Mules Basketball At Missouri Western Saturday, Home Vs. No. 2 Northwest Missouri Monday

Game 6: Central Missouri (4-1, 1-0 MIAA) vs. Missouri Western (6-4, 2-0 MIAA)
Saturday, Dec. 13 | 3:30 p.m. | St. Joseph, Mo. (MWSU Fieldhouse)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 107.9 FM, 98.5 The BAR
Live Stats
MIAA Network (PPV)
Game Notes

­Game 7: Central Missouri vs. Northwest Missouri (8-1, 2-0 MIAA)
Monday, Dec. 13 | 7:30 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (UCM Multipurpose Building)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 107.9 FM, 98.5 The BAR
Live Stats  | Buy Tickets

Promotions: 

• Santa will be in attendance at the game!
• Toys for Tots will also be in attendance, and fans can make a donation to the local "Toys for Tots" campaign with a new toy or cash donation.
• Anyone who makes a donation of a new toy or at least $5 cash donation will receive a coupon for a FREE medium-sized concrete mixer from Culver's of Warrensburg!

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TIP-OFF
• After posting a 72-59 win on Sunday, Dec. 5 in the Multipurpose Building over Lincoln, University of Central Missouri Mules basketball is scheduled to travel to St. Joseph to take on Missouri Western Saturday, Dec. 11 at 3:30 p.m. before hosting second-ranked Northwest Missouri on Monday, Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
• The Griffons (6-4, 2-0 MIAA) are coming off a 94-87 win over Northeastern State in St. Joseph Dec. 4 while the Bearcats (8-1, 2-0 MIAA) rolled to a 90-57 win at home in Maryville vs. Rogers State Dec. 4.
 
LAST TIME OUT
• Ikenna Okeke and Cameron Hunter scored 13 points each to lead the Central Missouri Mules basketball team to a 72-59 win over the Lincoln University Blue Tigers in the first MIAA conference game of the season for both teams Sunday, Dec. 5, at the Multipurpose Building.
• Hunter tallied his season-best 13 points on 3-of-7 shooting from the field and a 6-of-8 performance at the free-throw line. He also added a team-high-tying three assists in the contest.
• Okeke netted his career-high 13 points via a 6-for-10 shooting performance from the field.
• Ja'Cor Nelson paced UCM on the glass, snagging a season-high 12 rebounds and added three steals in the contest.
• Central Missouri shot 36 percent from the floor, going 11-for-31, and was 25 percent from beyond-the-arc, making three out of 12 three-point attempts. The Mules went 15-of-22 at the free-throw line for 68 percent.
• UCM forced Lincoln into 20 turnovers which led to 26 Central Missouri points. UCM also outscored the Tigers in the paint, 30-22, and had five steals in the game.
 
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 WESTERN
• Central Missouri is 42-31 all-time against Missouri Western dating back to the first meeing in 1986.
• Last meeting: Mules win, 70-64, in Warrensburg, Mo. (Jan. 28, 2021)
 
SCOUTING MISSOURI WESTERN
• The Missouri Western Griffons are 6-4 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA and have won four straight games going into Saturday's showdown against UCM in St. Joseph. Most recently, the Griffons defeated Northeastern State Dec. 4, 93-87.
• In the victory over Northeastern State, JaQuaylon Mays and Caleb Bennett combined for 34 points -- each scoring 17 points.
• Through ten games games, Missouri Western is led by Mays (21.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.1 steals per game), Will Eames (11.7 points, 9.6 rebounds per game), Reese Glover (11.7 points per game) and Bennett (10.9 points per game).
• Mays ranks third in the MIAA in scoring through 10 games.
• Missouri Western is shooting 45 percent from the floor, 37 percent from three-point range and 66 percent at the free-throw line going into Saturday's game against the Mules. The Griffons are also outrebounding their opponents, 36.5 to 36.0 per game.
 
SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE
• Central Missouri is 128-99 all-time against Northwest Missouri dating all the way back to 1919.
• Last meeting: No. 3 NWMSU wins, 80-37, in Warrensburg, Mo. (Jan. 30, 2021)
 
SCOUTING NORTHWEST MISSORI STATE
• The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats are 8-1 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA going into the weekend. Northwest Missouri is ranked No. 2 in the most recent NABC Division II Coaches' Poll.
• The Bearcats are scheduled to play at Lincoln Saturday before taking on the Mules Monday.
• Northwest Missouri State is coming off a 90-57 win over Rogers State Dec. 4 in Maryville.
• In the victory over Rogers State, Trevor Hudgins tallied a school-record 11 three-pointers and scored 40 points, leading the Bearcats.
• Through nine games, Northwest Missouri is led by Hudgins (25 points, 1.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals per game), Wes Dreamer (15.7 points, 4.8 rebounds per game) and Diego Bernard (12.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 21 assists, 1.8 steals per game).
• Northwest Missouri is shooting 49 percent from the floor, 40 percent from three-point range and 78 percent at the free-throw line going into the weekend. The Bearcats are also outrebounding their opponents, 36.7 to 35.7 per game.
 
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 4-1 at home in 2021-22 after defeating Lincoln Dec. 5.
• The Mules are 62-49 at home under Karleskint.
• Central Missouri has posted 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.
 
INDIVIDUAL MILESTONES.
• Cameron Hunter enters Saturday just 47 points shy of 1,000 in his career. He is at 953 going into the game at Missouri Western.
 
UCM DURING THE KARLESKINT ERA
• 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.
 
UP NEXT
• The Mules travel to Joplin, Mo., for an MIAA game Saturday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m.