TIP-OFF
• Central Missouri Mules Basketball will close out the 2017 calendar year with their final non-conference game of the regular season. The Mules will take on NAIA school Missouri Valley College on Saturday, Dec. 30, in the Multipurpose Building. Tip-off against the Vikings is set for 2 p.m.
• After having its five game winning streak snapped in the conference opener to Northwest Missouri, UCM is back to its winning ways. UCM is winners of its last two games, both of which have come against MIAA opponents. At 9-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play, UCM will look to end 2017 on a high note and extend its winning streak to three games.
• The Mules were picked to finish second in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Missouri Valley is 8-5 overall with a 1-2 Heart of America Athletic Conference record. MVC's game against UCM will count as an exhibition game. The Vikings have fared well on the road this season with a 4-2 record.
• The Vikings were picked to finish seventh in the Heart of America Preseason Coaches' Poll.
ON THE AIR
• The games will be broadcast on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler calling the action.
• The games will also be webcast online through the MIAA's Blue Frame portal at http://www.themiaanetwork.com/ucmmules/. It is a pay-per-view webcast.
PROGRAM SNAPSHOT
• This is the 113th season of Central Missouri Mules basketball.
• Central Missouri is third all-time in NCAA Division II men's basketball with 1,684 wins.
• The Mules have won two NCAA Men's National Championships (1984 & 2014) and four National Championships overall (1937 & 1938 NAIB).
MULE FEED
• The Mules return one All-MIAA player from a season ago, senior guard
Spencer Reaves, who earned second team all-conference honors after averaging 17.1 points and 4.2 boards per game.
• The Mules averaged 73.1 points per game and shot 48.4 percent from the field last season. Defensively, UCM allowed 65.4 points per game on 43.4 percent shooting.
• 10 different players scored in double figures for the Mules in 2016-17 and five of those players return to the squad this year.
•
Spencer Reaves is the only returning UCM player to record a double-double during the 2016-17 season. He scored in double figures in 29 of 30 games played, including 13 20-point performances.
•
DJ Richardson is the only other returner besides Reaves who averaged double-figure points last season at 10.3 points per game.
SERIES HISTORY VS. MISSOURI VALLEY
• The Mules and Vikings history goes back to the 1920's as they first met in the 1922-23 season. The Mules walked away with a 46-9 win and lead the series 17-5 overall. In Warrensburg, the Mules are 11-2 against the Vikings.
• This will be the first meeting between the two schools in nearly a decade. UCM and MVC last met on Nov. 29, 2008, where UCM dispatched of MVC 96-63.
LAST MEETING WITH MISSOURI VALLEY
• The Mules led wire-to-wire as they took down the Vikings 96-63 On Nov. 29, 2008 at the Multi to improve to 5-0 on the season.
• UCM shot 36-71 from the floor for 50.7 percent and made 10-29 three pointers fro 34.5 percent. UCM held MVC to 63 points on 41.0 percent shooting (25-61) while allowing just four made triples on 16 attempts.
• Four Mules scored in double figures with guard Tremaine Luellen leading the way. He had a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, both game-highs. He shot 8-12 from the floor in 22 minutes of action and also recorded a blocked shot.
• Behind Luellen was Esian Henderson and Alex Moosmann who both scored 14 points apiece. Moosmann also handed a game-high five assists for UCM and had four made triples, while Henderson tallied two assists and two steals on the night.
• Joe Young was the final double-figure Mule on the night chipping in 11 points with two assists and one steal in 20 minutes of action.
• Leading the way for the Vikings was Patrick McDermott who scored 13 points on 5-8 shooting. He tallied one steal but alos had five turnovers.
• Roc Rogers was the only other MVC player to score in double digits. He chipped in 12 points on 4-10 shooting while going 2-3 from beyond the arc. He also had a team-high seven rebounds.
SCOUTING MISSOURI VALLEY
• The Vikings are coming off a 15-17 record a season ago, but they did make a run in the Heartland Conference Tournament, making it to the semifinal round. The Vikings return five players that started at least 12 games last season.
• Senior Kyle Hickey enters this season as the team's leading scorer from last year. He averaged 12.7 points per game. Two other seniors join the mix in Remy Price and Tim Washington. Price started all 32 games last year for MVC averaging 11.2 points and 4.0 assists per game.
• Washington saw action in all 32 games last season, with 18 starts. He finished the season averaging 10.4 points per game. Through 13 games this season, he leads the team in scoring averaging 14.8 points per game and is shooting a team-best 41.2 percent from three-point range.
• Three other Vikings are averaging double-figures this season behind Washington. Second in scoring is Darryl Lemear at 13.9 points per game. The senior is also pulling down 5.5 rebounds per game and has 27 assists on the year.
• Price and Beckley Obineke are the other two MVC players averaging double digit points with 10.4 and 10.5 points per game, respectively. Price is shooting 50.5 percent on the year and leads the team in assists with 40 total, while averaging 3.3 per game.
• Obineke is shooting 53.1 percent from the floor for the Vikings. He leads the team in blocked shots with 18 while averaging 1.4 per game. His total blocks are 17th in NAIA Division I, while his blocks per game rank 25th.
• Bobby Trey Collins III is MVC's leading rebounder at 5.8 per game and he also leads the team with 21 steals on the year. He is averaging 7.5 points per game on 54.1 percent shooting.
• The Vikings are averaging 77.8 points per game on 44.9 percent shooting, but are allowing 75.8 points by their opponents on 42.6 percent shooting.
LAST TIME OUT • CENTRAL MISSOURI 78, SOUTHWEST BAPTIST 76 • 12/16/17
BOLIVAR, Mo. (Dec. 16, 2017)-- Central Missouri Mules Basketball mounted a second half comeback in their first true road game of the season against MIAA foe Southwest Baptist to win 78-76 Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Mules have now won two straight games and improve 9-2 overall with a 2-1 MIAA record.
• Three Mules scored in double figures as the team shot 41.5% (22-53) and held off the Bearcats (5-5, 1-2 MIAA) who shot 53.3% from the floor (24-45).
• The Mules got off to a slow start missing their first three shots, but they did go 4-4 from the charity strip to start and led 4-2 early on.
• UCM used a quick 5-0 run to grab their largest first half at eight points. A three by
Blake Spellman and a layup from
Duane Clark Jr. gave UCM the 14-6 lead with 13:05 to play.
• The Bearcats found some rhythm and went on a 10-2 run to tie the game at 16-16 midway through the first half.
• The Mules opened the game up with a 7-0 run to lead 25-19 with 6:30 to play in the half, but the Bearcats answered it with an 8-0 run to go up 27-25 with 4:32 to play.
• The two teams traded buckets for the final four minutes, but the Mules took a one point lead, 37-36, into the break with a buzzer beating triple by
Spencer Reaves.
• The Bearcats grabbed the momentum to start the second half with a 9-2 run to lead the Mules 45-39.The Mules trailed by as much as the 10, 51-41, in the second half.
• UCM struggled to score yet again in the first 10 minutes of the second, scoring just 11 points. With 9:48 to play in the game, the Mules finally got things going and used a pair of runs, 9-0 and 5-0, to get back in the game late.
• The 9-0 run was ignited with a pair of made free throws by Spellman while Reaves and
Jakob Lowrance added a jumper and triple, respectively, and
DJ Richardson also sunk a pair of free throws. With the run, UCM tied the game 56-56.
• The Mules 5-0 run gave them the lead at 64-60 with 5:52 to play and they never relinquished it. SBU got it within one a few times, but late shots help secure the Mules two point win.
• Reaves scored a game-high 21 points while shooting 7-11 from the floor with four made triples on six attempts. He also grabbed three rebounds and dished out three assists.
• Lowrance was not far behind Reaves with 18 points on 6-9 shooting with three made triples. He grabbed four rebounds to tie the team lead.
• Richardson was the final Mule to score in double-digits. He chipped in 11 points with eight coming from the free throw line. He was a perfect 8-8 at the charity strip and had a game-high three steals.
• Spellman put up eight points and dished out four assists.
MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• Central Missouri is 2-1 to start conference play after picking up wins over Missouri Western and Southwest Baptist. UCM fell in the league lidlifter at home to Northwest Missouri, 79-55, on Dec. 10.
• UCM has won back-to-back MIAA games after a 0-1 start.
• The Mules are 37-26 in conference play under
Doug Karleskint.
MULES IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
• The Mules are 7-1 in non-conference action this season after the win over Baker on Dec. 5.
• The Mules were 8-3 in non-conference games last season, including a 6-2 mark in regular season non-con games. They are 145-36 over the last 16 seasons.
• Central Missouri is 70-2 in the last 72 non-conference home games at the Multipurpose Building.
MULES AT HOME
• UCM is 3-2 at home this season after defeating Missouri Western 67-51 on Dec. 14 and are 37-13 at home under
Doug Karleskint.
• UCM is 174-24 at home over the last 13 seasons, including 70-2 against non-conference opponents and 104-22 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 502-101 (.833) in their 42nd season playing home games at the Multipurpose Building.
MULES ON THE ROAD
• UCM is 1-0 on the road this season after defeating Southwest Baptist 78-76 back on Dec. 16.
• The Mules were 7-5 on the road last season.
• UCM is 18-17 in road games under
Doug Karleskint.
1,000 POINT CLUB
• Senior
Spencer Reaves scored 512 points last season, averaging 17.1 points per game and in his first two seasons with the Mules he scored 869 career points.
• He has 186 points this season and now has 1,055 for his career. He is the 20th player in Mules Basketball History to eclipse 1,000 career points.
• Reaves 1,055 points ranks 19th on the UCM career scoring list. He needs to score 56 points to move up to 18th all-time in UCM history.
MIAA STAT LEADERS
• As a team, UCM is allowing 62.7 points per game which ranks second-best in the MIAA in scoring defense this season and is tied for seventh-best in all of Division II.
•
Spencer Reaves is seventh in the MIAA in scoring and 11th in field goal percentage at 16.9 points per game and 52.1 percent.
• Lowrance is third in the MIAA in field goal percentage at 62.6 percent, while averaging 14.7 points per game. He is sixth in blocks with 1.1 per game.
• Reaves is second the MIAA free throw percentage at 89.4 percent on 42-47 made free throws.
• Lowrance is 10th in the league in rebounding averaging 6.4 rebounds per game. Reaves is tied for 15th with 5.5 rebounds per game.
•
Blake Spellman is averaging 3.8 assists per game which is tied for seventh best in the MIAA. He leads the league in assist-turnover ratio at 4.2, which is also eighth best in Division II.
•
DJ Richardson is tied for third in the conference in steals with 2.0 per game, while
Clarence Smith and Reaves are tied for 17th at 1.1 steals per game.
A WIN OVER MISSOURI VALLEY WOULD...
• Give the Mules their 18th overall win against the Vikings in the series, ninth straight, and be their 12th win at home over them.
• Improve UCM to 10-2 overall, move the team to 8-1 in non-conference action on the season, and extend their winning streak to three straight..
• Be the first win over MVC under
Doug Karleskint.
A LOSS TO MISSOURI VALLEY WOULD...
• Be the Mules sixth overall loss to the Vikings in the series and their first since the 1952-53 season.
• Drop UCM to 0-1 against MVC under
Doug Karleskint and be UCM's first loss to an NAIA team since the 2001-02 season.
• Drop the Mules overall record to 9-3 and 7-2 in non-conference action this season, while snapping a two game winning streak.
UCM DURING THE KARLESKINT ERA
•
Doug Karleskint has a record of 69-33 (.676) in his fourth season as head coach at Central Missouri and a 158-67 (.702) overall mark in his eighth 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 in 2014-15.
• His 25 wins in 2014-15 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 an 89-34 (.724) 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 113th season of UCM basketball, the Mules have compiled a 1,684-957 (.638) record in 2,641 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 four 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 16 years, 23 former UCM players have gone on to play professional basketball.
• Four players are either currently playing professionally or on a professional roster; Donte Adams (Conejos De Tuxtla (Mexico), Charles Hammork (Kosovo, Ylli Therande), Michael Hicks (Poland, Polpharma-Pakmet), and Zack Wright (Germany, Brose Basket).
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
• Central Missouri has won a combined 211 MIAA regular season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured three MIAA regular season titles, one MIAA Tournament crown and two NCAA Regional Championships.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director
Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 157 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
• Central Missouri has won eight national championships during Hughes' tenure (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.
• In 2016-17, Central Missouri won the inaugural MIAA's Commissioner's Cup trophy for the conference's top overall athletic department.
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
• Central Missouri had 252 student-athletes named to the 2016-17 MIAA Academic Honor Roll with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
• 22 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.
• 20 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with a 4.0 GPA.
• UCM had five student-athletes earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in their respective sports.
• All-time UCM is fourth in NCAA-II with 103 Academic All-Americans.
•
Carly Thomas of Jennies Bowling was awarded prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships last year.
UPCOMING
• The Mules will kick off 2018 with a pair of home games against conference opponents. They will host Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney on Jan. 4 and 6 at the Multi. Tip-off against the Tigers is set for 7:30 p.m., while the game against the Lopers is set for 3:30 p.m.
