TIP-OFF
• The Central Missouri Mules return home for the first time in the month of February to host Missouri Southern on Saturday, Feb. 11. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. at the Multi.
• The Mules are coming off a 73-58 win at Pittsburg State on Wednesday night. UCM has won seven of its last eight games and sits alone in the second place in the MIAA standings with five games to play.
• Missouri Southern enters the game at 14-9 overall and 8-6 in MIAA play following an 84-62 loss at Southwest Baptist on Thursday night. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Lions.
HALL OF FAME SATURDAY
• Saturday is Hall of Fame Day at UCM with the 2017 class of the UCM Athletic Hall of Fame being inducted in a ceremony at 9:30 a.m. in the Elliott Union Ballroom.
• The eight individuals and four teams being inducted on Saturday morning will be introduced to the crowd at halftime of the Mules' game.
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 Central Missouri's Stretch Internet portal at UCMathletics.com/gamecentral. It is a pay-per-view webcast.
PROGRAM SNAPSHOT
• This is the 112th season of Central Missouri Mules basketball.
• Central Missouri is third all-time in NCAA Division II men's basketball with 1,670 wins. One of just four NCAA-II programs with 1,600 wins.
• The Mules have won two NCAA Men's National Championships (1984 & 2014) and four National Championships overall (1937 & 1938 NAIB).
MULE FEED
•
Spencer Reaves is averaging 16.5 points per game this season, best on the team and seventh in the MIAA. He recorded his first career double-double against Northwest Missouri with 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
•
Marquiez Lawrence leads the Mules with four double-doubles this season. He recorded his in the win at Pittsburg State with 18 points and a season-high 12 rebounds.
• Ten different players have scored in double figures for the Mules this season with
Spencer Reaves scoring at least 20 points in eight games.
• The Mules are third in the MIAA in field goal percentage at 49.1 percent, fourth in three-point shooting at 38.5 percent and third in free throw percentage at 75.2 percent.
• Defensively, UCM is second in the league in scoring (65.8 ppg). The Mules are seventh in field goal percentage allowed at 44.4 percent and ninth in three-point field goal percentage allowed at 37.6 percent.
REAVES NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
• Junior guard
Spencer Reaves was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team as announced this week. He is now eligible for Academic All-America honors, which will be announced in the coming weeks.
• The Newark, Ark. native carries a 3.96 grade point average while majoring in Physical Education.
• To be eligible for Academic All-District honors, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her current institution.
SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the 62nd all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Missouri Southern. The Mules hold a 36-25 advantage.
• Missouri Southern swept both meetings between the two schools last season.
• The Mules won two of three meetings the season before, sweeping the regular season series before the Lions won in the MIAA Tournament Semifinals in Kansas City.
• UCM holds a 19-9 lead in games played in Warrensburg. The teams have split the last four meetings at the Multi.
LAST MEETING WITH MISSOURI SOUTHERN
WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Feb. 20, 2016) -- The Central Missouri Mules built a 15-point first half lead, but couldn't hold on in a 78-71 loss to Missouri Southern on Senior Day at the Multipurpose Building. The loss is the sixth straight for the Mules and drops them to 13-13 overall and 7-13 in MIAA play.
   The Mules came out on fire, scoring the first 13 points of the game. Missouri Southern (16-11, 13-8 MIAA) got on the board with a pair of free throws at the 13:57 mark of the first half. A 7-0 run by the Lions pulled them within 15-9 with 10:57 remaining in the first half, but
Jakob Lowrance drilled a three-pointer and
Marquiez Lawrence scored a layup to push the lead back to 11.
   MSSU pulled back to within nine, but a
D'Marnier Cunningham layup and
Tony Cochran three pushed the lead to 13 with 6:42 to play in the opening period. UCM pushed the lead to as many as 15 at 33-18 at the 3:05 mark, but Missouri Southern closed the half on an 8-1 run to pull within 34-26 at halftime.
   UCM pushed the lead to nine early in the second half on a
Spencer Reaves three-pointer, but an 11-0 run for the Lions gave them their first lead of the game at 41-39 with 14:23 to play in the game. The Mules went back in front with five straight points and the see-saw battle began. A free throw from Lowrance followed by five straight from Cunningham gave UCM a 52-46 lead with 11:35 to play. MSSU responded with five straight points of their own to tie the game once again at 52-all.
   UCM trailed by four with 5:55 to play in the game, but came back to tie the game at 65 on Lowrance's three with 3:44 on the clock. A 6-0 run, however, by the Lions gave them a lead they wouldn't relinquish and they were able to ice the game at the free throw line.
   Cunningham led UCM with 21 points and six assists, while Lawrence recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Cochran finished with 12 points and Lowrance had 10 and eight boards.
   Taevaunn Prince, the MIAA's leading scorer, finished with 25 points in the game after being held scoreless in the first half. Austin Wright had 21 points and Charlie Brown finished with 17.
   The Mules out-shot Missouri Southern (48.2-40.0) from the field and made 27 field goals compared to 24. The Mules made 11 three-pointers compared to five for the Lions, but MSSU was 25-of-36 at the free throw line compared to just 6-of-11 for Central Missouri.
   UCM had 15 assists in the game, but did turn the ball over 16 times. UCM finished with four blocks in the game, three for Lowrance.
SCOUTING MISSOURI SOUTHERN
• The Lions enter the contest at 14-9 overall and 8-66 in league play following an 84-62 loss at Southwest Baptist on Thursday night. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Lions.
• MSSU enters the game as the MIAA's top scoring offense at 84.2 points per game, but dead last (14th) in scoring defense at 80.9 points per game allowed. The Lions are 11th in the league in field goal percentage (43.6%) and 12th in three-point field goal percentage (35.1%), while ranking 13th in field goal percentage defense (48.1%) and 13th in three-point field defense (40.0).
• The Lions have attempted the most field goals (1,524) of any team in the MIAA this season, 449 more attempts than the Mules.
• Four players are averaging in double figures, led by CJ Carr's 20.2 points per game, the third highest total in the conference. Carr also leads the team with 5.5 assists per game, tops in the MIAA.
• JJ Cratit is second on the team in scoring at 15.0 points per game, while Elyjah Clark and LJ Ross chip in 14.1 and 11.2 points per outing, respectively. Ross is second on the team with 7.7 rebounds per game.
• Lawrence Brown averages 9.4 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game. His rebound total is second best in the league.
• The Lions are the second best rebounding team in the MIAA at 37.5 boards per game, but just ninth in rebound margin at plus-0.7. They lead the league in offensive rebounding (13.6 per game).
LAST TIME OUT • CENTRAL MISSOURI 73, PITTSBURG STATE 58
PITTSBURG, Kan. (Feb. 8, 2017) -- Central Missouri shot 54 percent in the second half and pulled away for a 73-58 win at Pittsburg State on Wednesday night. With the win, the Mules move to 16-6 overall and 10-4 in MIAA play.
   The Gorillas (4-18, 2-12 MIAA) scored the first points of the game, but the Mules scored 11 straight points to lead by nine with 14:48 to play in the half. Pitt State responded with a 12-2 run of its own to regain the lead at 14-13 at the 10:43 mark.
   PSU pushed the lead to four at 17-13, but an 8-0 run gave the Mules a 21-17 lead. Pitt State regained the lead at 24-23, but the Mules finished the half on a 10-4 spurt and led 33-28 at halftime.
   UCM pushed the lead to 10 right out of the halftime break only to see Pitt State get back within five with a 5-0 run early in the second half. The Mules responded with a 5-0 spurt of their own and once again led by 10, 50-40, with 11:52 to play. PSU would get no closer than eight the rest of the way as the Mules led by as many as 17 in the game.
   The Mules were led by
Marquiez Lawrence's fourth double-double of the season, 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Spencer Reaves added 13 points, DJ Ricahrdson had 11 and
Jakob Lowrance finished with 10.
   The Mules were 27-52 from the field, shooting 52 percent. They were 7-19 from three-point range for 37 percent and 12-16 at the free throw line.
   The Gorillas were led by Brandon Clifford's 11 points and Christian Edmondson's 10. PSU shot 39 percent from the floor, going 23-58. The Gorillas were just 6-23 from beyond the arc for 26 percent and were 6-9 at the foul line.
MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules are 10-4 in MIAA play and in second place after winning at Pittsburg State on Wednesday night.
• UCM is 32-23 in conference play during the
Doug Karleskint era.
• The Mules have won or shared 24 MIAA Regular Season Championships and five MIAA Tournament titles.
MULES IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
• The Mules are 6-2 in non-conference action this season after the 74-66 loss at Rockhurst on Dec. 31.
• UCM was 6-1 in non-conference games last season, including a 6-0 mark in regular season non-con games. They are 138-34 over the last 15 seasons.
• Central Missouri is 68-1 in the last 69 non-conference home games at the Multipurpose Building.
MULES AT HOME
• The Mules are 8-1 at home this season after the 87-71 win over Washburn and are 31-9 at home under
Doug Karleskint.
• UCM is 169-20 at home over the last 12 seasons, including 68-1 against non-conference opponents and 101-19 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 497-97 (.837) in their 41st season playing home games at the Multipurpose Building.
MULES ON THE ROAD
• The Mules are 6-5 on the road this season after the win at Pittsburg State.
• UCM is 16-17 in road games under
Doug Karleskint.
BLOCK PARTY
• Senior
Marquiez Lawrence had two blocked shot in the win at Pittsburg State, giving him 24 blocks on the season.
• He blocked 32 shots last season, tied for the 10th most in a single season in Central Missouri history.
• He is now at 56 for his career, tied for fifth all-time at UCM. He is 16 blocks shy of fourth all-time.
20 MINUTE GAME?
• The Mules are 14-0 this season when leading at halftime. They are just 2-6 when tied or trailing after the first 20 minutes of action.
• The same argument could be made for the first 35 minutes of the game. UCM is 16-1 when leading with 5:00 left in regulation and 0-5 when tied for trailing with five minutes to play.
MIAA STAT LEADERS
•
Spencer Reaves is seventh in the MIAA in scoring with an average of 16.5 points per game.
Kyle Wolf is 24th in the conference at 12.0 points per game.
• Reaves is seventh in the MIAA in field goal percentage (49.6) and free throw percentage at 83.3 percent. Reaves is also third in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.8 (67 ast - 24 TO) and is 12th in assists per game at 3.0.
• Reaves is tied for sixth in the MIAA in steals averaging 1.5 per game, while
Clarence Smith is 19th with 1.0 per outing.
•
Marquiez Lawrence is ninth in the league with 6.4 rebounds per game. He also ranks tied for seventh in blocked shots, averaging 1.1 per contest.
UCM DURING THE KARLESKINT ERA
•
Doug Karleskint has a record of 55-28 (.663) in his third season as head coach at Central Missouri and a 144-62 (.699) overall mark in his seventh 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 112th season of UCM basketball, the Mules have compiled a 1,670-952 (.637) record in 2,622 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 three 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 15 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 (Mexico, Conejos De Tuxtla), Charles Hammork (Kosovo, Ylli Therande), Michael Hicks (Poland, Polpharma-Pakmet), and Zack Wright (Germany, Brose Basket).
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
• Entering the 2016 fall semester, Central Missouri has won a combined 207 MIAA regular season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last year, UCM captured two MIAA regular season titles, three MIAA Tournament crowns and three NCAA Regional Championships.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director
Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 153 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.
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
• Central Missouri had 232 student-athletes named to the 2015-16 MIAA Academic Honor Roll with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
• 28 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.
• 19 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with a 4.0 GPA.
• UCM had seven student-athletes earn Academic All-Region awards in their respective sports with four of those earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
• Since the year 2000, UCM is sixth in NCAA-II with 53 Academic All-Americans.
• Two UCM student-athletes were awarded prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships last year.
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 continue their home stand next week hosting Lincoln on Thursday night, Feb. 16 and Lindenwood on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 18.
• UCM plays its final road game of the regular season on Thursday, Feb. 23 against Missouri Southern in Joplin.
