OPPONENT: Fort Hays State Tigers
Nebraska-Kearney Lopers
WHERE: Warrensburg, Mo. - Multipurpose Building
WHEN: Thursday, January 3 - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 5 - 3:30 p.m.
TIP-OFF
•Central Missouri Mules Basketball returns to Warrensburg for the first time in 2019.
• 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.
• Two weeks ago, the Mules broke their three-game losing streak against MidAmerica Nazarene 76-75. Last weekend the Mules got another win against Avila 86-71. With a few Mules returning from injury UCM Basketball is looking to continue their winning streak.
• FHSU is on a six-game winning streak, putting them at 8-3 on the season and currently are 2-0 in conference play.
• UNK comes into this game off of a win from last week and is looking to grab their first conference win.
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 74.0points per contest and shooting 45 percent from the field.
• Defensively, UCM allows 71.8 points per contest on 43.8 percent shooting.
SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the 24th meeting between the Mules and the Tigers with UCM leading the series 13-11 with the series dating back to the 1948-49 season.
• UCM and UNK first played in the 1973-74 season and the Mules lead the series 7-5.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
• The Tigers enter the 2018-19 season 8-3 after going on a six-game winning streak. The Tigers defeated McPherson College 82-54 at home.
• FHSU is averaging 80.6 points per game, shooting 48.3 percent from the field as a team 38.3 percent from behind the arc, and 67.5 percent from the free-throw line.
• The Tigers have three players averaging double-digits per contest thus far this season.
• Brady Werth holds this team together leading them in five categories. Werth leads in scoring with 15.5 points per game, shoots 58.9 percent from the field, 60 percent from behind the arc, and leads the team with 12 blocks on the season.
•Marcus Cooper is next averaging 14 points per game, 4.3 rebounds, shooting 49.5 percent from the field. Cooper is second on the team in steals with 14, he is also shooting 76.2 percent from the free-throw line.
• Aaron Nicholson is the final FHSU player averaging double-digits with 11.4 per contest. Nicholson is second on the team in assists with 26 and is shooting 51.1 percent from the field.
SCOUTING THE LOPERS
• The Lopers enter the 2018-19 season 5-6 heading into their MIAA matchup against Southwest Baptist Jan. 3, 2019 before heading to Warrensburg.
• UNK is averaging 71.7 points per game, shooting 44.1 percent from the field as a team 35.0 percent from behind the arc, and 64.0 percent from the free-throw line.
• Nebraska-Kearney is led by Kanon Koster. Koster averages 17.6 points a game, 4.8 assists, and shoots 48.0 percent from the field. Koster leads UNK in steals with 14 and leads in rebounds averaging 6.0 per contest.
• The Lopers have two players averaging around eight points per game in Chase Winchester and Henry Penner. Winchester averages 8.6 per contest, shooting 41.3 percent from the field. Penner is averaging 8.0 points per game and is shooting 75.0 percent from the free-throw line.
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 three in double-digits. Jafar Kinsey leads UCM scoring 12.9 points per contest. Blake Spellman is next up, scoring 11.1 points per game with Matt Wilkinson being the third and final Mule averaging double figures with 10.3 per game.
• The Mules are shooting 45.6 percent from the floor, 69.8 percent from the free-throw line, and 35.3 percent from three. Blake Spellman's 2.5 three-pointers per contest drop him down to eighth the MIAA in three-point percentage. Michael Winger has climbed up in the MIAA standings, Winger's 2.0 three-pointers a game has him sitting 18th in the MIAA. Jafar Kinsey's 73.2 free-throw percentage puts him at 17th in the MIAA.
• One Mule, Brandon Emmert, who has 61 rebounds on the season is 22nd in the MIAA rebounding standings.
• Blake Spellman and Daniel Farris are the leading field dishing out 46 and 42 assists so far which is 10th and 12th in the MIAA. Spellman's 3.1 assist-to-turnover ratio is sixth in the MIAA.
BACKCOURT NOTES
• The Mules will have a number of options in the backcourt 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.
• Kinsey is back in the mix averaging 12.9 points per game, 5.0 rebounds, and is shooting 73.2 percent from the free-throw line. Spellman has started in 10 games this season while dishing out 46 assists. Farris has started in every game this season dishing out 42 assists thus far. Spellman averaging double digits with 11.1. Farris averages 7.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Off the bench, Winger is has seen some action shooting averaging 6.3 per contest with Byrd right behind him at 5.9 per game.
FRONTCOURT NOTES
• Freshman Gavin Pinkley and Sophomore Brandon Emmert have stepped up in the frontcourt, after a few Mules fell to injury. So far on the season Pinkley is getting a feel of things on the court averaging 7.9 points per game, 4.3 rebounds, and leading the team in blocks with eight. Brandon Emmert has had several standout games for the Mules averaging 9.2 points per contest and 5.5rebounds 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.
• Matt Wilkinson went down due to injury in the Washburn game, which gave Pinkly his first career start as a Mules against Mid-America Nazarene. Wilkinson started in all nine games and was tied for first in steals with 10 while grabbing 3.0 rebounds a game. Wilkinson returned against Avila and lead the Mules to an 86-71 victory with 16 points.
MULES IN CONFERENCE ACTION
• In the 2018-19 season, the Mules have had a rocky start to conference play with a record of 0-2 in the MIAA.
• A season ago the Mules were 11-8 in conference play.
• Under the direction of Head Coach, Doug Karlskint the Mules are 46-35 overall in conference play.
MULES AT HOME
• The Mules are 50-15 all-time at home under Coach Doug Karleskint with their 4-0 start to the 2018-19 season.
• Mules captured their sixth home victory this season against Avila 86-71.
• Last season they were 11-4 at the Multipurpose Building and are 512-103 at the Multi in their 43rd year in the arena
UCM DURING THE KARLESKINT ERA
• Doug Karleskint has a record of 86-44 (.511) as he begins his fifth season as head coach at Central Missouri and a 176-78 (.443) 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.
