TIP-OFF• The Central Missouri Mules return home to host Washburn in the first of two straight home games. Tip-off on Wednesday night, Jan. 23 is set for 7:30 p.m. at the UCM Multipurpose Building.
• The Mules are 12-6 overall on the season and 6-6 in MIAA play after splitting games at Northeastern State (W) and at Central Oklahoma (L-2OT) last weekend.
• Washburn enters the game at 11-6 overall and 7-5 in conference play after beating arch-rival Emporia State 70-62 on Saturday night in Topeka.
• The Mules were 25-7 a season ago and advanced to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. It was the eighth 20-win season in the last 11 years and the 24th in school history.
• Central Missouri finished 14-5 in MIAA play last year and finished as the regular season runner-up.
QUICK HITS• This is the 111th season of Central Missouri Mules basketball.
• Central Missouri is third all-time in NCAA Division II men's basketball with 1,652 wins.
• Last season was the 12th straight season of at least 18 wins for UCM, an MIAA record.
• Last season was the third straight 20-win season for UCM and the 24th in program history.
• The Mules have won two NCAA Men's National Championships (1984 & 2014) and four National Championships overall (1937 & 1938 NAIB).
MULE FEED• The Mules are averaging 74.7 points per game while shooting 46.1 percent from the field. Opponents are averaging 69.6 points per game on 4235 percent shooting.
• The Mules are shooting 35 percent (127-of-363) from three-point range compared to 31.3 percent (115-of-368) for the opposition.
• The Mules are 10th in the MIAA in scoring offense and third in scoring defense. They are eighth in the league in field goal percentage and third in field goal percentage defense and first in three-point field goal percentage defense.
• Eleven different players have scored in double figures for the Mules and six different players have led the team in scoring this season.
•
Marquiez Lawrence (14 points, 10 rebounds) recorded the first double-double of the season for Central Missouri in the win over MidAmerica Nazarene. He has three double-doubles on the season.
SERIES HISTORY• This will be the 96th all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Washburn with the Mules holding a 49-46 advantage.
• The Mules beat the Ichabods 63-60 on January 5, 2015 in Topeka in the only meeting of the season. UCM has won back-to-back games in the series after Washburn won three straight.
• The Mules lead the series 26-14 in games played in Warrensburg. The teams have split the last two meetings at the Multi, but UCM has won nine of the last 10 overall at UCM.
LAST MEETING WITH WASHBURN• The Mules held Washburn to 39 percent shooting and outscored the Ichabods 23-14 at the free throw line to pull out a 63-60 win in Topeka last season.
• The Mules were led by
Brennen Hughes and
Kyle Wolf with 12 points apiece.
Dillon Deck chipped in 11 off the bench.
• UCM shot a season-low 28 percent (4-of-14) from three-point range.
• The Mules out-rebounded Washburn 32-30 and each team finished with 12 turnovers.
• Kyle Wiggins led the Ichabods with a game-high 22 points, while Kevin House chipped in 13.
SCOUTING THE ICHABODS• Washburn enters the contest at 11-6 overall and 7-5 in MIAA play after a 70-62 win over Emporia State on Saturday.
• The Ichabods are led by 37th-year head coach Bob Chipman. He has a 784-336 record during his tenure at WU.
• Washburn is ninth in the MIAA in scoring at 75.0 ppg and they are sixth in scoring defense allowing 73.6 ppg.
• The 'Bods shoot 44.3 percent from the field, 11th in the MIAA, and allow just 40.2 percent shooting, second best in the league.
• Cameron Wiggins leads a trio of Ichabods in double figures with 14.2 points per game. Javion Blake averages 13.6 per contest and Randall Smith chips in 10.9 per outing. Smith also leads the team in assists with 3.8 per game.
• Brady Skeens nearly averages a double-double with 9.1 points and a team-best 9.6 rebounds per contest.
• Washburn is +2.4 in rebound margin, fifth in the MIAA and they lead the league in rebounding with just over 39 boards per game.
LAST TIME OUT • CENTRAL OKLAHOMA 90, CENTRAL MISSOURI 86 2OT • 1/23/16EDMOND, Okla. – The Mules had late leads in regulation and overtime, but couldn't close it out and fell 90-86 in double overtime at Central Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon. With the loss, the Mules fall to 12-6 overall and 6-6 in MIAA play.
   The Mules (12-5, 6-5 MIAA) scored the first points of the game on a
Tereke Eckwood jumper, but the Bronchos (9-9, 5-7 MIAA) responded with a 6-0 run to grab the lead. A layup from Eckwood cut the lead to two, but an 8-0 run gave UCO a 14-4 lead just over five minutes in to the game.
   The Mules pulled to within four at 16-12 halfway through the opening period, but again the Bronchos answered with a run. A 9-2 spurt made it 25-14 with 6:11 left in the first half.
   A
Jakob Lowrance layup started a 7-0 run for UCM that ended with a
Kyle Wolf three-pointer. When it was done UCM trailed 25-21 with 3:54 to play. UCO answered with a three from Seth Heckart to push the lead back to seven, but Wolf was fouled while making a three and converted the four-point play to make it 28-25 with 1:56 left in the half. The Bronchos closed the half with four of the final five points and led 32-26 at the break.
   UCO pushed the lead to eight out of the intermission, but the Mules kept it close.
Garrett Sandbothe's jumper at the 17:16 mark cut the UCO lead to 36-33, but five quick points from the Bronchos made it 41-33.
   UCM roared back with a 10-0 run with six points from
D'Marnier Cunningham and four from
Marquiez Lawrence, to regain the lead at 43-41. The Bronchos buried a three to regain the lead, but
Tony Cochran answered with one of his own and UCM led 46-44 with 9:20 to play in the game.
   UCO went back in front with a 7-0 run that gave them a 51-46 lead with 6:37 to play in regulation. Cunningham scored four straight fast break points to pull UCM within one, but the Bronchos answered right back with a layup from Corey Alpough to go up 53-50.
   The Mules came right back to take a 55-54 lead on a Cunningham three. The game was tied two more times before Cunningham made two of three free throws to put UCM in front 58-56.
Spencer Reaves then made one of two at the line to give the Mules a three-point lead. A UCO jumper was followed by two Cunningham free throws to make it 61-58 with :16 left. The first UCO three-pointer was off the mark, but the Bronchos got an offensive board and Garen Wright hit a three with 2.8 to play to force overtime.
   In the first OT the Mules grabbed a four-point lead at 67-63 on layups from
Marquiez Lawrence and Cunningham, but back-to-back turnovers by UCM allowed the Bronchos to tie the game at 67. The game was tied at 69-all with25 seconds to play when
Brett O'Neil buried a three as the shot clock was winding down.
   The Bronchos scored a quick two on their next possession and the Mules were fouled with :06 to play. Cunningham made one of two free throws to give UCM a 73-71 lead, but Cornell Neal drove the length of the floor for a game-tying layup as the buzzer sounded to force a second overtime.
   UCO scored eight of the first 11 points in the second OT to grab an 81-76 lead with 1:28 to play. The lead went to seven on a pair of free throws, but Reaves drained a three to make it 83-79. Following two more foul shots Reaves hit another triple and it was 85-82 with :30 to play.
   The lead was 87-84 with :16 to play, but Reaves' three was short and UCO snagged the rebound. Two foul shots gave UCO a five point advantage. Cunningham went coast-to-coast for a layup to pull UCM within three, but Neal made one of two free throws to ice the game for the Bronchos.
   Cunningham led all scorers with 33 points to go along with four assists and four steals. Lawrence finished with 13 points and nine rebounds and O'Neill had 11.
   UCM was 29-of-63 from the field for 46 percent, but made just 8-of-27 three pointers for 29 percent. The Mules were 20-of-28 at the free throw line for 71 percent.
   Neal led UCO with 26 points and seven steals. Wright and Jarred Bairstow each had 16 in the game. UCO was 28-of-63 for 44 percent, 9-of-27 from beyond the arc for 33 percent and 25-of-36 at the foul line for 69 percent.
THE MULES AT HOME• The Mules are 9-3 at home this year after the 51-48 win over Lincoln on Saturday.
• Central Missouri went 14-2 at home last season.
• Over the last 11 years, UCM is 160-16 at home, including 64-1 against non-conference opponents and 96-15 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 488-93 (.840) in their 40th season playing home games at the Multipurpose Building.
MULES ON THE ROAD• The Mules are 3-3 on the road this season after splitting a pair of road games last week at Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma.
• UCM was 6-3 on the road last season and were one of only three teams with a winning record on the road during MIAA play.
MULES IN MIAA PLAY• The Mules are 6-6 in MIAA play and in eighth place in the league standings after the loss at Central Oklahoma on Saturday.
• UCM finished the 2014-15 regular season 14-5 in conference action under
Doug Karleskint and second in the final league standings.
• Central Missouri is 179-77 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 6-0 in non-conference action after the wins over SE Oklahoma State and MidAmerica Nazarene.
• The Mules were 11-0 in regular season non-con games last season and are 132-31 over the last 13 seasons.
• Central Missouri is 64-1 in the last 65 non-conference home games at the Multipurpose Building.
A UCM WIN WOULD...• Give the Mules a 13-6 overall mark and 7-6 in MIAA play.
• Give UCM three straight wins over Washburn and a 50-46 lead in the all-time series.
• Give the Mules four straight home wins after dropping three in a row.
A UCM LOSS WOULD...• Drop UCM to 12-7 overall and below .500 in league play at 6-7.
• Pull Washburn within 49-47 in the all-time series and give WU wins in six of the last nine meetings.
• Give Central Missouri four home losses in a season for the first time since the 2003-04 season when they had five.
UCM DURING THE KARLESKINT ERA•
Doug Karleskint has a record of 37-13 (.740) in his second season as head coach at Central Missouri and a 127-47 (.730) overall mark in his sixth season as a head coach.
• He became the first Mules' head coach to start his first season at UCM 7-0 when he accomplished the mark last season.
• His 25 wins last year were 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.
• Before coming to UCM, 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 BASKETBALL HISTORY• In the 111th season of UCM basketball, the Mules have compiled a 1,652-937 (.638) record in 2,589 total games.
• The Mules are the third winningest program by victories in NCAA-II history.
• Central Missouri is one of just four 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 each of the last three seasons.
• Central Missouri has won 30 or more games in a season three times (2006-07, 2008-09, and 2013-14).
• 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• Entering the 2015-16 academic year, Central Missouri had won a combined 205 MIAA regular season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured five MIAA regular season titles, and three MIAA Tournament crowns.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director
Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 151 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
• Central Missouri has won eight national championships since 1980 (men's and women's basketball in 1984, baseball in 1994 and 2003, women's bowling in 2003, men's basketball in 2014, and women's indoor and outdoor track & field in 2015) and 10 national championships overall.
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM• Central Missouri had 218 student-athletes named to the 2014-15 MIAA Academic Honor Roll with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
• 29 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 six student-athletes earn Academic All-Region awards in their respective sports with three of those earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
• Since the year 2000, UCM is tied for sixth in NCAA-II with 49 Academic All-Americans.
MULES BASKETBALL ON THE AIR• Central Missouri basketball is broadcast live on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar, 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, presented by Bob Showers of Ameritas Investment Corp., live from Traditions Restaurant airs on Tuesday nights at 6:30 p.m. The Show is hosted by Greg Hassler and is broadcast live from Traditions Restaurant at Mules National Golf Club.
UPCOMING• The Mules host Emporia State on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 3:30 p.m. before heading out on the road for four straight games beginning on Thursday, Feb. 4 at Fort Hays State.
