Mules Gear Up for Last Home Game of the Calendar Year

OPPONENT:  Avila Eagles                

WHERE: Warrensburg, Mo. - Multipurpose Building

WHEN: Saturday, December 29 - 12:00 p.m.

TIP-OFF

• Central Missouri Mules Basketball returns to Warrensburg to battle the Avila Eagles in their last game of 2018.
• The Mules have been on fire at home this season, starting off the season 4-0 at home before winning their fifth home game against MidAmerica  Nazarene and are now 5-0 in the Multi. 
• The last time out, the Mules broke their three-game losing streak against MidAmerica Nazarene 76-75 and are looking to grab another win in Warrensburg. 
• The Mules were picked to finish fourth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll  
• The Eagles on the other hand. are looking for a win. Avila is 1-10 on the season and is on a three-game losing streak. The Eagles have yet to win a game on the road this season with a record of 0-7 on the road. 
• This will be the 11th matchup between the Mules and the Eagles, with UCM leading all-time. 

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.
• This season the Mules are averaging 72.8 points per contest and shooting 44 percent from the field.
• Defensively, UCM allows 71.9 points per contest on 43.7 percent shooting. 

SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the 11th meeting between the Mules and the Eagles with UCM leading 10-0.
• With the series only dating back to 1979-80, the Mules lead the series all-time 8-0 in games at the Multi and 2-0 in games on the road. 

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
• The Eagles enter the 2018-19 season 1-10  after going on a three-game losing streak. The Eagles fell to Southwestern (Kan.) 60-82 their last time out.
• The Eagles are scoring 70.0 points per game, shooting 40.3 percent from the field as a team 32.9 percent from behind the arc, and 62.4 percent from the free-throw line. 
• Avila has two players averaging double-digits thus far this season, with a few other players that have shown consistency. 
• Guard Shandon Boone leads the Eagles with 22.3 points per contest. Boone shoots 41 percent from the field and is an 87 percent free-throw shooter. Boone is second on the team in steals with 13 and third in the team in assists with 21.
•Forward Brandon Phillips, knocks down 10.3 points per contest, he is a 39 percent shooter from the field, and he is third on the team in rebounds with 48. Guard Byron Cooke is right behind him with 9.2 a game, he leads the Eagles in steals with 16 and leads in assists with 29. 

MULES STAT LEADERS
• The Mules have found a way to move the ball to get points on the board. UCM has seven players averaging 7.0 or more points per game with two in double-digits. Jafar Kinsey leads UCM scoring 13.4 points per contest. Blake Spellman is next up, scoring 11.4 points per game with Matt Wilkinson being the third and final Mule averaging double figures with 9.7 per game.
• The Mules are shooting 44.8  percent from the floor and 35 percent from three. Blake Spellman has been on fire through 10 games shooting 42.6 percent from behind the arc after draining a season-high of five vs. William Jewell. He is fifth the MIAA in three-point percentage. 
• One Mule, Brandon Emmert, is just shy of 60 rebounds on the season. Emmert is leading the Mules off the glass with 56 rebounds.
• Daniel Farris and Blake Spellman are the leading field general dishing out 38 assists so far which is 11th and 12th in the MIAA. Spellman's  2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio is seventh in the MIAA.

BACKCOURT NOTES
• The Mules will have a number of options in the backcourt this season as they return four letter winners, 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 and Farris all started all ten games both dishing out 38 assists apiece. Spellman averaging double digits with 11.7. Farris averages 8.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Off the bench, Winger is has seen some action shooting averaging 6.3 per contest with Byrd right behind him at 5.5 per game. 

FRONTCOURT NOTES
• Freshman Gavin Pinkley and Sophomore Brandon Emmert have stepped up in the front court, after Jakob Lowrance and Matt Wilkinson fell to injury. So far on the season Pinkley is getting a feel of things on the court averaging 7.6 points per game, 4.2 rebounds, and leading the team in blocks with seven. Brandon Emmert has been consistent averaging 8.9 points per contest and 5.6 rebounds per game. 
• 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 6-2 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.
• UCM broke a three-game losing streak when they defeated Mid-America Nazarene 76-75 in the Multi.
• The Mules were 8-3 in non-conference games last season, including a 6-2 mark in regular season non-con games.

UCM DURING THE KARLESKINT ERA
• Doug Karleskint has a record of 86-44 (.512) as he begins his fifth season as head coach at Central Missouri and a 175-78 (.446) 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 1,701-968 (.569) record in 2,667 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.