OPPONENTS: Southwest Baptist Bearcats
WHERE: Bolivar, Mo.
WHEN: Thursday, November 29 - 7:30 p.m.
TIP-OFF
• Central Missouri Mules Basketball is back on the road for only the third time this season to play their first MIAA match up of the year in Southwest Baptist.
• The Mules have started the season 4-0 for the third time in Coach Karleskint's first five years. All four games have been at home to start the year.
• This past weekend, the Mules went 1-1 at the UMSL Thanksgiving Classic defeating Maryville 83-76, before falling to UMSL 74-84 to move to 5-2 on the season.
• The Mules were picked to finish fourth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Southwest Baptist, on the other hand, started off their season a little differently, the Bearcats are 2-3 overall. The Bearcats were picked 13th overall in the MIAA.
• SBU is coming off of a 1-1 week last week defeating Ozark Christian College 102-38 before falling to William Jewell College 81-91, a team the Mules defeated 78-75 in the second week of the season.
• This matchup will be the start of MIAA conference play.
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 game will be web streamed on the miaanetwork, and live stats will be available from sbubearcats.com
PROGRAM SNAPSHOT
• This is the 114th season of Central Missouri Mules basketball.
• 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 seven letter winners from last season as well as three redshirts to their 2018-19 team while adding five transfers and only one true freshman to the program.
• The Mules averaged 71.6 points per game and shot 48.2 percent from the field last season. Defensively, UCM allowed 66.3 points per game on 44.3 percent shooting.
• Back this season are three starters from a year ago: Jakob Lowrance, Blake Spellman, and Matt Wilkinson.
• Eleven different Mules have appeared in the first two games this season.
SERIES HISTORY
• The SBU and UCM series dates all the way back to 1972 when the teams first met. The first meeting between UCM and SBU the Mules came out on top 83-81. Including the first meeting ,the Mules would go on to defeating the Bearcats four years in a row.
• SBU captured their first win against the Mules in the 1982- 1983 season in Warrensburg, the Mules fell 46-43.
• All-time the Mules lead the Bearcats 44-23 overall 25-8 in the Multi, and 17-14 in Bolivar, Mo.
SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
• Southwest Baptist enters the 2018-19 season 2-3 after going 1-1 at home last week. The Bearcats hosted Ozark Christian College and defeated them 102-38 before falling to William Jewell 81-91, a team the Mules defeated in week two of the season.
• The Bearcats are scoring 81.2 points per game, shooting 47% from the field as a team 40% from behind the arc, and 80% from the free-throw line.
• SBU is lead by a pool of consistent players, with only one averaging double figures. Chris Rossow, the 5-9 sophomore guard, leads the Bearcats in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Rossow knocks down 14.6 points per game while averaging six rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.4 steals.
•The Bearcats have four players who average around nine points per contest in Godfrey Rolle (9.6), Damian Prgomet (9.6), Karim Mouliom (9.4), and Maris Colton (9.2).
• On the defensive end, the Bearcats are allowing their opponent 74.6 points per contest, shooting 45%. They outrebound their opponent's 29.2% to their 39.8% per match-up.
MULES STAT LEADERS
• The Mules have used a committee approach to scoring with six Mules scoring more than eight points per game. Jafar Kinsey leads UCM scoring 14.4 points per contest. Blake Spellman is next up, scoring 12.4 points per game with Matt Wilkinson being the third and final Mule averaging double figures with 10.6 per game.
• The Mules are shooting 46.4% from the floor and 36.9% from three. Blake Spellman has been on fire through seven games shooting 42.6% from behind the arc. He is seventh the MIAA in three-point percentage.
• Three Mules have already grabbed 30 or more rebounds this season with Brandon Emmert's 40 leading the way. Jafar Kinsey has 36 and Gaven Pinkley sits at 31.
• Not only is Spellman the leading scorer, but he's also been the primary passer with a team-leading 28 assists. His 4.0 assist-to-turnover ratio is fourth in the MIAA.
BACKCOURT NOTES
• The Mules will have a number of options in the back court this season as they return four letterwinners, one redshirt freshmen and welcome five talented newcomers. Blake Spellman, Daniel Farris, DJ Anderson and Michael Winger will all return for the Mules this season. James Byrd and Jafar Kinsey join UCM as transfers from Division I schools Missouri State and North Dakota, and add three other transfers in Drew Apsher, Malik Barnett, and Solomon Finley, respectively.
• Spellman, Farris and Kinsey all started all seven games with both Spellman and Kinsey averaging double digits in every contest. Off the bench, Byrd and Winger have seen some action Byrd is shooting 75% from the free throw line, while Winger is 50% from behind the arc.
FRONTCOURT NOTES
• Brandon Emmert looks to step in the front court, after Jakob Lowrance fell to injury. So far on the season Emmert has done just that, he is leading the front court in rebounds with 40 and knocks down 7.1 points per game. Matt Wilkinson is also a contributing factor he is one of three Mules averaging double digits with 10.6 per game. Wilkinson has started in all seven games and is leading the team in blocks with four, and tied for first in steals with nine.
• Lowrance was injured against William Jewell and played just three minutes against Illinois-Springfield. That led to a lot more playing time for Pinkley and Emmert and a season-high 31 minutes from Matt Wilkinson.
MULES IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
• So far in the 2018-19 season the Mules are 5-2 in non-conference action. The Mules started the season on a 4-0 winning streak before falling in overtime to Sioux Falls (S.D.) and falling to UMSL this past weekend.
• The Mules were 8-3 in non-conference games last season, including a 6-2 mark in regular season non-con games.
MULES AT HOME
• The Mules are 48-15 all-time at home under Coach Doug Karleskint with their 4-0 start to the 2018-19 season.
• Last season they were 11-4 at the Multipurpose Building and are 512-103 at the Multi in their 43rd year in the arena.
MULES AT NEUTRAL SITES
• The Mules are 15-6 all-time at neutral sites under Coach Karleskint. UCM went 5-1 on neutral courts last season and are 1-2 on neutral courts this season.
INDIVIDUAL MILESTONES.
• Blake Spellman and Matt Wilkinson have both surpassed the 300 career point marker in only seven games this season. Spellman now has 361 points on his career at UCM, and Wilkinson sits at 348. Wilkinson also surpassed 100 rebounds on his career.
SECOND HALF MAGIC
• Central Missouri has scored at least 40 points in the second half in five of the seven games played this season.
• The Mules have trailed five times at halftime, coming back to win three of the five.
UCM DURING THE KARLESKINT ERA
• Doug Karleskint has a record of 85-42 (.494) as he begins his fifth season as head coach at Central Missouri and a 174-76 (.437) 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 114th season of UCM basketball, the Mules have compiled a 1,700-966 (.568) record in 2,666 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 26 times in the history of the program, including this year and five of the last six 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 215 MIAA regular season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured two national championships, two MIAA regular season and two MIAA tournament championships.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 161 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
• Central Missouri has won 10 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, women's indoor and outdoor track & field in 2015, and women's soccer and women's basketball) and 12 national championships overall.
• In 2016-17 and 2017-18, Central Missouri won the first two 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.
