Jennies Prep For NCAA Elite Eight

COLUMBUS, Ohio (March 22, 2021) - Less than 48 hours until the start of the 2021 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Elite 8! The Jennies are the number five seed in this year's Elite Eight, set to tip off with quarterfinal round games tomorrow.

Opponent
Belmont Abbey Crusaders - 24-2, 15-1 (Conference Carolinas)

Where
Columbus, Ohio - Great Columbus Convention Center

When
Tuesday, March 23 - 7:45 p.m. (CT)

Fan Information
• Tickets will not be sold for this event. The only spectators allowed must be on a player pass list.

On the Air
• The quarterfinal round game will be streamed live for free on the NCAA's website at the link above. 
• Greg Hassler will have the radio call of the game on 98.5 The Bar, 1450 KOKO and 107.9 fm.

Tip-Off
• Central Missouri is back in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season. The Jennies won their eighth Central Region Championship and second in the last four years (three tournaments).
• UCM will now play in the Elite Eight with a quarterfinal round game as the No. 5 seed going against No. 4 Belmont Abbey. 
• The eight-team tournament will take place in Columbus, Ohio at the Greater Columbus Convention Center Tuesday-Friday, March 23-26. 

Storylines
• The Jennies were the number six seed in the Elite Eight in 2018 when they won the National Championship.
• All-time in NCAA Tournament games, the Jennies are 31-21 and 10-1 going back to 2018.
• The Jennies have made five straight NCAA Tournaments the first time they've done that since making nine straight 1982-91.  
• Central Missouri is the only team in the Elite Eight that had to play in and win three regional games to advance. 

Last Time Out
• The Jennies ran the gauntlet in the NCAA Regional. They were the No. 4 seed and defeated No. 5 St. Cloud State, No. 1 Fort Hays State and No. 2 Nebraska-Kearney. Against the Lopers, the Jennies held UNK to 25 second half points on their way to a 67-57 win. Brooke Littrell had a 17 point, 16 rebound double-double in the Regional Championship game. 

Previously vs. Belmont Abbey
• This is the first ever meeting between the Jennies and Belmont Abbey. 

Jennies in the Rankings
• Central Missouri is ranked 20th in the final WBCA poll of the regular season. In the latestD2CCA poll, the Jennies sit 22nd.
• The defending MIAA Champion Jennies were picked to finish third this year by the league's coaches. They did receive three first-place votes. 
• The Jennies were picked to be in third place in the NCAA Central Region rankings. They slid down a spot following a first-round exit in the MIAA Quarterfinal round against Washburn. 

Individual Milestones
• Gigi McAtee is two field goals away from 100 for her career. 
• Nija Collier has entered the all-time UCM top-10 for blocks and is sixth with 96. She needs four more to get to 100 and 10 more for fourth all-time. 
• Charley Bovaird needs three more three-pointers to get to 50 this season. 
• Morgan VanHyfte is two rebounds away from 100 for the season and one away from 300 for her career. 

Who's Hot?
• Morgan VanHyfte averaged more than nine points per game in the regional tournament and was 4-10 from three with 12 rebounds. 
• Brooke Littrell was the Central Region MVP scoring 17 points in each of the last two games with a double-double against Nebraska-Kearney. 
• Olivia Nelson averaged 17 points per game in the regional with 8 assists and 7 steals.

All-MIAA
• The Jennies put five on the All-MIAA team: First Team Nija Collier, Second Team, Olivia Nelson, Third Team Graycen Holden, Honorable Mention Gigi McAtee and Defensive Player of the Year Morgan VanHyfte!
• The Jennies have had back-to-back MIAA Defensive Players of the Year with Collier winning it last season.
• Nelson, Holden, McAtee and VanHyfte are all first-time All-MIAA award recipients. 

Jennies in the 2021 NCAA Tournament
• In the three NCAA games so far, UCM is shooting 48% overall and 40% from three. The Jennies are averaging seven three-pointers per game while holding opponents to just 23% from three and 4.3 made three's per game.
• Olivia Nelson is scoring 17 points per game and averaging 36 minutes played. She's 21-31 from the floor and 8-11 at the free throw line.
• Brooke Littrell is 7-9 from three in NCAA games averaging 13.3 points/game and 9 boards.
• UCM is outrebounding opponents by more than four rebounds per game. 

Scouting the Opposition
Belmont Abbey Crusaders - 22-2, 15-1 Conference Carolinas
•The Crusaders are one of the top shooting teams in the country ranking fourth hitting at 48% overall and second shooting 43.5% from three.
• Belmont Abbey is also the top rebounding team in the nation based on rebounding margin at +12.4 coming down with 41 per game and allowing just 28.6. 
• The Crusaders had three named to the All-Conference Team with Brittany Autry and Maria Kuhlman making the first team and Allie Downing on the Second Team. 
• Where Belmont Abbey gets into trouble is turning the ball over. They lose it more than 18 times per game and are a -3.1 in turnover margin.
• Belmont Abbey has blocked 100 shots on the season, 3.8 per game led by Kelli Thomas' 33 blocks. BAC has three in double-figure blocks on the year.  
Player to Watch
#15 Maria Kuhlman (5-10, F, Sr., Ponte Vedra Beach, FL) - Leads NCAA shooting 58.7% from three