Jennies Set to Face Harding in Central Region Semifinal

SEARCY, Ark. (March 11, 2017) - Jennies Basketball keeps the 2016-17 season going into the round of 32 of the NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament, looking for their first regional championship game since 1989.

When: Saturday, March 11, 7:30 p.m.

Opponent: #2 Harding (28-3, 21-1 GAC)

Where: Rhodes-Reaves Field House, Searcy, Ark. - Harding University

Central Region Quarterfinal Round
#1 Emporia State vs. #8 Northern State - ESU 71-68
#4 Central Oklahoma vs. #5 Pittsburg State - PSU 76-51
#2 Harding vs. #7 Arkansas Tech - 5 p.m. - HU 59-46
#3 Minnesota State-Moorhead vs. #6 Central Missouri - UCM 56-45

Central Region Semifinal Matchups
#1 Emporia State vs. #5 Pittsburg State - 5 p.m.
#2 Harding vs. #6 Central Missouri - 7:30 p.m.

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. Video is available through the Harding University Department of Communications Media Network.

Tip Off
• Central Missouri is making its 20th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance. The last time came back in 2013-14 when they lost in the Central Region semifinals. 
• The Jens finished the regular season 22-5 and 15-4 in the MIAA. They went 1-1 in the MIAA and earned the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Regional Championship.

Story Lines
• Central Missouri is is 1-1 all-time against Harding. They played back-to-back years in 2012 and 2013. Both teams won at home. Harding won the last meeting in Searcy, 96-67 in 2013.
• This marks the 20th NCAA Tournament appearance  in Central Missouri history. They have six regional championship crowns with their last coming in 1989. The Jens also won from 1983-86 and in 1988. 

Quick Hits
Last Time Out
The Jennies advanced to the Central Region semi-finals with a hard fought 56-45 win against No. 3 seed MSU-Moorhead. Neither team shot the ball well, but the Jens defense forced the best ball-protecting team in the country into 18 turnovers as well as 0-17 from behind the arc. Megan Skaggs scored 17 points and Ashley Duffy added 16. Kayonna Lee record her ninth double double with 10 and 11. 

Previously vs. Harding
The Bisons blew out the Jennies in their last meeting three seasons ago, 96-67 in Searcy. Harding scored 47 points in the first half and 49 in the second half and were 47% from both the floor and the three-point line. Then-freshman Andee Wahlert was the only current Jen to play in the game. She got in 11 minutes of action, dishing out two assists. 

Jennies in the Rankings
For the seventh straight week, Central Missouri is ranked in the WBCA top-25. They remain at No. 19 this week. The Jens were 25th last week in the media poll, this week they are receiving votes. 

NCAA Tournament Facts
• The last time Central Missouri qualified for a regional championship was in the 2013-14 season. They last won the regional in 1989-90 and last made a regional championship game that same year. After qualifying for regional in the first nine years of the NCAA era, this is their 11th trip in the last 26 years. 
• The last MIAA team from the state of Missouri to win an NCAA Regional game was the Jennies in 2013-14. The last time before that was Northwest Missouri in the 2010-2011 season. 

All-MIAA
The MIAA announced their All-Conference team's before the first round games. Central Missouri finished with three on the ballot. Paige Redmond was a unanimous selection to the First Team. She becomes the 31st Jennie to make the first team and the first sophomore or younger since Lori Nichols in 1999-2000. Megan Skaggs and Kayonna Lee each made their first All-Conference team as a member of UCM, collecting votes and appearing on the Honorable Mention list. 

Getting Defensive
After allowing their first three opponents to all reach at least 73 points, the Jennies defense has been among the best. Central Missouri has gone 27 straight games without an opponent reaching 70 points and in 20 of those 27, teams have been held to 60 points or below. The Jennies now lead the MIAA in points allowed at 58.0 The Jennies swarming defense caused fits for MSU-Moorhead all game long. They entered committing the fewest turnovers in the NCAA at 11.2. The Jens forced 10 turnovers in the first half and 18 for the game, the most for the Dragons all-year. The Dragons, who shoot 34.4% from three all season were shutout (0-17) from behind the arc.

Stamina Monsters
The Jennies are making a name for themselves in fourth quarters. Of their 2,118 points, 552 have come in the fourth quarter, their most in any quarter, and have allowed just 385, their fewest in any quarter. That has helped them to six fourth-quarter comebacks this season. They also put the Dragons away in the regional semifinals scoring 21 points and outscored MSU-M 21-13 and outrebounded them 12-9, their only period winning the rebounding battle. Paige Redmond scored six of her nine points in the fourth after a slow start. 

Queen of Thieves
Last year's MIAA leader in steals is at it again this season. She's come on strong of late with at least two steals in six straight games and 18 in that span. She has moved up to second in the MIAA in steals per game with 2.0 and 57 total. 

Notable Numbers
• Jennies senior Ashley Duffy eclipsed 500 career points in the semifinal round against Emporia State and Kayonna Lee scored point number 250.
• Head Coach Dave Slifer reached 250 wins at Central Missouri with UCM's quarterfinal round win against Southwest Baptist.
• Megan Skaggs collected her 100th rebound of the season against the Dragons.
• Paige Redmond needs just 10 more points to reach 500 for the season. Although that has happened twice in the last three seasons (Keona Flax,  2013-14 and Shelby Winkelmann 2016-17), she would be just the third Jennie reach 500 points in a season in the last 18 years. 
• Lee is also closing in on 300 rebounds. She is 31 away with 269. The last time a Jennie reached 300 rebounds in a season was Nicole Caddell in 2012-13, the only one to do so in the 2000's. Lee is also 16 rebounds away from cracking the single-season top-10 in Jennies history. 

Scouting the Opposition
Harding Bisons
• Like Minnesota State-Moorhead, Harding also won their conference. They went 21-1 in the Great American Conference, winning both the regular seasona and conference Tournament.
• The Bisons defeated Arkansas Tech for the fourth time in 2016-17 to advance to the regional. They used a 19-7 first quarter to prevail 59-46 over the Golden Suns.
• Harding is the host of the regional and went 13-0 at home this season. Their last loss in Searcy came Feb. 18, 2016 to Southern Arkansas. 
• Similar to the Jennies, the Bisons play a strong style of defense. Harding allows just 59 points per game and are holding opponents to a 33.7 field goal percentage for the season, which is fifth best in the NCAA.
• In the GAC, Harding's Tim Kirby was named the Coach of the Year. A'ndrea Haney was the Defender of the Year and Caroline Hogue was the Newcomer of the Year.  
• Hogue leads four Bisons who average at least 10 points per game this season. She scores 13.3 points while grabbing a team-best 8.7 rebounds and was named to the All-GAC First Team.
• Haney and Sydney Layrock were also on the All-GAC First Team. Layrock scores 11.9 points per game while Haney adds 11. Haney has dished out 148 assists and has a 1.72:1 assist to turnover ratio.
• Harding's .433 field goal percentage was the second-best in the GAC. Hogue shoots at a 45.3% clip while Sydnie Jones is shooting 57.9% this season. The Bisons are below average in the GAC when shooting three-pointers, making just 31.2% all season. They are just 11th out of 12 with a 66.4% FT percentage.
• Harding is one of the best shot blocking teams in the country. Their 5.4 blocks per game rank fifth in the NCAA and 168 total is fourth. Hogue has 72 blocks this season.