Jennies Start Off 2021 at Home

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Jan. 6, 2021) - Central Missouri Jennies Basketball looks to pick up in 2021 where it left off in 2020. The undefeated Jennies start the new year at home with a pair of MIAA contests against two top teams in the league.

Opponents
Fort Hays State (5-1, 5-1 MIAA)
Nebraska-Kearney (6-0, 6-0 MIAA)

Where
Warrensburg, Mo. - UCM Multipurpose Building

When
Thursday, Jan. 7 - 5:30 p.m. vs. Fort Hays State
Saturday, Jan. 9 - 1 p.m. vs. Nebraska-Kearney

Fan Information
• The UCM Multipurpose Building is limited to 25% capacity. Fans are strongly encourage to purchase their tickets in advance at the link above.
• Face masks are required at all times while on the UCM campus. 
• Fans are strongly encouraged to socially distance themselves when seated and only sit with the group they entered the facility with.
• Restrooms and east-end concessions will be open, but fans are asked not to congregate in hallways or the lobby. 
• There will be no reserved seating for visiting fans behind the visiting bench. 

On the Air
• Home games will be broadcast on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and now the all new 107.9 fm. You can also stream online at 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
• After spending the month of December on the road, the Jennies return home after the holiday break to take on Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney.
• The Jennies went 4-0 on their season-long four game road trip and are 6-0 to start the season, sitting a top the MIAA heading into January.

Storylines
• Central Missouri leads the all-time series with Fort Hays State 17-14. The Jens defeated the Tigers twice last season. FHSU has won seven of the last 11 matchups.
• The Jennies only loss to Nebraska-Kearney came in 2016. Since, they've won four straight and are 8-1 all-time against the Lopers. 
• Coming off of a long layoff hasn't always been easy for the Jennies. When idle for more than a week, the Jennies lost twice in 2018-19 and once in 2016-17. Although UCM got two wins last season, they fought for wins over Central Oklahoma and Newman. 

Last Time Out
• Four Jennies were in double-figures in their 67-45 win at Washburn. It was the Jennies best defensive effort of the season. Charley Bovaird sparked the offense going 5-7 from three. 

Previously vs. Fort Hays State/Nebraska-Kearney
• In their lowest scoring game of the MIAA Tournament, the Jennies got by the Tigers 59-48 in the semis. Morgan Fleming scored 20 and Nija Collier 15. Gigi McAtee aded seven points and Morgan VanHyfte pulled down nine rebounds with five points and two blocked shots. 
• UCM scored 32 points in their 75-65 win over Nebraska-Kearney last year on senior day. Megan Skaggs and Morgan Fleming each had 20+ points. Gigi McAtee scored nine. 

Jennies in the Rankings
• There won't be a WBCA poll for the 2020-21 season until January. The Jennies are ranked in a tie for 21st in the D2SIDA preseason poll released this week. It'll be the only poll until Jan.
• The defending MIAA Champion Jennies were picked to finish third this year by the league's coaches. They did receive three first-place votes. 

Individual Milestones
• Two more steals will bring Nija Collier to 50.  
• Gigi McAtee needs 13 points to get to 200.
• Morgan VanHyfte is one steal away from 100. 

Inside the Margins
• Through six games the Jennies are averaging 73.3 points per game and allowing 54.0. That's a scoring margin of 19.3 points which leads the MIAA and is fifth in Division II. The Jennies have won five games by 17 or more points and three games by 20 or more points. Their closest win was a nine-point victory over Northwest Missouri. The Jennies have held at least a 20-point lead at some point in each game. 

Fab 7
• UCM has seven freshmen for the 2020-21 season, their most since welcoming five in 2015. All seven have played and through six games have scored 61% of the team's total points. Three of the Jennies top-four scorers are freshman with Brooke Littrell having scored 76, Graycen Holden 69 and Olivia Nelson 58. UCM freshmen have scored 70% of the team's points each of the last two games.

Season Starts
• UCM has started the year 6-0 for just the eighth time in team history, last done in 2011-12.
• The Jens have started 6-0 or better twice under Coach Slifer. They started 7-0 in 2011-12.
• UCM's longest winning streak to start a season was 15 games in 1995-96. 
• Only five Jennies teams have started 7-0 or better.

Schedule Notes
• The Jennies game at Emporia State originally scheduled for Saturday, December 19 has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m.

Scouting the Opposition
Fort Hays State Tigers (5-1, 5-1 MIAA)
• Fort Hays State has the top offense in the MIAA averaging 74.7 points per game. They reached 80 points in the three games leading up to the holiday break.
• The Tigers are 5-1 this season with three of their wins coming at home. Of their five wins, none of them are against a team with a winning record.
• Hays is one of the better shooting teams in the league, they are top four from the floor and from three. The Tigers are shooting 34% behind the arc and have the MIAA's top shooter in Jaden Hobbs who has made 18 of 32, 56.3%.
• Hobbs is one of two Tigers to score more than 10 points per game this season. Whitney Randall leads the team scoring 15.2 with Hobbs at 14.2 and Cydney Bergmann is just under 10 averaging 9.8 points per game. Bergmann is also the team's leading rebounder coming down with 7.3 per game. The Tigers are third in the MIAA in rebounding margin with a +4.2.
• Fort Hays is tops in the MIAA in turnover margin causing 16.3 and losing it 12.7 times per game. 
Player to Watch
#11 Jaden Hobbs (5-8, G, Sr., Alva, Okla.) - 59% FG%, 56% 3FG%, 3.7 assist:turnover ratio

Nebraska-Kearney Lopers (6-0, 6-0 MIAA)
• The Lopers have nearly their entire team back from a year ago when they finished near the top of the MIAA. 
• UNK is out to a 6-0 start with four of their six wins coming at home. 
• The Lopers are a defensive minded team. The most points they've allowed this season is 56. They've also held three opponents below 50 points. UNK leads the MIAA allowing just 48.7 PPG and opponents are shooting just .336 from the floor and .195 from three, both MIAA-bests. 
• While UNK is at the top of the league in defense, they trend towards the bottom on offense. They score just 62 PPG which is next to last in the league. They are also last in 3FG% at .241.
• Nebraska-Kearney is in the MIAA top-five in turnover margin at +1.67. They force 15.7 which is fourth while losing it just 14 times themselves.
• UNK has a rebounding margin of +5.7, second only to the Jennies. 
• The Lopers don't have a single player scoring in double-figures this season. 
Player to Watch
#10 Haley Simental (5-8, G, Gr., Pueblo West, Colo.) - 9.5 PPG, 38% 3FG%, 24 assists, 12 turnovers