Game 8: Central Missouri (4-3, 1-2 MIAA) at Missouri Southern (6-3, 3-0 MIAA)
Thursday, Dec. 16 | 7:30 p.m. | Joplin, Mo. (Leggett & Platt Athletic Center)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 107.9 FM, 98.5 The BAR
Live Stats
Game 9: Central Missouri at Pittsburg State
Saturday, Dec. 18 | 3:30 p.m. | Pittsburg, Kan. (John Lance Arena)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 107.9 FM, 98.5 The BAR
Live Stats
TIP-OFF
• University of Central Missouri Mules basketball will look to snap a two-game losing skid when it travels to Joplin, Mo., and Pittsburg, Kan., for a pair of MIAA road games at Missouri Southern and at Pittsburg State Thursday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 18, at 3:30 p.m.
• The Mules are coming off a 77-53 setback to No. 2-ranked Northwest Missouri State Monday, Dec. 13, in Warrensburg, Mo.
ON THE AIR
• Both games will be broadcast on 1450 KOKO, 107.9 FM, 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.
LAST TIME OUT
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Cameron Hunter scored 12 points, but it wasn't enough, as the second-ranked Northwest Missouri State Bearcats downed the Central Missouri Mules basketball team Monday, Dec. 13, in an MIAA game at the Multipurpose Building, 77-53.
• Hunter scored his team-best 12 points on 3-for-8 shooting from the floor and a 3-for-5 performance at the free-throw line.
PROGRAM SNAPSHOT
• This is the 116th 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).
SERIES HISTORY VS. MISSOURI SOUTHERN
• Central Missouri is 39-31 all-time against Missouri Southern since the first meeting in the all-time series back in 1970-71.
• Last meeting: Lions win, 86-67, in Joplin, Mo. (Feb. 6, 2021)
SCOUTING MISSOURI SOUTHERN
• The Missouri Southern Lions enter the week at 6-3 overall and 3-0 in the MIAA after defeating Rogers State in Claremore, Okla., Dec. 11, 67-53.
• Through nine games, the Lions are paced by RJ Smith (20.5 ppg., 9.5 rpg.) and Winston Dessesow (15.2 ppg., 3.4 rpg.).
SERIES HISTORY VS. PITTSBURG STATE
• Central Missouri is 74-48 all-time against the Gorillas since the inaugural meeting in the series all the way back in 1916-17.
• Last meeting: Gorillas win, 79-72, in Pittsburg, Kan. (Feb. 4, 2021)
SCOUTING PITTSBURG STATE
• The Pittsburg State Gorillas are 2-8 overall and 1-3 in the MIAA after falling at Northeastern State Dec. 11 in Tahlequah, Okla., 59-42.
• Through 10 games, PSU is led by Iziah James (12.2 ppg., 2.6 rpg.) and Cameron Huefner (10 ppg., 5.5 rpg.).
MULES IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
• The Mules 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
• The Mules are 4-2 at home in 2021-22 after falling to Northwest Missouri State.
• The Mules are 62-50 at home under Karleskint.
• Central Missouri has posted a 191-36 record at home over the last 14 seasons, including 82-7 against non-conference opponents and 115-29 in MIAA play.
INDIVIDUAL MILESTONES.
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Cameron Hunter enters Saturday just 18 points shy of 1,000 in his career. He is at 982 going into the game at Missouri Southern.
UCM DURING THE KARLESKINT ERA
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Doug Karleskint enters the 2021-22 season with a record of 112-88 (.588) as head coach at Central Missouri and a 193-107 (.643) overall mark in his 12th season as a head coach.
• Doug saw is 100th career win as head coach of the Mules last season in a 93-62 victory over Saint Mary's. Their 93 points was 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.
MULE FEED
• Central Missouri returns four starters and six letterwinners from last season's team that posted an overall record of 7-15.
• Returning starters include redshirt junior forward
Gaven Pinkley, redshirt senior guard
Ja'Cor Nelson, redshirt senior guard
Koray Gilbert and redshirt senior guard
Cameron Hunter.
• Other returners for UCM include redshirt junior guard
Garrett Luinstra, redshirt freshman guard
Easton Darling and redshirt freshman forward
Austin Murrow.
• Central Missouri welcomes nine newcomers for 2021-22, including five transfers and four freshmen. Incoming transfers include redshirt junior guard Matthew Todd, redshirt sophomore guard
Ikenna Okeke, redshirt sophomore guard
Trey Sides, redshirt freshman guard
Reggie Morris and redshirt sophomore forward
Mark Mayle, while incoming freshmen are guard
Connor Arment, guard/forward
Blake Busateri, guard
Jaden Rogers and forward
Ben Fritz.
MULES BASKETBALL HISTORY
• In the 116th season of UCM basketball, the Mules have compiled a 1,719-997 (.633) record in 2,716 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; Donte Adams (Conejos De Tuxtla (Mexico), Charles Hammork (Kosovo, Ylli Therande), Michael Hicks (Poland, Polpharma-Pakmet), and Zack Wright (Germany, Brose Basket).
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 trophy for the conference's top overall athletic department.
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
• Throughout the 2020-21 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.
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