WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Dec. 13, 2017) - Central Missouri Basketball plays two this weekend, including their final MIAA doubleheader before the New Year. They will also hit the road for an MIAA contest for the first time this season.
Opponents: Missouri Western Griffons (9-1, 3-0 MIAA)
Southwest Baptist Bearcats (7-3, 0-2 MIAA)
When: Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017 - Missouri Western
Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017 - Southwest Baptist
Where: Warrensburg, Mo. - UCM Multipurpose Building
Bolivar, Mo. - John Q. Hammons Court
How to Watch
• Jennies 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. There will be a live webcast of UCM games this weekend on UCM's Internet Blueframe portal and is available on TV streaming devices.
Tip Off
• Central Missouri continues MIAA play this weekend with a home game against Missouri Western and their first MIAA road contest at Southwest Baptist.
• These are the Jennies final MIAA games before the New Year.
Story Lines
• Thursday's game marks the end of a season-long six game homestand. UCM is currently 4-1.
• UCM has won two straight against the Griffons for the first time since winning straight from 2009-2014. UCM leads the all-time series 36-29
• UCM has won seven of the last eight against SBU and lead the Bearcats 55-13 all time.
For the Fans
• Central Missouri will once again team up with Toys For Tots. Donations will be accepted prior to the games on Thursday. Any fan who donates new, unwrapped toy, or gives a monetary donation of at least $10 will receive a coupon for one box of popcorn provided by UCM Concessions and Dining by Sodexo.
• From halftime of the Jennies throughout the first half of the Mules game, Santa Claus will be on hand to take pictures with children. He will be positioned on the west side of the arena.
• For the first time this season, Dining by Sodexo will open up the Courtside Cafe. Service starts at half time of the Jennies game and closes at the start of the Mules game. The cost per plate is $9.00.
Quick Hits
Last Time Out
Central Missouri opened MIAA play with a statement last Sunday. They handily defeated Northwest Missouri 77-40 at the Multi. The Jennies led by double-digits for almost 35 minutes.
Morgan Fleming scored 19 points and
Kayonna Lee recorded her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Previously vs. Missouri Western
Central Missouri mounted a vicious comeback at home against the Griffons last January. UCM trailed by seven at the half and tied things up heading to the fourth. UCM took over from there, outscoring MWSU 22-2 in the final frame to win by 20, 69-49.
Sydney Crockett led with 19 points including four triple. Redmond scored 19 and Lee had a 12-point/12-rebound double-double.
Jennies in the Rankings
The Jennies remained in the WBCA top-10 for the second straight week. They didn't move, standing pat at No. 10. They also reentered the D2SIDA Media Poll this week at No. 23. They had been out of the rankings since the preseason poll. D2SIDA also conducts weekly regional rankings, which sees the Jennies ranked third in the Central Region, up three spots from a week ago.
Around the MIAA
• After having played their first MIAA game on Sunday, the Jennies are the only team in the league with just one conference game played. Every other team has at least two games played and eight have at least three games played.
• With their 6-1 record, the Jennies have also played the fewest games of any MIAA team.
•
Kayonna Lee is in the league's top-10 in three defensive categories. She is fourth in blocks per game with 1.6, fifth in rebounding pulling down 9.4 per game, and eighth in steals with 2.0.
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Paige Redmond's 49.3% shooting percentage has her eighth in the MIAA. She is also 10th the league with 14.7 points per game and 11th with 1.9 3FG per game.
• Also in the top-10 is
Kelsey Williams who is eighth in the conference with 3.0 assists per game and second in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.6.
Individual Milestones
• Already this season,
Kelsey Williams has surpassed 200 points, 100 assists and against Northwest Missouri she grabbed her 100th career rebound.
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Sydney Crockett is just two points away from 400 for her career. She also stands at 99 career free throw attempts.
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Paige Redmond needs four more three pointers to make the UCM all-time top-10 list in three pointers made and 10 to reach 100 for her career. With 10 more assists, she will reach 200.
•
Sydney Skaggs is three rebounds shy of 100 for her career.
Ball Control
The Jennies are second in the MIAA and sixth in Division II with just 11.7 turnovers per game. Their +5.43 turnover margin is the third-best in the MIAA, as they are forcing 17.1 turnovers per game.
Block Party
Central Missouri hasn't had much to brag about in recent years when it comes to blocks, but they have seen an uptick in their blocking numbers recently. The Jennies blocked at least five shots in four of their last five games.
Kayonna Lee is a big reason for that with 11 blocks, all coming in the last five games.
Megan Skaggs has five and
Morgan Fleming and
Sydney Skaggs each have four blocks.
Isolated Defense
Always on the cutting edge of statistical trends, UCM Media Relations Manager
Joe Hoffmann has come up with the new "isolated defense" stat. The premise being that in an average game a team has 80 possessions each and the assumption both teams will score 50 points on 50 possessions or one point per possession and the rest of the game comes down to the other 30 possessions each. Isolated defense is quantifiable plays that the defense can control throughout the course of a game which are blocks and steals. Central Missouri's blocks plus steals per game is 12.7, fourth in the MIAA and their blocks + steals allowed per game is just nine. On an individual level,
Kayonna Lee is second in the MIAA at 3.57.
45 and Under
Central Missouri has held their last three opponents to fewer than 45 total points. It's been quite a while since that's happened. More than 40 years in fact. The last time UCM achieved that came at the end of the 1972-73 season when they held their final eight opponents to fewer than 45 points. And then another two to start the 1973-74 season.
Scouting the Opposition
Missouri Western Griffons
• Missouri Western is all alone at the top of the MIAA in the early portion of the season. They are 9-1 in their first 10 games and 3-0 in the MIAA.
• The Griffons only loss came on the road at No. 7 Drury. MWSU has played seven of their first 10 games at home and are 1-1 in true road games.
• It's been all about defense through 10 games for Missouri Western. They are second, only to UCM, giving up just 53.7 points per game. Part of the reason they are so great at keeping points off the board, is their ability to force turnovers. The Griffons are forcing 23.90 turnovers per game, 15th in the NCAA and tops in the MIAA. They are 5th in the nation in turnover margin at 10.30 and 13th with 12.8 steals/game.
• Brittany Atkins is the team's leading scorer this season with 14.3 points per game. She is the only Griffon to be scoring more than 10 points per game. Three though: Melia Richardson (8.6), Erin Anderson (8.6) and Dossou Ndiaye (8.3) are averaging more than eight points per game.
• The Griffons average more than 16 field goal attempts more than their opponents this season, leaving little room for defensive rebounds. MWSU does hold a 36.9-32.7 edge in rebounding though, led by KeShara Scott's 6.3 per game. Ndiaye is also averaging 5.4 boards per game. The Griffons' 475 field goal attempts allowed are by far the fewest in the MIAA among teams with at least 10 games played. The next closest have allowed more than 100 more, Northwest Missouri at 578.
• Richardson is one of seven Griffons with more than 10 assists this season. She leads the team with 34 and her 3.4 per game are fourth in the MIAA.
Player to Watch
#01 Brittany Atkins (5-9, G, JR, Kansas City, Mo.) - 14.3 points per game, .409/.412/.929
Southwest Baptist Bearcats
• Southwest Baptist got off to a tremendous start in nonconference action, but have dropped their first two MIAA games.
• The Bearcats success has come at home this season where they are 5-0. Their two MIAA losses were both on the road in Oklahoma, as was their early season loss in Florida.
• SBU is one of the highest scoring teams in the MIAA averaging 80.2 points per game which is third in the league and 24th in the NCAA. On the flip side though, they are one of just four MIAA teams to be giving up 70 points per game this season, as opponents average 71.7 points per game.
• The Bearcats are getting a lot of points at the free throw line. Their 194 made free throws are the fourth most in the NCAA and their 81.2% from the line is the ninth-best.
• The Bearcat offense goes through upperclassmen Megan Rosenbohm and Caylee Richardson. Rosenbohm is leading the MIAA and 20th in Division II scoring 21.5 points per game. Richardson is scoring 15.5 and seventh in the MIAA. They are one of just two teams in the MIAA with two players in the top-10 in scoring.
• Richardson is also the teams leading rebounder. She is sixth in the MIAA coming down with 8.7 rebounds per game. She also has six of the Bearcats 33 blocks this season.
• Ray'Shionne Smith has helped out all over the floor scoring 8.5 points per game with 2.5 rebounds, 23 assists, 11 steals and nine blocks. Rosenbohm leads the team with 33 assists and her 3.3 assists per game are fifth in the MIAA.
• SBU is committing 14.9 turnovers per game while forcing 19.1 from their opponents.
Player to Watch
#3 Caylee Richardson (6-2, F, JR, Hesston, Kan.) - First MIAA Player of the Week in 2017-18
