TIP-OFF
• Central Missouri Mules Basketball begins postseason play hosting a first round game in the MIAA Tournament. The No. 5 seeded Mules will play host to the twelfth-seeded Missouri Western Griffons this Tuesday, Feb. 27. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in the UCM Multipurpose Building.
• UCM struggled in the final week of the regular season dropping their final two games. The Mules fell to Missouri Southern in overtime, 82-80, at home on Senior Day and then dropped a tough 74-70 road game to Pittsburg State in the regular season finale. UCM (19-9, 11-8 MIAA) has dropped five straight and finished fifth in the regular season standings.
• Missouri Western is 6-20 overall and finished 4-15 in MIAA play during the regular season to earn the No. 12 seed in the conference tournament. The Griffons split their final two games of the season, winning 82-73 over Lincoln and falling 88-70 against Lindenwood.
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 games will also be webcast online through the MIAA's Blue Frame portal at http://www.themiaanetwork.com/ucmmules/. It is a pay-per-view webcast.
PROGRAM SNAPSHOT
• This is the 113th season of Central Missouri Mules basketball.
• Central Missouri is third all-time in NCAA Division II men's basketball with 1,694 wins.
• The Mules have won two NCAA Men's National Championships (1984 & 2014) and four National Championships overall (1937 & 1938 NAIB).
MULE FEED
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Spencer Reaves is averaging 16.5 points per game this season, best on the team and ninth in the MIAA. He has posted 10-plus points in 11 straight games and 24 overall games this season.
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Jakob Lowrance leads the team in double-doubles with five this season. He posted his fifth in the Mules home win over Northeastern State with 14 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
• Eight different players have scored in double figures for UCM this season. Reaves leads the way having scored 10-plus points in 24 games this season.
DJ Richardson is second at 23 games with 10-plus points.
• The Mules are fourth in the MIAA in field goal percentage at 48.1%, ninth in three-point shooting at 36.6% and first in free throw percentage at 77.7%.
• Defensively, UCM is second in the league in scoring (66.3 ppg). The Mules are sixth in field goal percentage defense at 44.2% and sixth in three-point field goal percentage defense at 35.5%.
SERIES HISTORY VS. MISSOURI WESTERN
The Mules have a 38-28 series lead over the Griffons after and have won 13 of the last 14 meetings since the 2011 season. The Griffons last defeated the Mules in 2015-16 season with a slim 63-62 victory in St. Joseph.
• UCM swept MWSU earlier this season winning Dec. 14, 2017 by double digits winning 67-51 at the Multi. On the road, UCM won a 69-64 contest against the Griffons.
LAST MEETING WITH MISSOURI WESTERN
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (Jan. 13, 2018)-- Central Missouri Mules Basketball extended their winning streak to six after defeating the Missouri Western Griffons, 69-64, on the road Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Mules improve to 13-2 overall and 5-1 in the MIAA.
• The Mules shot an even 50% from the field (23-46), while limiting the Griffons (3-11, 1-6 MIAA) to 39.7% on 25-63 shooting. Both teams had 12 assists, but the Griffons had two less turnovers, 7-9, than the Mules.
• The Mules looked to control the pace of the game early on, leading 10-2 through the first five minutes of action. They led wire-to-wire, but the Griffons kept things interesting most of the game.
• With under 10 minutes to play until the break, UCM led 2013, but MWSU refused to let the game get away. UCM pushed back to a double-digit lead as
Spencer Reaves scored six straight to make it a 31-19 game with 4:12.
• The Griffons did respond before halftime, holding the Mules to just two points while scoring six to cut the lead to 33-25.
• MWSU got within three, 33-30, to start the second half. It was close the rest of the game, but UCM never relinquished the lead. They made it a one-point game, 39-38, but the Mules pushed it back to six points with a 5-0 run. UCM pushed its lead to double digits three times in the final 10 minutes
• UCM struggled from beyond the arc going 5-18 (27.8%), but created opportunities to get to the free throw line finishing 18-23 for 78.3%. UCM found rhythm in the paint, outscoring MWSU 26-18.
• Richardson scored a game-high 17 points on 6-10 shooting. he also pulled down four rebounds.
• Lowrance posted his third double-double of the season scoring 15 points and grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds.
• Reaves was the second leading scorer for the Mules with 16 points. He went 5-6 from the field, grabbed seven boards, and dished out two assists.
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Blake Spellman was the fourth double-digit scorer chipping in 10 points. He dished out a game-best four assists and went 3-4 shooting, with all three makes coming from three-point range.
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Brandon Emmert added five points and grabbed four rebounds in nine minutes off the bench.
• TJ Evans and Trey Brown each put up 11 points for MWSU. Both players shot 4-9 from the field and pulled down five boards apiece. Evans also handed out three assists.
SCOUTING MISSOURI WESTERN
• The Griffons are 6-20 overall entering the contest and went 4-15 in the MIAA regular season to finish 12th. The Griffons split their final two games of the season, defeating Lincoln, 82-73, and falling to Lindenwood, 88-70.
• Missouri Western is averaging 66.4 points per game, which is the worst (14th) scoring offense in the MIAA. The Griffons are in the middle of the pack in defensive scoring, allowing 73.1 points per game, which is eighth.
• Lavon Hightower leads the scoring offensive for the Griffons at 15.7 points per game and is 11th in the MIAA. He is the only player in double figures. His 50.9% shooting percentage is ninth in the MIAA.
• Cole Clearman is second on the team in scoring averaging 8.2 points per game.
• Hightower also leads the team and is 16th in the MIAA in rebound at 5.5 per game. Clearman leads the team and is tied for 13th in the MIAA in assists at 3.0 per game. He is tied for 18th in the MIAA in steals with 1.0 per game.
• TJ Evans and Seth Bonifas will look to help out with scoring as they average 7.5 and 7.0 points per game, respectively.
LAST TIME OUT • PITTSBURG STATE 74, CENTRAL MISSOURI 70 • 2/24/18
PITTSBURG, Kan. (Feb. 24, 2018) - Central Missouri Mules Basketball battled hard on the road but came up just short in the regular season finale as they fell 74-70 to Pittsburg State Saturday afternoon. With the loss, UCM finishes the regular season 19-9 and 11-8 in the MIAA.
• The Mules shot the ball well yet again finishing 52.1% from the floor on 25-48 shooting. The Gorillas (16-12, 9-10 MIAA) shot 47.8% on the day going 22-46.
• Pitt State finished just two more made three pointers than the Mules, 9-7, and shot 40.9% (9-22). UCM finished 38.9% from deep going 7-18.
• The first half saw five ties and three lead changes. The Gorillas never led by more than five, while the Mules led by as much as seven in the first 20 minutes.
• It was a low scoring affair to start the game. The teams traded shots, but the Gorillas led 17-14 at the halfway point.
• Pitt State led 24-20 with 5:00 to play until halftime, but the Mules found some offensive rhythm. They outscored the Gorillas 16-5, including a 7-0 run, and led 36-29 going into the break.
• UCM shot 53.8% in the first half (14-26), while the Gorillas were 11-26 from the floor for 42.3%.
• A
Jakob Lowrance layup at the 17:04 mark of the second half gave the Mules their largest lead of the game at nine points, 38-29, with 18:56 to play.
• UCM maintained its lead over the next 10 minutes, but Pitt State slowly chipped away at it. A layup by Jacob Antwine at the 8:45 mark tied game and a pair of made Gorilla free throws gave them the lead back, 57-55, that was never relinquished.
• The Mules and the Gorillas shot 19 combined free throws in the final 8:45. The Mules went 5-8, while the Gorillas were a perfect 11-11 as they held on for the four-point win.
• The Mules won the rebound battle 27-26, but the difference came at the free throw line. UCM finished 13-18, while Pitt State had eight more attempts and finished 21-26.
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Spencer Reaves tied the game-high with 21 points, going 8-13 from the floor. He was 2-4 from beyond the arc and had three rebounds as well.
• Lowrance added 13 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. He shot 5-11 on the afternoon.
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DJ Richardson chipped in nine points, but was just 2-8 shooting. He finished 5-6 from the free throw line and pulled down five boards.
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Matt Wilkinson also scored nine points.
• Spellman scored six points and dished out a game-high six assists.
• Xavier Adams posted a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead Pitt State. He was 5-10 from the floor and 11-14 at the free throw line. He also notched four assists.
MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules finished 11-8 in league play to place fifth in the regular season standings.
• UCM finished fifth in the MIAA behind Northwest Missouri, Missouri Southern, Washburn and Central Oklahoma
• The Mules are 46-33 in conference play under
Doug Karleskint.
MULES IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
• The Mules went 8-1 in non-conference action during the regular season. They are 146-36 over the last 16 seasons.
• Central Missouri is 71-2 in the last 73 non-conference home games at the Multipurpose Building.
MULES AT HOME
• UCM went 10-4 at home during the regular season. They are 44-15 at home under
Doug Karleskint.
• UCM is 181-26 at home over the last 13 seasons, including 71-2 against non-conference opponents and 110-24 in MIAA play.
• The Mules are 509-103 (.832) in their 42nd season playing home games at the Multipurpose Building.
MULES ON THE ROAD
• UCM was 4-5 on the road in the regular season with all four wins coming against MIAA opponents.
• UCM is 21-22 in road games under
Doug Karleskint.
MULES IN NEUTRAL SITE GAMES
• The Mules went 5-0 in the regular season and are 14-3 overall in neutral site games under
Doug Karleskint.
• The Mules were 4-1 in neutral site games in 2016-17 and the other seven of those games were played in the 2014-15 season.
1,000 POINT CLUB
•
Spencer Reaves scored 512 points last season and in his first two seasons with the Mules he scored 869 career points.
• He has 463 points this season and 1,332 for his career. He is the 20th player in Mules Basketball History to eclipse 1,000 career points.
• Reaves 1,332 points ranks seventh on the UCM career scoring list. He needs to score 68 more points to reach 1,400 for his career.
MULES IN THE MIAA TOURNAMENT
• The Mules have clinched a spot in the MIAA Tournament as the No. 5 seed and will host a first round game against the No. 12-seeded Missouri Western Griffons.
• UCM is the only school in conference history to play in every MIAA Tournament.
• The Mules are 35-31 all-time in the MIAA Tournament, with a 15-1 mark in home tournament games.
• UCM is 19-17 all-time in the first round of the MIAA Tournament.
MIAA STAT LEADERS
• Defensively, UCM is second is the MIAA is scoring defense (66.3 ppg) and 17th in Division II. They lead the MIAA in free throw percentage at 77.7%.
• Reaves is ninth in the MIAA in scoring with 16.5 points per game.
Jakob Lowrance is tied for 18th in the league at 14.1 points per game
• Lowrance is second in the MIAA in field goal percentage at 57.5%. Reaves is eighth at 51.4%.
• Reaves is third in the MIAA in free throw percentage at 89.5% (111-124).
DJ Richardson is 12th at 80.3% (98-122).
• Lowrance is eighth in the MIAA in rebounding at 6.8 per game and tied for seventh in blocks with 1.1 per game. Reaves is 19th in rebounding average with 5.2 per game.
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Blake Spellman is tied for 11th in the MIAA in assists per game with 3.1. He is fourth in assist-turnover ratio at 2.3.
• Richardson is tied for second in the league in steals with 1.7 per game. Reaves is tied for 13th at 1.1 per game.
A WIN OVER MISSOURI WESTERN WOULD...
• Put UCM in the MIAA Quarterfinals in Kansas City for the second straight year and the 28th time overall.
• Improve the Mules record to 20-9, snap a five-game losing streak, and their 20th win season for the second consecutive year and 26th time in program history.
• Set UCM up for a second meeting with Central Oklahoma this season in the quarterfinals
A LOSS TO MISSOURI WESTERN WOULD...
• Knock the Mules out of the first round MIAA Tournament for just the 11th time overall and for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
• Snap a four game winning streak against the Griffons and be their 29th loss to them in the series.
• Potentially end the Mules season at 19-10 and keep them from 20 wins for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
UCM DURING THE KARLESKINT ERA
•
Doug Karleskint has a record of 79-40 (.664) in his fourth season as head coach at Central Missouri and a 168-74 (.694) 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 113th season of UCM basketball, the Mules have compiled a 1,694-964 (.637) record in 2,658 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 25 times in the history of the program.
• 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 211 MIAA regular season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured three MIAA regular season titles, one MIAA Tournament crown and two NCAA Regional Championships.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director
Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 157 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
• Central Missouri has won eight 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, and women's indoor and outdoor track & field in 2015) and 10 national championships overall.
• In 2016-17, Central Missouri won the inaugural 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.
UPCOMING
• Awaiting the Mules in Kansas City in the MIAA Quarterfinals, if they win, will the No.4-seeded Central Oklahoma Bronchos. The Mules and Bronchos met back on Feb. 1, with the Mules coming out on top 74-64. Tip-off for the quarterfinals will be at 8:15 p.m. at historic Municipal Auditorium.
