No. 5 Jennies Basketball Ventures to Northwest Missouri Thursday, Missouri Western Saturday

Andrew Mather Photography

Women's Basketball | 1/18/2023 2:42:00 PM

Game 16: No. 5 Central Missouri (15-0, 11-0 MIAA) at Northwest Missouri (9-7, 4-6 MIAA)
Thursday, Jan. 19 | 5:30 p.m. | Maryville, Mo. (Bearcat Arena)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 107.9 FM, 98.5 The BAR | TV: MIAA Network (PPV)

Game 17: No. 5 Central Missouri at Missouri Western (15-4, 9-2 MIAA)
Saturday, Jan. 21 | 1:30 p.m. | St. Joseph, Mo. (MWSU Fieldhouse)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 107.9 FM, 98.5 The BAR | TV: MIAA Network (PPV)

Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats (Thursday) | Live Stats (Saturday) | UCM Game Notes (PDF)

Tip-Off

No. 5-ranked Central Missouri Jennies basketball (15-0, 11-0 MIAA) is scheduled to travel to Northwest Missouri (9-7, 4-6 MIAA) Thursday, Jan. 19, and Missouri Western (15-4, 9-2 MIAA) Saturday, Jan. 21, for a pair of MIAA road games. UCM will face the Northwest Missouri Bearcats at 5:30 p.m. Thursday inside Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo., before taking on the Missouri Western Griffons at 1:30 p.m. Saturday inside the MWSU Fieldhouse in St. Joseph, Mo.
Central Missouri -- winners of 15 consecutive games and one of three undefeated teams remaining in NCAA Division II -- is coming off a pair of MIAA home victories, defeating Northeastern State Jan. 12, 79-64, and Rogers State Jan. 14, 81-58. The 15 straight wins ties the best start in program history. The Jennies also went 15-0 to start the 1995-96 season.
Through 15 games, the Jennies are paced by redshirt sophomores Brooke Littrell (19.9 ppg., 9.1 rpg., .535 FG%, .417 3FG%, .863 FT%, 34 A, 15 Blk, 27 Stl), Olivia Nelson (12.1 ppg., 2.9 rpg., .504 FG%, .371 3FG%, .868 FT%, 63 A, 21 Stl) and Lauren Frost (8.1 ppg., 4.1 rpg., .353 FG%, 62 A, 22 Stl), junior Ashley Tull (9.5 ppg., 6.0 rpg., .537 FG%, 30 Blk, 11 Stl) and redshirt freshman Graycen Holden (8.3 ppg., 3.6 rpg., .514 FG%, .688 FT%, 10 Stl).
As a team, UCM is averaging 77.9 points and 41.8 rebounds per game and shooting 47.3 percent from the field while holding its opponents to 58.3 points and 31.6 rebounds per game and a 36.6 percent field-goal percentage.
The Jennies are sixth in all of NCAA Division II in field-goal percentage through 15 games at 47.3 percent. UCM has converted 440 out of 931 shot attempts going into Thursday's game. Central Missouri is also ranked in the top-50 in assists per game (44th at 15.2 per game), blocks per game (44th with 3.7 per game), rebound margin (seventh at +10.2), rebounds per game (37th with 41.80 per game), scoring defense (47th at 58.3 points per game), scoring margin (10th at +19.7), scoring offense (12th at 77.9 points per game) and turnovers per game (10th at 12.7 per game).

Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back: Littrell Earns Fourth Consecutive MIAA Athlete of the Week Honor

Brooke Littrell became the first MIAA basketball student-athlete (men's or women's) since at least 2011-12 to earn four consecutive Athlete of the Week honors after her performance on the court during the week of Jan. 9-15.
In the Jennies' two victories over Northeastern State and Rogers State, she averaged 20 points, eight rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game while shooting 58 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and going a perfect 9-for-9 at the free-throw line.

Last Time Out

Ashley Tull tied her career-high with 15 points and Graycen Holden and Brooke Littrell each scored in double figures leading No. 5-ranked Central Missouri Jennies basketball to an 81-58 victory over the Rogers State Hillcats Saturday afternoon, Jan. 14, inside the UCM Multipurpose Building.
The Jennies tied the best start in program history – set in 1995-96 – with the win and improved to 15-0 overall and 11-0 in the MIAA.
Tull went 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-6 at the free-throw line for her career-best 15 points and added a team-best two blocks while Holden netted 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting and a 4-of-6 performance at the foul line and snagged six rebounds, and Littrell tallied 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting while pulling down a game-high eight rebounds to go along with five steals and three assists.
Lauren Frost dished out a game-high six assists and had four steals, respectively.
Central Missouri shot 48 percent from the field, making 31 out of 65 attempts, and were 6-of-17 from three-point range for 35 percent. UCM converted 13 out of 20 free throws for 65 percent.
The Jennies outrebounded the Hillcats, 41-36, outscored Rogers State in the paint, 46-14, and turned 18 RSU turnovers into 23 points in the contest.

Last Time Out vs. Northwest Missouri

Nija Collier scored 22 points and pulled down 13 rebounds for her 13th double-double of the season, leading Central Missouri Jennies basketball to a 58-54 victory over the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, inside Bearcat Arena.
Collier went 8-of-17 from the floor and a perfect 4-for-4 at the free-throw line for her game-high 22 points. Olivia Nelson and Brooke Littrell each netted 13 points, rounding out the Jennies in double figures for the game.
Central Missouri shot 44 percent from the field, going 19-for-43, and were 4-of-11 from three-point range for 36 percent. UCM went an impressive 80 percent at the free-throw line, making 16 out of 20 attempts.

Last Time Out vs. Missouri Western

Central Missouri Jennies basketball shot just 35 percent from the floor and eight percent from three-point range in a 69-55 loss to the Missouri Western Griffons Friday, March 4, 2022, in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Women's Basketball Championship presented by Citizen Bank & Trust inside historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City.
Brooke Littrell scored 29 points on 11-of-22 shooting from the field and snagged nine boards, while Nija Collier ended her career as a Jenny with her team and MIAA-best 18th double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Olivia Nelson dished out a game-high seven assists.
Central Missouri outrebounded Missouri Western, 45-41, and outscored the Griffons in the paint, 38-34, for the game but committed 20 turnovers which led to 24 Missouri Western points. The Griffons only turned the ball over nine times.
The Jennies were 20-of-57 from the field and made just one three-pointer out of 12 attempts.

Individual Milestones

Brooke Littrell became the 30th student-athlete in UCM Women's Basketball history to score at least 1,000 career points after converting a three-pointer with 6:32 to go in the first quarter in the Jennies' win over Newman Dec. 3.
Olivia Nelson is 67 points shy of 1,000 for her Central Missouri career. Going into Thursday's game, she sits at 933 career points.

Jennies in the Rankings

UCM is ranked No. 5 in the most recent WBCA Division II Coaches' Poll and second in the latest D2SIDA Division II Media Poll.
Central Missouri was picked third in the 2022-23 MIAA Preseason Media Poll and fifth in the Preseason Coaches' Poll. UCM received three first-place votes and 218 points in the media poll and 127 points in the coaches' poll.

Welcome to the 'Burg!

Central Missouri has six newcomers on its 2022-23 roster, including two high school freshmen (Cierra Smith, G; Lauren Blake, G), two junior college transfers (Alyssa Morris, F; Ashley Tull, F), one Division II transfer (Robin Campbell, G) and one Division I transfer (Lauren Frost, G).

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