WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Jan. 17, 2018) - No. 10 Central Missouri Jennies Basketball returns home to the Multi for two games this week, including one on Hall of Fame Saturday.
Opponents: Lincoln Blue Tigers (3-13, 0-8 MIAA)
Lindenwood Lions (10-7, 2-6 MIAA)
When: Thursday, Saturday Jan. 18, 20
Lincoln: Thursday, Jan. 18 - 5:30 p.m.
Lindenwood: Saturday, Jan. 20 - 1:30 p.m.
Where: Warrensburg, Mo. - UCM Multipurpose Building
On the Air
• 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 this week's games on UCM's Internet Blueframe portal and is available on TV streaming devices.
Tip Off
• Central Missouri Jennies Basketball returns home after a two-game road swing to play host to Lincoln and Lindenwood
• Central Missouri has won 10 straight games and are 7-0 to start MIAA play.
• The Jennies are ranked 10th by the WBCA in this week's poll and moved to seventh in the D2SIDA Media Poll.
• The Jennies have had a great deal of success against both of these teams. They are 53-3 all time against Lincoln and 12-3 all time against Lindenwood.
• Lincoln last defeated UCM in 2016, but the Jens have won two straight since. Lindenwood snapped a five-game losing streak to UCM with a win last February.
Quick Hits
Last Time Out
The Jennies traveled for their first back-to-back road games of the season, defeating Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri. The Jennies needed extra time to defeat the Griffons, 80-76.
Morgan Fleming scored 24 points in the game and UCM was 31-38 at the FT line. The game at Northwest was moved to Monday due to inclement weather. No sweat for UCM as they won 74-58.
Previously vs. Lincoln/Lindenwood
As the season was winding down, the Jennies hosted both the Blue Tigers and Lions in late February. The Jens raced out to a 23-6 lead after the first quarter against Lincoln earning an easy 71-60 win.
Megan Skaggs,
Sydney Crockett and
Paige Redmond were all in double-figures. Two days later, their comeback bid against Lindenwood fell just short. UCM scored 21 fourth-quarter points but it wasn't enough as Lindenwood held on for a 69-67 win. Redmond scored 19 and Skaggs had 18.
Jennies in the Rankings
Central Missouri is now in the top-10 of both the WBCA and D2SIDA polls. The Jennies climbed up two spots in the coaches poll and back into the top-10 at number 10. The Jens moved three spots in the media poll to No. 7, their highest rank in either poll this year. D2SIDA also conducts weekly regional rankings, which sees the Jennies ranked first in the Central Region for the first time this season. The Central Region consists of teams from the MIAA, Northern Sun and Great American Conferences.
Jennies at Home
The Jennies have spent a great deal of time at home, having played nine of their first 14 games in the Multi. They are 8-1 to start the season and 4-0 in MIAA home games.
Around the MIAA
• Only one unbeaten team remains in the MIAA. That of course is Central Missouri. The Jennies are the only team with seven wins. Four teams have six wins: Emporia State (6-1), Central Oklahoma (6-2), Pittsburg State (6-2) and Missouri Southern (6-2). Nebraska-Kearney and Washburn are each 4-3 and Northeastern State is 4-4.
•
Kayonna Lee is proving to be a defensive force. She's fourth in the league in rebounds with 9.1 per game. She is also in the top five in blocks per game at 1.6, which is also fourth.
• The Jennies have been sharing the ball around, averaging 16.1 assists per game, most in the MIAA. UCM is the only team with two in the top-10 in assists per game.
Kelsey Williams overtook the team lead with 51 helpers, and her 3.6 assists per game are tied for fifth in the MIAA.
Paige Redmond is right behind her with 50 assists. She too averages 3.6 per game. Williams' 2-1 assist-to-turnover ratio is third in the MIAA, while Redmond is sixth at 1.4-1. As a team, the Jennies assists to turnover ratio of 1.33-1 is the best in the MIAA and the 12th best mark in the NCAA.
• As a team, the Jennies lead the league in field goal percentage (47.2) and are in the top-five in both three-point field goal percentage (36.1, fourth) and free throw percentage (76.3, fifth)
Individual Milestones
•
Paige Redmond hit her 100th career three-pointer against Northwest Missouri. With 100 for her career, Redmond is 10th and one behind Taylor Weiks for ninth all-time. She needs one more point for 200 this season and 129 for 1,000 in her career.
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Kayonna Lee is 11 points shy of 400.
•
Peyton Taylor needs one more point until she reaches 100.
•
Kelsey Williams crossed off both 300 career points and 100 career field goals against Northwest Missouri.
Keep Your Hands to Yourself
Central Missouri is the best in the league at keeping their hands off opponents. The Jennies 175 personal fouls against are the fewest in the league and are sixth in the NCAA. As a result, opponents have taken just 172 free throw attempts, the second fewest in the MIAA. The Jennies have scored 75 more points than opponents at the free throw line.
Freebees
The Jennies did something on Saturday at Missouri Western that they hadn't done in more than a decade. The Jennies 31 made free throws are the most in a game since January 20, 2007 when they hit that same number against Northwest Missouri. The Jennies have done a great job of getting to and making free throws in MIAA games. They are fourth, shooting 79% as a team and
Kayonna Lee (85.7%) and
Paige Redmond (81.5%) are both shooting better than 80%.
Getting Defensive
Through 14 games, Central Missouri boasts the best defense in the MIAA. They are holding opponents to just 55.4 points per game, which is 14th-best in the NCAA. Teams are shooting .372 overall and .377 in the MIAA.
Scouting the Opposition
Lincoln Blue Tigers
• Lincoln is one of two winless teams in the MIAA. They are 3-13 overall and have lost their first eight league games and last nine overall.
• The Blue Tigers have the worst offense in the MIAA, scoring 56.6 points per game, which is 282nd out of 301 teams in Division II. They are being outscored by 13.5 points, also the worst mark in the MIAA, as opponents are scoring 70.1 points per game.
• Lincoln is also the worst shooting team in the MIAA, making just 34.4% of their field goal attempts. Behind the arc they shoot 28.1% and at the free throw line 65.7%. All three percentages are the lowest in the MIAA. They have made just 142 free throws which is 291st out of 301 teams in Division II.
• Senior guard Citali Lopez is the only Blue Tiger to be scoring more than 10 points per game. She scores 12.1, doing most of her damage from three point land. Of her 68 made field goals, 39 are three-pointers. She is shooting 36.6% from the floor and 36.1% from three.
• Bre Coleman is just outside the MIAA top-10 in rebounds per game with her 7.1. She leads the Blue Tigers with 113 total and 44 offensive rebounds. Lopez has also helped out on the boards, securing 4.3 rebounds per game.
• At 18.1 turnovers per game, the Blue Tigers are last in the MIAA. They are in the middle of the pack in opponent turnovers, forcing 16.1 per game, which is eighth.
• Lopez is also the team leader in assists with 47 and steals with 26. The Blue Tigers 7.9 steals per game rank sixth in the MIAA.
Player to Watch
#23 Citali Lopez (5-7, G, SR, Whiting, Ind.) - Shooting 36.1% from three, 12.1 points per game
Lindenwood Lions
• Lindenwood started out the season winning it's first seven games, but has gone just 3-7 over their last seven games. That includes a 2-6 mark in the MIAA. They have also been a much better team at home where they are 8-3 and just 2-4 in road games. They've dropped three straight to Central Oklahoma, Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State.
• The Lions deploy one of the best players in the MIAA in Kallie Bildner. She is one of two in the league to average a double-double scoring 19.7 points and grabbing 12.5 rebounds per game, both are in the top-two. She hasn't played though in either of the last two games.
• Thanks in part to Bildner, the Lions have the best scoring offense in the MIAA with 80.6 points per game, which is 15th in Division II. Gabby Walker is also scoring in double-digits with 13.4 points per game.
• The only team in the league better than the Lions at shooting the ball is Central Missouri. Lindenwood connects on 46.8% of their field goal attempts. Bildner is shooting 56.5% from the floor and is 18-41 (43.9%) from three. Walker is right behind her shooting 55.8%. As a team, the Lions connect on 32.7% of their three point attempts and 71.4% of their free throws.
• With 43 rebounds per game, the Lions are tied for the lead in the MIAA. Behind Bildner, Walker grabs 6.9 rebounds per game, and three others average more than three per game.
• Lindenwood has struggled holding on to the ball. They average 17.5 turnovers per game which is the second worst mark in the MIAA. However, they force an average of 18.1 turnovers per game which is second in the league. Of the 18 opponent turnovers, 9.8 come from Lion steals, third in the league.
Player to Watch
#25 Kallie Bildner (6-3, F, SO, Waynesville, Mo.) - One of two in the MIAA to average a double-double
