WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Dec. 16, 2020) - The final games of the 2020 calendar year take place this week as Mules Basketball hits the road for a pair of MIAA contests.

OPPONENTS
Washburn Ichabods
Emporia State Hornets

WHEN
Thursday, Dec. 17 - 7:30 p.m. at Washburn
Saturday, Dec. 19 - 4 p.m. at Emporia State

WHERE
Topeka, Kan. - Lee Arena - Washburn University
Emporia, Kan. - White Auditorium - Emporia State University

FAN INFORMATION
• There will be no general pubic tickets sold at either game. 

ON THE AIR
• Games will be broadcast on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler calling the action. 
• All games will also be webcast online through the MIAA's Blue Frame portal at http://www.themiaanetwork.com/ucmmules 
• Links to live stats and live video can also be found at ucmathletics.com. 

TIP-OFF
• Central Missouri basketball continues their four-game roadtrip with visits to Topeka and Emporia.
• The Mules are coming off two road losses, falling to the top-ranked Northwest Missouri Bearcats 74-67 and the hot-shooting Griffons of Missouri Western 100-81.  
• Off to an undefeated start to the season, the Ichabods jumped from receiving votes to No. 17 in the country in the first regular season poll from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
• Also undefeated so far this season, Emporia State is receiving votes in the latest NABC National Top-25 poll. 

PROGRAM SNAPSHOT
• This is the 115th season of Central Missouri Mules Basketball.
• Central Missouri is third all-time in NCAA Division II men's basketball with 1,719 wins.
• The Mules have won two NCAA Men's National Championships (1984 & 2014) and four National Championships overall (1937 & 1938 NAIB).

MULE FEED
• The Mules are currently 1-4 to begin the season.
• The Mules claimed their first win against Pitt State, shooting over 50% from the floor and 60% from the three-point range to defeat the Gorillas 88-80.
• Central Missouri has shot over 50% in three of their five games so far this season. They are currently 48% (122-254) from the floor and 40.2% (35-87) from the three-point range to rank third in the MIAA and in the top-25 in Division II in both categories. 
• The Mules have out-scored their opponents in the second-half in all games but one. 
• Cameron Hunter leads the Mules offense and ranks fifth in the league in scoring averaging 19.8 points per game. Hunter also leads UCM in rebounds (25), assists (21) and steals (12). 
• Hunter has scored in double-figures in all five games and has led UCM in scoring in every game but one. His 51 free throw attempts and 44 made free throws are best in Division II. 
• Also averaging in double-figure scoring is Jalen Blaize with 11.4 points per game. Blaize went 7-13 from the field, 5-7 from the three, and 6-7 at the foul line to put up a career-high 25 points in UCM's win over PSU. 
• Gaven Pinkley leads the Mules from behind the arc shooting 52.9% (9-17) while averaging nine points per game. 
• Central Missouri's bigs Mohammed Abubakar and Ante Sustic are both shooting over 65% in the paint. 

SERIES HISTORY VS. WASHBURN
• Central Missouri leads the all-time series against Washburn by one win, 52-51. 
• The Mules and the Ichabods met twice in the 2019-20 season with UCM winning the first match up 59-56 in the Mulitpurpose Building and Washburn taking the second 76-74 in Topeka. 
• Central Missouri has a .500 winning percentage against Washburn in the past 10 meetings. 
• The final score has been within five or less points in the last three meetings.

SERIES HISTORY VS. EMPORIA STATE
• Central Missouri has won the last six consecutive matchups against the Hornets.
• Last season the Mules defeated Emporia 67-49 in the Multipurpose Building. 
• The last time the Hornets beat UCM in Emporia was in January of 2014. 
• Central Missouri leads the all-time series 74-41.

SCOUTING WASHBURN
• The Ichabods are off to a 5-0 start to their season after a 16-13 campaign last season. 
• Washburn returned four starters and 91% of the team's scoring, 86% of its rebounding, 94% of assists and 89% of minutes played from the 2019-20 season. 
• Washburn has four players averaging in double-figure scoring. 
• Tyler Geiman is leading the Ichabods in scoring (15.8 ppg), assists (7.0 apg), rebounds (6.3 rpg) and steals (2.5 spg). Geiman's 7.0 assists per game currently leads the MIAA and ranks fifth in Division II. 
• Drew Maschoff is averaging 12.5 points per game and Jonny Clausing is scoring 10.6 points per game. Both Maschoff and Clausing also average five rebounds per game.  
• Jalen Lewis is averaging 13.2 points per game while leading Washburn from the three, hitting 15-26 three-point attempts this season for 57.7%, sixth in Division II.
• The Ichabods jumped from receiving votes to No. 17 in the country in the first regular season poll from the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Washburn was last ranked in the NABC poll during the 2013-14 season.

SCOUTING EMPORIA STATE
• The Hornets are 3-0 to start the season for the first time since 2013-14 and their 3-0 start in MIAA play is the first since they opened the 2010-11 conference season.
• Emporia State currently leads the MIAA in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense while ranking fifth nationally in defensive rebounds, ninth in scoring defense and 10th in field goal percentage defense.
• Individually, Jumah'Ri Turner (16.7 ppg) and Austin Downing (16.0 ppg) lead the Hornets offense and are rank 8th and 11th in the MIAA in scoring. 
• Dallas Bailey leads the league in assist to turnover ratio (3.7).
• Emporia State is receiving votes in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) National Top-25. 

LAST TIME OUT
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (Dec. 5, 2020) - Central Missouri was unable to defend Missouri Western's season-high shooting performance in a 100-81 loss inside the MWSU Fieldhouse. Cameron Hunter scored the game-high 23 points to lead the Mules for the fourth game this season.
• Missouri Western attempted a season-high 71 field goals and hit a season-high 15 three's to account for 45 of the Griffin's 100 total points
• Both the Mules and the Griffins saw season-high foul totals in tonight's matchup as UCM finished with 24 while MWSU totaled 28.
• With all the personal fouls came many trips to the free-throw line. Fifty-nine of the 181 points scored were at the three-throw line to account for 33% of the game's scoring. 
• The Griffins hit 30-71 from the floor for 42.3%, 15-35 for 42.9% from the three-point range, and 25-34 at the three-throw line for 75.6%.
• Central Missouri shot 22-53 from the field for 41.5%, made just 3-13 from the three for 23.1% and finished 34-45 at the foul line for 75.6%.
• Western led the Mules for the entire match up with their largest lead of the game coming at 22-point advantage (88-66) with 6:47 left to play. 
• The Mules recorded a season-high 43 rebounds to win the battle at the boards as MWSU finished with 40. 
• Hunter made a season-high 17 free-throws in his game-high scoring performance. Cameron finished 3-7 from the floor and 17-20 from the line to lead UCM with 23. 
• Hunter also led the Mules defense with season-high seven rebounds.
• Garrett Luinstra hit 4-12 from the field and 4-6 at the foul line for a season-high 12 points. 
• Jalen Blaize went 3-8 from the floor and a perfect 6-6 at the line to also finish with 12. 
• Tristen Hull was 3-6 in the paint and 3-5 at the free-throw line for a season-high nine points and six rebounds.
• Dillon Blain recorded a season-high seven points. 
• Ante Sustic finished with seven points and six boards.

MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• Central Missouri is currently 1-4 in MIAA competition this season. 
• The Mules finished 12th in the MIAA last season, above Emporia State and Newman. 
• The Mules are 59-63 in conference play under Doug Karleskint.

MULES IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION 
• Central Missouri went 5-4 in non-conference action last season. 
• They are 159-42 over the last 18 seasons.
• Central Missouri is now 82-5 in the last 87 non-conference home games at the Multipurpose Building.

MULES AT HOME
• Central Missouri is currently 1-1 while playing at home this season. 
• Last season the Mules went 9-7 while playing in the Multipurpose Building.
• The Mules are 54-34 at home under Karleskint.
• Central Missouri posts a 191-35 record at home over the last 14 seasons, including 82-7 against non-conference opponents and 115-28 in MIAA play. 
• The Mules are 530-114 (.823) as they enter their 44th season playing home games at the Multipurpose Building.

MULES ON THE ROAD
• The Mules are currently 0-3 in road games this season. 
• UCM finished the 2019-20 season 0-11 on the road. 
• UCM is 23-45 in road games under Doug Karleskint.

MULES IN NEUTRAL SITE GAMES
• Central Missouri went undefeated at 1-0 while completing at a neutral site last season. 
• In the past five seasons, UCM posts a record of 16-5 at neutral sites. 

INDIVIDUAL MILESTONES.
• Junior Gavin Pinkly surpassed 500 career points in the Mules second game of the 2020-21 season. 
• Pinkley is six boards away from 250 career rebounds and seven field goals away from 200 career made field goals. 
• Garrett Luinstra needs five more assists to get to 50. 

UCM DURING THE KARLESKINT ERA
• Doug Karleskint enters the 2020-21 season with a record of 104-73 (.588) as head coach at Central Missouri and a 193-107 (.643) overall mark in his 10th season as a head coach.
• Doug saw his 100th career win as head coach of the Mules last season in a 93-62 victory over Saint Mary's. Their 93 points were the most single game points scored by the Mules all season.
• Karleskint 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.

MULES BASKETBALL HISTORY
• In the 115th season of UCM basketball, the Mules have compiled a 1,720-1,001 (.632) record in 2,721 total games.
• The Mules are the third winningest program by victories in NCAA-II history.
• Central Missouri is one of just four NCAA-II programs with 1,700 all-time wins.
• The Mules have won 20 or more games 26 times in the history of the program.
• Central Missouri has won 30 or more games in a season three times (2006-07, 2008-09, and 2013-14).
• UCM has won or shared 24 MIAA regular season championships and five MIAA tournament titles.

THE NEXT LEVEL
• In the past 16 years, 23 former UCM players have gone on to play professional basketball.
• Four players are either currently playing professionally or on a professional roster; Michael Hicks (Poland, Polpharma-Pakmet), Jakob Lowrance (Spain, Iraurgi Saski Baloia), Spencer Reaves (Spain, Leb Gold Division) and Zack Wright (Germany, JL Bourg).

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
• Central Missouri has won a combined 215 MIAA regular season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• In 2017-18, UCM captured two national championships, two MIAA regular season and two MIAA tournament championships. 
• Last season, UCM won three MIAA regular season championships, one MIAA tournament Championship and one national championship.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 164 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
• Central Missouri has won 11 national championships during Hughes' tenure (men's and women's basketball in 1984, baseball in 1994 and 2003, women's bowling in 2003, men's basketball in 2014, women's indoor and outdoor track & field in 2015, and women's soccer and women's basketball) and 13 national championships overall.
• In 2016-17 and 2017-18, Central Missouri won the first two MIAA's Commissioner's Cup trophies for the conference's top overall athletic department. 

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
• Throughout the 2019-20 seasons, 275 UCM student-athletes were named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll with a 3.00 GPA or higher.
• 31 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Scholar-Athletes with at least a 3.50 GPA and having earned all-MIAA honors in their respective sport
• 28 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with perfect 4.00 GPAs.
• 3 UCM student-athletes were named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in their respective sports
• Jennies Basketball's Morgan Fleming was named a 2020 D2CCA Regional Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
• All-time, UCM is fourth in NCAA-II with 119 Academic All-Americans.