Jennies Basketball Finishes Road Trip at Northwest Missouri

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Dec. 7, 2016) - Central Missouri Jennies Basketball has a seven-game road trip coming to an end this weekend. The Jennies play at Northwest Missouri Sunday, Dec. 11, at 1:30 p.m.

Opponent: Northwest Missouri (5-4, 0-2 MIAA) - Sunday, Dec. 11, 1:30 p.m.

Where: Maryville, Mo. - Bearcat Arena

How to Watch: Central Missouri basketball is broadcast live on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar, and online at warrensburgradio.com. Games this week are broadcast by 1450 KOKO/98.5 The Bar Sports Director, Greg Hassler. Video is also available through Embry-Riddle and Barry's internet portal through Stretch Internet.

Tip-Off
• MIAA play continues with the Jennies at Northwest Missouri this Sunday in Maryville, Mo.
• UCM is off to a 1-0 start in MIAA with a win last week at Missouri Western, 66-58.
• Central Missouri is in the middle of their slowest portion of their schedule. After their trip to Florida, UCM plays only four games in the month of December. They have a full week off before each of their first three conference games of the season.

Story Lines
• Central Missouri is riding a seven-game winning streak and are 7-1 through first eight games of the season. It is their best start to a season since opening the 2013-14 season at 12-1.
• The Jennies are 64-26 all-time against the Bearcats, however NWMSU has proven much tougher at home as Central Missouri is just 21-16 in Maryville. The two teams met just once last year, over a full calendar year ago, Dec. 5, with UCM coming out on top 85-39, their most one-sided win of the season. The 46-point margin of victory was their largest in MIAA play since a 64-point win over Lincoln in January, 1992. 
• Head Coach Dave Slifer became the winningest coach in Jennies history with his win vs. Arkansas-Fort Smith, passing Jon Pye's 228 wins at UCM. He currently stands at 234. 

Quick Hits
Last Time Out
Central Missouri kicked off the MIAA season on a high-note with a 66-58 win over defending MIAA regular season champions, Missouri Western. Paige Redmond led three Jennies in double-figures with 16 points. The Jennies overcame a six-point fourth quarter deficit for their seventh win in a row. UCM outscored the Griffons 24-13 in the fourth quarter and closed the game on a 13-1 run. 

Previously vs. Northwest Missouri
The Jennies earned their seventh win in their last eight games against Northwest with an 85-39 win in their only matchup last season. Tayler Weiks had the hot hand scoring a career-high 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting including 8-of-10 from beyond the arc. UCM finished the game shooting 54% from the floor and 61% from three.

Jennies on the Road
The Jennies have found success on the road this season to the tune of a 3-0 record. Central Missouri was 5-9 away in road games last season and 4-7 in MIAA road contests. 

Inside the Winning Streak
Since dropping their first game of the season, Central Missouri has won seven in a row. It's their longest winning streak since winning nine straight in February and March of 2015. In four of the seven games, the Jens have reached 70 points, and have scored at least 89 points in three of those games. UCM has been deadly from deep in those seven games, shooting 41.8% from three. They've also shot at least 44% from the floor in six of the seven games.

Among the Leaders
Central Missouri fell just below 80 points per game this season and are third in the MIAA at 79.8 points per game, 26th in the NCAA.  They are still in the NCAA top-10 in both free throw and three-point percentage, ranking ninth in both shooting 39.9% from three and 78.9% from the charity stripe. 

Individually, the Jennies have three players averaging more than 10 points per game with Paige Redmond's 15.8 PPG leading the way, ranking 10th in the conference. Redmond is also fourth in the MIAA in free throw percentage, and ninth in three-point percentage. She ranks eighth with 3.8 assists per game and fifth with a 2.1 assist to turnover ratio. Ashley Duffy is scoring 12.8 points per game, and her 47.6% from three is fourth in the MIAA. 

After securing 12 rebounds at Missouri Western, Kayonna Lee is up to No. 5 in the MIAA with 8.3 rebounds per game.

Ball Protection 
In seven of eight games this season, UCM has been on the plus-side of the turnover battle. The Jennies are ranked 14th in the nation in fewest turnovers per game at 12.5. They're also 18th in turnover margin at plus-7.13.

Threes Company
The Jennies have not been shy about pulling the trigger when it comes to three-pointers. UCM has taken 163 3FG attempts this season, just a shade over 20 attempts per game, and their 39.9% on three's is ninth in the NCAA. 

Charitable Donations
Not only have the Jennies been sizzling from beyond the arc, they're even better at the free throw line. Central Missouri leads the MIAA and is ninth in the nation shooting 78.9 percent from the charity stripe. Much of that success has come from Paige Redmond and Kayonna Lee. Redmond is fourth in the MIAA and 34th in Division II connecting on 88.9% (32-36) of her attempts while Lee is shooting 81.8% (36-44) and her 36 makes is also 34th in Division II. 

Come Early, Stay Late
Central Missouri's top two scoring periods this season have been the first and fourth, separated by just two points. UCM has been getting off to raucous starts with 170 points in first quarters, outscoring their opponents by an average of 21.25-17. While UCM has scored 150 points in both the second and third quarters, they've been picking it up in the fourth, scoring 168 points and clamping down on defense, holding opponents to just 100 points in eight games. They're outscoring opponents by an average of 21-12.5 in the final frame. That difference was on display against Missouri Western as they turned a six-point deficit into an eight-point win, outscoring the Griffons 24-13 in the final period. 

Scouting the Opposition
Northwest Missouri Bearcats
• After starting the season winning their first five games, Northwest Missouri is currently in the midst of a four-game losing streak.
• The Bearcats have already played a pair of conference games, dropping both to Central Oklahoma last week and Missouri Western on Tuesday. Both losses came by double-digits.
• Northwest's offense has run through junior Tanya Meyer this season. She leads the MIAA scoring 21.7 points per game after scoring 31 against the Griffons. Meyer is also second in the MIAA in rebounding, pulling down 9.1 rebounds per game. She has three double-doubles in seven games played.
• The Bearcats have been one of the better shooting teams in the MIAA. They lead the nation in three-point percentage, shooting 43% from beyond the arc this season (83-193). Most of those three-pointers can be attributed to Jasmin Howe. Howe is scoring 14.2 points per game and is 25-51 from three.
• With the help of Meyer, NWMSU is outrebounding opponents, 36.4-33. Taryne Shull is averaging 6.6 rebounds for the Bearcats and is one of four Bearcats with more than four rebounds per game. 
• Four Bearcats have dished out 10 or more assists this season. Macy Williams has 51 to lead the team and her 5.7 assists per game are second in the MIAA. 
• Northwest has been prone to turning the ball over, giving it away 125 times this season, and their 13.9 turnovers per game is seventh in the MIAA. Unfortunately, they don't do a good job of creating turnovers on the defensive end, and their -4.56 turnover ratio is the worst in the MIAA. 
• Fans of blocked shots might not have much to see as the Jennies and Bearcats are at the bottom of the MIAA in blocked shots. The Bearcats are blocking 1.78 shots per game. Of their 16, Carlie Wilhelmi leads the team with seven.