Jennies Basketball to Play for Ultimate Prize

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (March 23, 2018) - It all comes down to one game. Central Missouri Jennies Basketball is in search of the second NCAA Division II National Championship in team history tonight.

Opponent - Ashland Eagles (36-0, 20-0 GLIAC)

When: Friday, March 23, 2018 - 7 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 Championship game will air live on the CBS Sports Network. 

• Additionally, there will be viewing sites set up throughout the Warrensburg, Kansas City, and St. Louis areas. In Warrensburg, the game will be aired at Traditions Restaurant, Fitter's Pub and Players Restaurant. 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 championship game. Fans east of Warrensburg in St. Louis can head to Ballpark Village at the Budweiser Brew House in their Tap Room at 601 Clark Street.

Tip Off
• Central Missouri Jennies Basketball continues on to the NCAA Championship. After the tournament has been reseeded, the Jennies are the No. 6 seed. Central Missouri defeated Lubbock Christian 72-62 to advance to the Final Four. 
• UCM then defeated Union (Tenn.) 70-57 in the semifinal round to advance to just the third NCAA Championship game in team history. 

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 26-20 in the NCAA Tournament. They are 8-7 under coach Dave Slifer, having made seven regional appearances in 14 years.
• Central Missouri is 1-1 all time in NCAA Championship games. They went in back-to-back years in 1984 and 1985, winning their first and only NCAA Championship in 1984.
• The Jennies 29 wins this season are tied for the most in team history with the 1982-83, 1988-89, and 1989-90 teams. No Jennies team has ever won 30 games in a season. 

Quick Hits
Last Time Out
The Jennies won their fifth NCAA game of the 2017-18 season and earned themselves a spot in the 2018 NCAA Championship game. UCM defeated Union (TN) 70-57 behind a strong defensive effort. The Jennies held Union to a season-low 57 points. The Jens also shot 49% from the floor getting double-digit points from four starters including a team-best 15 from Megan Skaggs. Kayonna Lee posted double-double number eight for the season with a 14 point, 11 rebound performance. 

Previously vs. Ashland
First Ever Meeting

Road Warriors
The Jennies haven't seemed to mind going into unfriendly environments. UCM is 16-1 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 entered the Elite Eight as the only team without an individual in the top-20 in any statistical category. Kelsey Williams has worked her way to 15th however in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.39:1. 
• 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 15th in scoring defense at 57 points per game. Their 16.1 point scoring margin is also 13th best in Division II. 
• 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 15th 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 1,199 which is 19th all-time. She needs just one more point to move up to 18th and 1200 all-time points. Redmond is also climbing the all-time 3FGM list. She has 141 for her career which is eighth all-time and four shy from seventh place. Her 64 3-pointers this season are the 10th most in a single season. She also needs five more assists for 300 and 10 more to crack the all-time top-10. 
• With two blocks against Union, Kayonna Lee now has 44 this season which is ninth all-time in a single-season at UCM. 
• Megan Skaggs needs 21 more points to reach 700 for her career. 
• Morgan Fleming is one point shy of hitting 400 for this season. 

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 16.6 points per game and Megan Skaggs is scoring 14.6 ppg. Kayonna Lee is the third scoring 11 points in five NCAA games. 
• The Jennies are very close to their regular season shooting averages. They've shot 46.2% in the NCAA, and were right at 46.0% in the regular season. They are also shooting better from three, 35.9%-34.9% and the free throw line, 78%-77.1%. 
• A big difference in two games has been turnovers. UCM has committed 53, less than 11 per game. 
• UCM's defense has been a difference maker. They've allowed just 53.8 points per game, while allowing teams to shoot 37.3% from the field. They've also forced 62 turnovers and come away with 32 steals.

Scouting the Opposition
• The Ashland Eagles are the defending Division II National Champions. They've followed that season up with a 36-0 mark this season. They have won 73 straight games dating back to March of 2016.
• The Eagles have won their two Elite Eight games by an average of 21 points. They defeated No. 8 seed Montana State-Billings 91-73 and Indiana (PA) 92-68. 
• Ashland is without a doubt the best team in the country and have been ranked first in both the WBCA Coaches and D2SIDA media polls every week this season.
• The Eagles average 99.8 points per game, by far the best in the country. They do it in a variety of ways. They are very efficient shooting the basketball. They're 51.3 field goal percentage and 40% from three are both the best marks in the NCAA. They also lead the league creating 27.7 turnovers per game.
• Ashland has two All-Americans averaging more than 19 points per game. Laina Synder currently has the team lead with 19.7 points per game. WBCA Player of the Year Jodi Johnson isn't far behind her scoring 19 points per game. Andi Daugherty is nearly scoring 15 points per game at 14.9.
• Point guard Renee Stimpert is the one who moves the ball around on offense. She leads the country in assists with 232. Her 6.4 assists per game are fifth.
• Johnson has recorded 137 steals and 3.8 steals per game on defense, both the top marks in D2.
• Ashland, who runs a press-man defense can get into foul trouble. They commit 17.5 per game. The defense allows 64.8 points per game. 
Player to Watch
#21 Jodi Johnson (5-10, G, SO, Wadsworth, Wis.) - WBCA Player of the Year