at home, including 59-1 against non-conference opponents and 92-12 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 479-90 in their 39th season playing home games at the Multi.

MULES ON THE ROAD
• The Mules are 6-3 on the road this season after the 83-73 setback at Northwest Missouri on Saturday. The loss snapped a three-game road winning streak for the Mules.
• 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 finished the regular season 14-5 in conference action under Doug Karleskint and second in the final league standings.
• Central Missouri is 172-71 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
• The Mules are 4-0 this season in the games immediately following a loss after their 89-79 victory over Missouri Southern on January 31 that followed the loss at Lindenwood.
• The Mules have not lost back-to-back games since dropping three straight since the 2012-13 season (Feb. 2, 7, 9, 2013).

CENTRAL REGION RANKINGS
• The Mules fell one spot to No. 4 in the latest Central Region rankings that were released by the NCAA on Wednesday.
• 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.)    24-2    24-2    
    2. Minnesota State-Moorhead    27-2    25-2    
    3. Northwest Missouri State    19-5    19-5    
    4. Central Missouri    20-5    20-5    
    5. Minnesota State-Mankato    22-6    20-6    
    6. Northern State    21-7    21-7    
    7. Ouachita Baptist    18-5    18-5    
    8. Missouri Southern    15-9    13-9    
    9. Central Oklahoma    16-8    16-8    
    10. Pittsburg State    16-11    16-11

A UCM WIN WOULD...
• Give the Mules an 24-5 overall record and advance UCM to the MIAA Tournament Semifinals on Saturday at 2:15 p.m.

A UCM LOSS WOULD...
• Drop the Mules to 23-6 overall and eliminate UCM from the MIAA Tournament in the quarterfinals for the second straight year.

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 46 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 three 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 30 blocked shots this season, one shy of 10th most on the single-season blocks list.

KARLESKINT ERA OFF TO A GOOD START
• Doug Karleskint is 23-5 in his first season as the head coach at Central Missouri and 113-39 (.743) 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.
• His 23 wins are the most by a first-year head coach in Central Missouri history.
• 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 NATIONAL POLLS
• The Mules dropped six spots to No. 18 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 dropped six spots in to a tie at No. 20 in this 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 1,638-929 (.638) record in 2,567 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.

UPCOMING
• If the Mules beat UCO/MWSU they will advance to Saturday's MIAA Tournament Semifinals to play the winner of Missouri Southern and Nebraska-Kearney at 2:15 p.m.
• A possible MIAA Tournament Championship Game appearance would take place on Sunday, March 8 at 1 p.m.
• The NCAA Selection Show will take place on Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. CST on NCAA.com.