No. 14 Jennies Basketball Hosts Evangel Friday Afternoon

Game 11: No. 14 Central Missouri (8-2) vs. Evangel (5-4)
Friday, December 29 | 4:00 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (UCM Multipurpose Building)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The BAR (Greg Hassler, pxp; Kim Anderson, color commentary)
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UCM Game Notes (PDF)

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Tip-Off

• No. 14-ranked University of Central Missouri Jennies basketball (8-2) will look to snap a two-game losing streak when it hosts the Evangel Valor (5-4) in a non-conference game Friday, Dec. 29, at 4 p.m. inside the UCM Multipurpose Building in Warrensburg.
• Central Missouri is coming off a heartbreaking 101-93 overtime loss to No. 22-ranked Pittsburg State Dec. 16 at home.
• Through 10 games, the Central Missouri is paced by Brooke Littrell (19.5 ppg., 9.3 rpg., 2.2 apg., 1.4 spg.), Olivia Nelson (16.3 ppg., 4.5 apg., 2.2 spg., 2.3 rpg.), Graycen Holden (9.6 ppg., 4.8 rpg., 1.5 apg.) and Ashley Tull (9.6 ppg., 6.1 rpg., 1.1 bpg.).
• Littrell leads the MIAA in scoring through 10 games with her 19.5 points per game.
• As a team through 10 contests, the Jennies are shooting 44.2 percent from the floor, 29.4 percent from three-point range and 75 percent at the free-throw line. UCM is outscoring its opponents, 76.3-62.5 and outrebounding adversaries, 37.9-32.1

Last Time Out for UCM

• No. 3-ranked Central Missouri Jennies basketball fell to the Pittsburg State Gorillas, 101-93, in overtime Saturday afternoon, Dec. 16, inside the UCM Multipurpose Building.
• Pittsburg State outscored Central Missouri in the fourth quarter, 27-11, and in overtime, 20-12, to overcome a 70-54 deficit and post the 101-93 victory.
• Olivia Nelson had a career-high tying 29 points, while Lauren Frost added a career-best 21 points, pacing UCM in the game. Graycen Holden (14 points), Ashley Tull (13 points) and Brooke Littrell (12 points) also scored in double figures in the contest, with Littrell posting 10 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season.
• For the game, the Jennies outscored the Gorillas in the paint, 62-46, but were outrebounded, 35-33. Pittsburg State also shot 56 percent (34-of-61) from the floor in the contest while UCM was limited to 51 percent (38-of-74) shooting.
• Karenna Gerber posted 27 points, leading Pittsburg State.

Individual Milestones

• UCM head coach Dave Slifer earned his 400th win at Central Missouri in the 66-64 overtime MIAA tournament semifinal win over Fort Hays State March 4, 2023. Slifer is an impressive 408-173 in his now 20 seasons as the Central Missouri women's basketball head coach. He's already the winningest head coach in both UCM and MIAA women's basketball history, and the second-winningest coach in NCAA Division II history (792 career victories in 33 seasons).

Jennies in the Rankings

• Central Missouri was picked first in both the 2023-24 MIAA Preseason Coaches and Media Polls. UCM received 167 points and 11 first-place votes in the coaches poll and 283 points and four first-place votes in the media poll.
• Central Missouri is ranked No. 14 in the latest WBCA Division II Top-25 Coaches Poll released Tuesday, Dec. 19.

 Storylines

• UCM finished the 2022-23 season with an overall record of 25-5 and a MIAA mark of 19-3, placing second in the final conference standings. Central Missouri advanced to the NCAA-II Central Regional Tournament in Duluth, Minn., before falling in the first round to Minnesota State.
• The Jennies return four of five starters from last season's team, including defending MIAA Player of the Year and WBCA Coaches All-American Brooke Littrell and All-MIAA Defensive Team selection Olivia Nelson.

Jennies Basketball Inks High School Standout Taylor Weishaar During Signing Period

• University of Central Missouri Jennies basketball head coach Dave Slifer announced the signing of Riverside High School standout Taylor Weishaar to a National Letter of Intent during the 2023-24 signing period Friday, Nov. 17.
• Weishaar: 2023 Sports in Kansas 2A Player of the Year…First Team All-State as a junior…Two-time unanimous first team all-league…Second Team All-State as a sophomore…All-State Honorable Mention and all-league honorable mention as a freshman…four-year letterwinner…Averaged 17.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.5 blocks per game as a junior…Helped her team to a Kansas 2A Substate Championship and Kansas 2A State Runner Up finish…Was also a four-year letterwinner in volleyball…First team all-league volleyball as a junior and senior…Daughter of Russell and Lori Weishaar…Plans to major in exercise science at UCM.

Returning Scoring

• The Jennies return 86 percent of their scoring from last season's team.

Up Next

• Central Missouri jumps back into MIAA action, traveling to No. 16 Fort Hays State in Hay, Kan., Jan. 4 and Nebraska Kearney in Kearney, Neb., Jan. 6.