WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Dec. 16, 2019) - Central Missouri Jennies Basketball is back in the Multi this week. After a week off, the Jens will play a pair of home games in non conference action.
Opponents
Evangel Crusaders (6-5, 5-2 Heart of America)
Avila Eagle (6-5, 6-3 KCAC)
Where
Warrensburg, Mo. - UCM Multipurpose Building
When
Tuesday, Dec. 17, 6 p.m. vs. Evangel
Thursday, Dec. 19, 6 p.m. vs. Avila
Tip Off
• The Jennies continue their season-long four-game homestand with some NAIA games this week against Evangel and Avila.
• UCM opened up MIAA play with wins at home over Missouri Western (62-53) and Northwest Missouri (70-50).
How to Watch
• This week's games will be aired on the MIAA Network on the Jennies BlueFrame portal. Greg Hassler will be calling the action. Live stats are available and found at ucmathletics.com.
Story Lines
• The Jennies are one of four teams in the MIAA to start the year at 2-0.
• UCM is in the midst of a season-long three-game winning streak.
• This will be the 1400th career game in Jennies Basketball history.
• UCM is closing in on 1,000 all-time wins and are just eight away.Â
Quick Hits
Last Time Out
• The Jennies began MIAA action with wins over Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri. The Jennies used huge second-half spurts in both games, including outscoring the Bearcats 34-13 in their 20-point win.
Nija Collier scored 19 in the win against Missouri Western and recorded her first double-double against the Bearcats.
Morgan Fleming poured in a season-high 26 points against Northwest.Â
Previously vs. Evangel/Avila
• The Jennies last met Evangel during their 2017-18 National Championship season. UCM easil dispatched of the Crusaders 81-30. Evangel scored just three second-quarter points.
Gigi McAtee scored a career-high 10 points going 4-5 from the field.Â
• Central Missouri and Avila last met in December of 1993, a 76-51 win for the Jennies.Â
Jennies in the Rankings
• The Jennies have been ranked by the WBCA in 41 of the last 46 polls dating back to the 2016-17 season but fell out of the receiving votes category recently. The Jennies opened the season ranked 11th before starting the year 2-2 and falling out of the top-25.
• 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 three points away from 200.
•
Morgan Fleming is two three-pointers away from 100 and five points from 1200
•
Gigi McAtee will get to 100 points with 24 more.
•
Megan Skaggs is seven FGM away from 500, one FTM away from 200 and 13 rebounds shy of 500.
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 1,195 while Skaggs is at 1,316. Skaggs is currently 17th all-time and 21 points away from 16th. Fleming is 21st and needs five more to get into the top-20.
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 50 games dating back to the 2016-17 season and in those games, UCM is 45-5. 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 five of their nine, and are 4-1 so far in 2019 when doing so.
Who's Hot?
•
Nija Collier has scored in double-figures in five straight games and had her first double-double vs. Northwest Missouri
•
Kim Crown has scored 10+ points in two of her last four games with a season-high 13 against the Bearcats.
•
Morgan VanHyfte grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds in the win vs. Northwest Missouri.
•
Sydnee Schovanec has scored 11 points in her last two games.Â
60 and Under
• In eight of nine games this season, the Jennies have held opponents to fewer than 60 points scored. Truman State was the first to break the 60-point barrier hitting 63, the most UCM has allowed this season.
• The Jennies are allowing just 55.6 points per game this season which is the third-best in the MIAA and the 23rd best in Division II.
Jennies at Home
• So far this season the Jennies are 4-0 playing at home. In the last three-plus seasons, the Jennies have gone 36-6 when playing at the Multi with no more than two losses in any season.
Pulling Away
• The Jennies best offensive quarter has been the last. UCM has scored 161 points in the fourth quarter, 22 more points than the next highest period
• UCM has built leads with stingy defense in the first, allowing just 101 first-quarter points. Their next fewest is 111 points allowed in the third quarter.
• In both games last week the Jennies were trailing at the half. They came back to win both with strong second halves, outscoring Missouri Western 34-21 and Northwest Missouri 34-13.Â
Scouting the Opposition
Evangel Crusaders (6-5, 5-2 HOA)
• Evangel comes to Warrensburg losers of three straight. They are 1-3 in the month of December and 6-5 overall.
• The Crusaders are scoring 76.1 points per game while shooting slightly better than 40% from the floor at 40.4%.
• Evangel has some three-point shooters led by Alexis Cauthon who averages 2.4 three-pointers per game and is shooting 41% from behind the arc.
• Lexis Vaught leads the team scoring 13.7 points per game. She's also the team leader in rebounds with 8.4, assists with 3.6 and steals with 2.5.
• Crusader games average 30 turnovers. Evangel loses the ball an average of 15.3 points per game and force 15.5 per game.Â
Player to Watch
#10 Lexie Vaught (5-9, G, Sr., Crane, Mo.) - 18.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 3.6 apg, 2.5 spg
Avila Eagles (6-5, 6-3 KCAC)
• The Eagles have lost two straight games to drop their record to 6-5 on the season after winning back-to-back games at home.
• On the road, the Eagles are 2-5 this year.
• Avila averages 68.8 points per game while allowing 66.
• The Eagles also have an advantage on the glass with a +2.1 rebounding margin.
• Avila is prone to turnovers with 18.5 per game and 204 on the season.
• Paige Bunn is the team's leading scorer averaging nearly 20 points per game. She is one of three Eagles with more than 10 three-pointers this season. Taylor Faulkner (22) and Matti Morgan (26) lead the Eagles from deep.
• Brooke Westrom is a 6-0 guard who has dished out a team-best 39 assists.
Player to Watch
#12 Paige Bunn (5-9, F, Sr., Independence, Mo.) - 19.1 ppg .491/.346/.821
