Jennies Prepare for Top-25 Battle at Home

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Jan. 30, 2018) - It's another exciting week of basketball for No. 6 Central Missouri. Not only will they look to extend their 14-game winning streak, but they'll need to do so against another top-25 team.

Opponents: No. 21 Central Oklahoma Bronchos (17-3, 8-3 MIAA)
                    Northeastern State RiverHawks (9-9, 5-6 MIAA) 

When: Thursday, Saturday, Feb. 1, 3
            No. 21 Central Oklahoma: Thursday, Feb. 1 - 5:30 p.m.
            Northeastern State: Saturday, Feb. 3, 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 is back home this week taking on Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State.
• Central Missouri has won 14 straight games and are 11-0 to start MIAA play.
• The Jennies are ranked sixth by the WBCA in this week's poll and stayed sixth in the D2SIDA Media Poll, their highest ranking in either this season and highest since 2013-14. 
• Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State are some of the Jennies newest rivals. The Jennies are unbeaten against the RiverHawks at 6-0 and are 6-2 all time against the Bronchos, however UCO has won the last two, both in Edmond. 
• Central Missouri is a combined 4-0 against these two schools at home. 

Quick Hits
Last Time Out
Central Missouri picked up a pair of tough road wins last week at Emporia State and at Washburn. The Jennies ended the Lady Hornets 27-game home winning streak with a 78-61 win. The Jennies led wire to wire and were led in scoring by Paige Redmond's 21. Against Washburn, the Jennies held on for a 72-63 win. Sydney Skaggs came off the bench for a career-high 12 points. 

Previously vs. Central Oklahoma/Northeastern State
The Jennies had a difficult go of it last time they faced Central Oklahoma. They got down 21-9 after one period and couldn't comeback falling by 10, 65-55. Jesheon Cooper damaged them going 8-10 from the floor for 16 points. Paige Redmond led the Jennies with 23, but noone else was in double-figures. UCM rebounded nicely two days later with a 77-54 win in Tahlequah. Megan Skaggs scored 20 and Redmond added 17. A 24-8 second quarter pushed the Jennies to the win. 

Jennies in the Rankings
Central Missouri remains in the top-10 of both the WBCA and D2SIDA polls. The Jennies are ranked sixth in both polls, staying pat in the D2SIDA and moving up one space in the coaches poll. D2SIDA also conducts weekly regional rankings, which sees the Jennies ranked first in the Central Region for the second straight week. The Central Region consists of teams from the MIAA, Northern Sun and Great American Conferences. 

Jennies at Home
The Jennies 10 home wins already matches their season total from a year ago with four games left. Central Missouri is 10-1 this season at te Multi with nine straight wins. This is the beginning of a three-game homestand for the Jennies. 

Around the MIAA
• Only one unbeaten team remains in the MIAA. That of course is Central Missouri. The Jennies are the only team with 11 wins and have a 2.5 game lead over the rest of the field. Behind the Jennies are Pittsburg State (9-3), Central Oklahoma (8-3), Emporia State (8-3) and Nebraska-Kearney (8-3). Fort Hays State is 7-4 and Missouri Southern is 7-5. 
• Kayonna Lee continues to be a defensive force. She is the only player in the MIAA to be in the top-10 in rebounds (8th), blocks (3rd) and steals (T-9th).
• The Jennies have been sharing the ball around, averaging 15.3 assists per game, most in the MIAA. UCM is the only team with two in the top-10 in assists per game. Paige Redmond overtook the team lead with 68 helpers, and her 3.8 assists per game are fourth in the MIAA. Kelsey Williams is right behind her with 65 assists. She averages 3.6 per game. Williams' 2-1 assist-to-turnover ratio is second in the MIAA, while Redmond is fifth at 1.6-1. As a team, the Jennies assists to turnover ratio of 1.25-1 is the best in the MIAA and the 15th best mark in the NCAA. 
• As a team, the Jennies lead the league in field goal percentage (47.4) and are in the top-five in both three-point field goal percentage (34.0, 2nd) and free throw percentage (77.9, 3rd) 

Individual Milestones 
• Paige Redmond moved into ninth place all-time at UCM for three-pointers made with 109. She now needs 20 more to reach eighth place. Redmond is also 45 points shy of reaching 1000 for her career. 
• Megan Skaggs is nearing 500 points. She needs 8. She also needs 16 rebounds for 200. 
• Morgan Fleming reached career point number 400 against Washburn. 
• Peyton Taylor needs one more point until she reaches 100. 

Under 10
Through 18 games this season, Central Missouri has held opponents to fewer than 10 points in a quarter in 12 of those games. The Jennies are 12-0 in those games, and are yet to be held to fewer than 10 points themselves this season. Going back to last season, Central Missouri is 27-1 in games where an opponent has scored fewer than 10 points and 4-3 in games in which they failed to reach 10 points in a quarter. In 59% of UCM's games the last two years, the Jennies have held an opponent to under 10 points in at least one quarter.

Stamina Monsters
Another trend that started last season is the Jennies closing out halves and games. The Jennies are allowing just 12.2 points in second quarters this season, while scoring 16.4 themselves. They are also closing games strong, outscoring opponents 19.6-14.4. After Emporia State chipped into the Jennies lead Wednesday night, UCM responded by outscoring the Lady Hornets by five to put the game away. The Jennies also used a big second quarter in their win at Washburn. The Ichabods carried the momentum with a buzzer-beating three to end the first quarter, but that didn't scare the Jennies who scored the first eight points of the second and went on to outscore Washburn 22-8 and never trailed again the rest of the way.

Scouting the Opposition
No. 21 Central Oklahoma Bronchos (17-3, 8-3 MIAA)
• Central Oklahoma had won nine straight, but have lost two of their four, falling at Emporia State and home to Pittsburg State. The Bronchos sit at 8-3 in the MIAA, half of a game behind the Gorillas for second place. 
• On the road, Central Oklahoma is 5-2 this season. Both road losses came in conference at Emporia State and at Missouri Western in their conference opener. 
• There are two Bronchos averaging in double-figures. Melinda Murillo leads the squad scoring 17.1 points per game. Blake Blessington scores 10.6 and Jesheon Cooper is just shy at 9.8. 
• Cooper is shooting over 50% for the season connecting on 50.9% of her field goal attempts which is in the MIAA top-10. Murillo shoots at 40% and she is just as good from beyond the arc, hitting 40.5%. She's knocked in 45 of her 111 three-pointers. Her 2.3 three-pointers per game is fourth in the league.
• Cooper also leads the team in rebounding. Her 10.3 rebounds per game is second in the MIAA. She is just one of two players in the MIAA to be in double-figure rebounding. Cooper is also the league leader in blocked shots with 54 and 2.7 blocks per game.
• As a team, the Bronchos are one of two in the MIAA shooting 80% at the free throw line. UCO is second in the league hitting 80.4% of their free throws. Melinda Murillo is third in the MIAA having hit 77-of-85 FT which is 90.6% and Blake Blessington is fourth at 89.5%.
• Murillo is also fifth in the league in assists at 3.7 per game. She leads the team with 74 total assists. The Bronchos are fourth in the MIAA with 14.7 assists per game. 
Player to Watch
#42  Jesheon Cooper (6-5, F, SR, Belleville, Ill.) - Leads MIAA in blocks/game, 2nd in rebounding

Northeastern State RiverHawks (9-9, 5-6 MIAA)
• Northeastern State has had an up and down season, as evidenced by their 5-6 conference mark. They are a .500 team at 9-9 this season. 
• Northeastern State has struggled on the road with a 3-5 mark. They've lost their last two on the road, but do have wins at Washburn and at Northwest Missouri in the MIAA. 
• There are two RiverHawks who are scoring in double-figures. Cailyn Long leads the team at 11.8 points per game. She is a major threat from three having gone 43-104 this season, shooting 41.3%.
• Lauryn Blevins has worked her way into the starting lineup. She came off the bench in her first 11 games, but has started the two of the last three. She is scoring 10.2 points per game in just 16.1 minutes per game. She shoots better than 50% from the field at 53.6%. 
• Bailee Eldred is the team's leading rebounder. She comes down with 5.2 per game. The RiverHawks match their opponents, each grabbing 39 boards per game. Cenia Hayes pulls down 4.5 rebounds per game and Blevins is at 4.9 rebounds per contest.
• The RiverHawks are next to last in the MIAA in turnover margin. They have turned it over 281 times and caused 226. They're a -3.06 in the turnover department. 
• Northeastern State does get their fair share of blocks. At 71 blocks they are fifth in the league and Joi Bertrand leads the team with 25. Blevins has blocked 14. 
• Tree Brooks helps out the RiverHawks in the assist department. She has 53 for the season. The RiverHawks have 246 assists to opponents 230. 
Player to Watch
#20  Cailyn Long (6-2, F, SR, Awans, Belguim) - Shooting 41.3% from three, one of the best in the MIAA