Jennies Basketball Set For Three Games Thanksgiving Week

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Nov. 25, 2019) - It's a big week ahead for Central Missouri Jennies Basketball. The Jens will be home Tuesday for their youth and school game, before going on the road for two games following Thanksgiving.

Opponents
William Jewell Cardinals (3-2)
#1 Drury Panthers (4-0)
Truman State Bulldogs (3-1)

Where
• Warrensburg, Mo. (UCM Multipurpose Building), Springfield, Mo.

When
• Tuesday, Nov. 26 - 12 p.m. vs. William Jewell
• Friday, Nov. 29 - 5:30 p.m. at Drury
• Saturday, Nov. 30 - 7:45 p.m.

How to Watch
• Tuesday's game will be aired on the MIAA Network on the Jennies BlueFrame portal while the weekend's will be on the GLVC Network. Greg Hassler will be calling Tuesdays' action with Dan Swoboda on air this weekend. Live stats are also available and found at ucmathletics.com.

Tip Off
• The Jennies have three games Thanksgiving week, their kids game day the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Over Thanksgiving weekend, UCM will be in Springfield, Mo. to take on Drury and Truman State. 

Quick Hits
Last Time Out
• The Jennies started off their home slate with a 67-58 win over now 24th-ranked Union. Morgan Fleming scored 19 points and the Jennies put the Bulldogs away in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 22-16. 

Previously vs. This Weeks Opponents 
• The Jennies and Cardinals last met in 2017, a 66-55 win for UCM. Morgan Fleming scored 15 points with 8 rebounds as the Jennies moved to 3-0 before playing in the National Championship. UCM played at Drury in 2015, an 86-71 loss to the Panthers. Three-point shooting was the difference as UCM was 5-20 while the Panthers went 12-22 from deep. Truman State used to be a member of the MIAA and that's when they last played them in Feb. of 2013. The Jennies won 58-56 over the 25th ranked Bulldogs. 

Jennies in the Rankings
• The Jennies have been ranked by the WBCA in 41 of the last 44 polls dating back to the 2016-17 season but are in the receiving votes category this week. The Jennies opened the season ranked 11th before starting the year 2-2.
• in the D2SIDA Poll, Central Missouri is also receiving votes. 
• The Jens were picked second in the MIAA preseason coaches poll, following their 15-4 conference season in 2018-19

Individual Milestones
• Kim Crown is 17 points away from 200.
• Morgan Fleming is 5 three-pointers away from 100 and 3 rebounds shy of 400.

1,000 Point Club
• Both Morgan Fleming and Megan Skaggs started the 2019-20 year as members of the 1,000 point club. Fleming has 1,119 while Skaggs is at 1,243. Skaggs is currently 19th all-time and 21 points away from 18th. Fleming is 22nd and needs 18 points to get to 21st. Her sister, Kara Fleming, is 20th with 1,160 points. 

10 Below
• For the last three seasons the Jennies have made a habit of holding teams to fewer than 10 points in at least one quarter. It's happened in 47 games dating back to the 2016-17 season and in those games, UCM is 42-5. The Jens were 15-1 when doing so in 2016-17 and 18-1 in the run to the national championship, including four of the six NCAA postseason games. The Jens defense has cranked it up again, holding opponents to fewer than 10 points in half of their games, but are just 1-1 so far in 2019 when doing so.

Who's Hot?
• Morgan Fleming and Megan Skaggs have scored in double-figures in all four games. Fleming has scored 19 points in consecutive games while Skaggs is shooting 63% over her last three.
• Gigi McAtee hit a pair of three pointers in the Jennies win over Union. She leads the Jennies shooting 33% from three.
• Kim Crown is averaging 5.0 points per game in her last three.

60 and Under
• In all four games this season, the Jennies have held opponents to fewer than 50 points scored. Minnesota-Moorhead and Union have scored the most thus far reaching 58 points. 
• The last time UCM held their first four opponents to fewer than 60 points in a game was in 2006-07 when they held their first five under 60 points. 

Freebees
• The Jennies are fifth in the MIAA right now shooting 74.5% from the free throw line.
• Morgan Fleming is second in the league having in 20 free throws in 24 attempts.
• Kim Crown leads the Jennies shooting 88.9%, hitting 8 of 9.
• The Jennies have also shot well at the free throw line in crunch time. With less than five minutes remaining in games, the Jennies have gone 17-20 at the line.

Pulling Away
• The Jennies best offensive quarter has been the last. UCM has scored 70 points in the fourth quarter, 16 more points than the next highest.
• UCM has built leads with stingy defense in the first, allowing just 36 first-quarter points. 

Scouting the Opposition
William Jewell Cardinals (3-2)
• William Jewell is off to a 3-2 start through five games this season. They've won two straight defeating Bemidji State and the MIAA's Lincoln.
• The Cardinals are scoring nearly 66 points per game, but allowing just over 69 points. Both WJC and their opponents have 178 rebounds, 35.6 per game.
• Kiara Bradley leads the offense scoring 17.6 points per game.
• Bradley and Sydney Offield have hit 17 of the 29 three-pointers this season for the Cards. William Jewell is shooting 33.7% from three while allowing opponents to hit 33.0%.
• Turnovers have been a problem for William Jewell, they have 103 through five games with just 48 assists. They have forced 91 turnovers.
• William Jewell is shooting nearly 40% from the floor (39.7%) and opponents 41.8%.
Player to Watch
#21 Kiara Bradley (6-0, F, Jr.., Pella, Iowa) - 36 points vs. Lincoln - 6-10 from 3

#1 Drury Panthers (4-0)
• Drury has been the No. 1 team in the country all season long. They are undefeated at 4-0 but haven't played since Nov. 11
• The Panthers are all about the press defense and they do a great job at it. They're forcing 32.2 turnovers per game and average 17 steals per game. The Panthers can be turnover prone themselves, losing it almost 17 times per game.
• Once teams have broken the press though, they are shooting 46% from the floor.
• Three Panthers are scoring in double-figures. Paige Robinson leads the team with 15.3 points per game. Drury is scoring 76.8 points per game.
• The Panthers hold a slight edge in rebounding with Hailey Diestelkamp's 27 leading the way.
• Drury's best period has been their second where they allow an average of just 9 points in the period.
Player to Watch
#34 Hailey Diestelkamp (5-11, F, Sr., Owensville, Mo.) - 14 ppg, 6.8 rpg

Truman State Bulldogs
• Truman State is 3-1 this season and have reached at least 78 points in all three wins. They opened the season scoring 80+ in their first two games.
• Three Bulldogs are averaging 10 or more points for a team that scores 77.3 points per game. Katey Klucking is scoring 15 points per game and has hit nine of the Bulldogs 20 three-pointers
• The Bulldogs are a +11 in the rebounding department. They average 41.5 boards per game. Maddie Re has been a big part of that with 12 rebounds per game.
• While Truman State is shooting 48% from the floor, they struggle from three hitting just 20-84 at 23.8%. They also have struggled at the line hitting just 58%.
• Truman has turned the ball over 64 times in four games while forcing 54.
• The Bulldogs have 10 blocked shots and 23 steals. 
Player to Watch
#54 Katie Jaseckas (6-2, C, Jr., Naperville, Ill.)) - 13.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 63.2% FG%