SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (March 21, 2018) - When the Central Missouri Jennies take to the floor Wednesday night, it'll be a historic event as UCM will play in their first Final Four in 29 years and fifth in program history.
Opponent: No. 7 seed Union University (Tenn.) - 32-3 (18-2 Gulf South)
When: Wednesday, March 21, 6 p.m. CT
Where: Sioux Falls, S.D. - Sanford Pentagon
How to Watch
• 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. The Final Four game will air live on the CBS Sports Network. Check your local cable provider for the channel in your area.
• Additionally, there will be viewing sites set up throughout the Warrensburg and Kansas City area. On campus, the game will be show live at Traditions Restaurant as well as the Union Atrium and University Cinema in the Elliott Student Union. Two Johnny's Tavern's locations will show the game as well, in Kansas City, Mo. in the Power and Light District and in Lee's Summit on SE Blue Parkway. Finally, the Southeast Bar and Grill on W. 103rd Street in Kansas City, Mo. will also show the Final Four game.
Tip Off
• Central Missouri Jennies Basketball continues on to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament. After the tournament has been reseeded, the Jennies are the No. 6 seed. The Jennies were one of three lower seed Elite Eight wins, joining Final Four opponent, No. 7 Union and No. 5 IUP.
• Central Missouri defeated Lubbock Christian 72-62 to advance to the Final Four. It is their fifth apperance in the Final Four in team history.
• There has not been a new coaches or media poll, so the Jennies remain ranked 10th by the WBCA Coaches and tied for 11th in the media poll.
Storylines
• This marks the 21st NCAA Tournament appearance in Central Missouri history. They now have seven regional championship crowns. This is their first since 1989. The Jens also won from 1983-86 and in 1988.
• All-time Central Missouri is 25-20 in the NCAA Tournament. They are 7-7 under coach
Dave Slifer, having made seven regional appearances in 14 years.
• Central Missouri is 5-2 all time in Elite Eight games, with their last trip to the Final Four coming in 1988-89. They have made two NCAA Championship games.
Quick Hits
Last Time Out
Central Missouri won their Elite Eight game 72-62 over nationally ranked No. 2 Lubbock Christian. Four Jennies were in double-figures led by
Morgan Fleming's 16 points and seven rebounds. UCM scored 72 points on the No. 1 ranked defense in the NCAA and held the Lady Chaps to just 43.6% shooting and 4-17 from three.
Previously vs. Union (TN)
Not a single member of the Central Missouri team was alive the last time the Jennies and Lady Bulldogs met. That was back in December, 1990 in a very different climate. The Jennies came out on top, 86-76 in the Nassau Islands of the Bahamas.
Jennies in the Rankings
No new rankings this week, so UCM will remain 10th in the WBCA Coaches Poll and 11th in the D2SIDA Media Poll.
Road Warriors
The Jennies haven't seemed to mind going into unfriendly environments. UCM is 15-1 away from Warrensburg this season and 10-0 in true road games. Their only loss away from Warrensburg was to Lindenwood at the MIAA Tournament. Since the Jennies are finished with road games for 2017-18, this marks the first time in program history the Jens have gone undefeated on the road.
The NCAA Universe (as of 3/18/18)
• The Jennies are the only remaining team to not have an individual in the top-15 in any NCAA statistical category. They don't even have one in the top-20.
Kelsey Williams is the highest ranked individual. She's 21st in the NCAA with a 2.27:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• As a team though, the whole seems to be greater than the sum of it's parts and it starts on defense. The Jennies rank 14th in scoring defense at 56.8%
• Where the Jennies also excel is at holding onto the ball. With just 11.8 turnovers per game, the Jennies commit the sixth fewest in the NCAA. That goes hand-in-hand with committing the 14th fewest number of fouls per game, at just 14.6.
• Offensively, the Jens aren't too bad either. Shooting 46% for the season, the Jennies rank 12th in Division II.
Paige Redmond was fifth in the MIAA in shooting percentage and the highest ranked guard.
Individual Milestones
•
Paige Redmond joined the 1,000 point club this season scoring the milestone bucket against Pittsburg State. She is currently at 1,187 which is 19th all-time. She needs just 13 points to move up to 18th. Redmond is also climbing the all-time 3FGM list. She has 140 for her career which is eighth all-time and five shy from seventh place. Her 63 3-pointers this season are the 10th most in a single season.
• With a block in the Regional Championship,
Kayonna Lee now has 42 this season which is 10th all-time in a single-season at UCM.
Postseason Awards
All five Jennies starters were named to the All-MIAA team. It is just the fourth time UCM has had five named All-MIAA.
• Redmond was selected to the First Team for the second straight season. She was also named Player of the Year, the 10th in Jennies history and first since Keuna Flax in 2014. She is just the 9th Jennie to be selected to multiple First Teams. Redmond was also named to the D2CCA All-Central Region First Team. Her second career All-Region award. Following the Central Region Tournament, she was named the Tournament MVP. She has since added WBCA First Team All-American. The fifth from UCM with multiple All-American awards.
• Also a Player of the Year was
Kayonna Lee who was chosen the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year. She also was a part of the MIAA All-Defensive Team for the second straight season and was named an All-MIAA Honorable Mention.
•
Morgan Fleming made her first All-MIAA team as a part of the Second Team.
•
Megan Skaggs and
Kelsey Williams were a named All-MIAA Honorable Mention. It is the second All-MIAA award for Skaggs, who also made the All-Region Team.
• For the first time at UCM, coach
Dave Slifer was named the MIAA Coach of the Year. It is his fourth career MIAA Coach of the Year award after earning three with Missouri Western. He was also the WBCA Central Region Coach of the Year for the second time.
Jennies in the NCAA Tournament
• Three Jennies are averaging double-figures in the NCAA Tournament thus far. Redmond leads the team scoring 17.8 points per game and
Megan Skaggs is scoring 14.5 ppg.
Kayonna Lee is the third scoring 10.3 points in four NCAA games.
• The Jennies are very close to their regular season shooting averages. They've shot 45.5% in the NCAA, and were right at 46.0% in the regular season. They are also shooting better from three, 38.4%-34.9% and the free throw line, 77.9%-77.1%.
• A big difference in two games has been turnovers. UCM has committed 39, less than 10 per game.
• UCM's defense has been a difference maker. They've allowed just 53 points per game, while allowing teams to shoot 35.8% from the field. Both of those numbers are way down from their regular season averages of 56.8 points per game and 37.2% shooting.
Scouting the Opposition
No. 7 Union University Lady Bulldogs - 32-3, 18-2 Gulf South
• Union (TN) enters the Final Four winners of eight straight and a program record 32 wins. They were both the Gulf South regular season and conference champions with a 28-3 record and 18-2 in conference.
• The Lady Bulldogs nearly let the Elite Eight game slip, but held on to a tight 73-70 over No. 2 seed Carson-Newman. They their three regional games by an average of 20 points, but claimed the South Region Championship in a one-point, 74-73 win over Valdosta State.
• The Lady Bulldogs have the No. 4 scorer in Division II in Chelsey Schumpert. The diminutive dynamo is scoring 24.1 points per game. She hits 45.7% of her shots from the floor and 38.5% from three. She's gotten to the free throw line 214 times and made 79%.
• Union Averages nearly 80 points per game. Sara Lytle is scoring 14.1 points per game for the Lady Bulldogs and Tiara Caldwell is at 11.4.
• The Lady Bulldogs live and die by the three-point shot. They've attempted 988 three-pointers. the second most in Division II. They hit on 35.6% of them which is 32nd in the country. Prime example, Union was 8-17 in the first half against Carson-Newman and took a double-digit lead in the first half. They went just 3-14 in the second half as the Eagles nearly pulled off the comeback.
• Despite their incredibly fast pace of play, the Lady Bulldogs do an excellent job of holding onto the basketball. Their 10.8 turnovers per game are the fewest in all of Division II. Jada Perkins not only scores 9.9 points per game, she averages 5.6 assists per game and her 2.56:1 assist-to-turnover ratio is 7th in D2.
Player to Watch
#25 Chelsey Shumpert (5-5, G, SR, Paducah, Ky.) - D2SIDA South Region Player of the Year, All-American
