No. 17 Jennies Basketball Ventures to Northeastern State, Rogers State for MIAA Contests

Game 16: No. 17 Central Missouri (12-3, 6-3 MIAA) at Northeastern State (8-7, 4-5 MIAA)
Thursday, Jan. 18 | 5:30 p.m. | Tahlequah, Okla. (NSU Event Center)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The BAR (Greg Hassler, pxp)
Live Video | Live Stats | Live Audio

Game 17: No. 17 Central Missouri at Rogers State (7-8, 2-7 MIAA)
Saturday, Jan. 20 | 1:30 p.m. | Claremore, Okla. (Claremore Expo Center)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The BAR (Greg Hassler, pxp)
Live Video | Live Stats | Live Audio

UCM Game Notes (PDF)

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Tip-Off

• No. 17-ranked Central Missouri Jennies basketball (12-3, 6-3 MIAA) is slated to travel to Northeastern State (8-7, 4-5 MIAA) Thursday, Jan. 18, and Rogers State (7-8, 2-7 MIAA) Saturday, Jan. 20, for a pair of MIAA games. UCM is scheduled to face Northeastern State in Tahlequah, Okla., at the NSU Event Center Thursday at 5:30 p.m. before taking on Rogers State at the Claremore Expo Center in Claremore, Okla., Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
• UCM is coming off a pair of MIAA home wins Jan. 10 and 13. Central Missouri defeated Washburn Jan. 10, 84-71, before taking down Emporia State Jan. 13, 81-55.
• Through 15 games, the Central Missouri is paced by Brooke Littrell (19.3 ppg., 9.1 rpg., 2.7 apg., 1.5 spg.), Olivia Nelson (15.8 ppg., 4.3 apg., 2.1 spg., 2.7 rpg.), Ashley Tull (9.4 ppg., 5.9 rpg., 1.3 bpg.) and Graycen Holden (9.1 ppg., 5.8 rpg., 1.4 apg.).
• Littrell leads the MIAA in scoring through 15 games with her 19.3 points per game and .904 free-throw percentage.
• As a team through 15 contests, the Jennies are shooting 44.6 percent from the floor, 30.4 percent from three-point range and 75.1 percent at the free-throw line. UCM is outscoring its opponents, 76.0-63.3 and outrebounding adversaries, 38.3-33.1.

Last Time Out for UCM

• Five players scored in double figures at the No. 17-ranked Central Missouri Jennies basketball team defeated the Emporia State Lady Hornets, 81-55, in a MIAA game played on Saturday, Jan. 13, inside the UCM Multipurpose Building.
• Graycen Holden tied her season-high with 14 points and added a career-high 12 rebounds for her first double-double of the season, pacing the Jennies. Brooke Littrell (13 points), Lauren Frost (12 points), Shannon Karlin (career-high 11 points) and Olivia Nelson (10 points) also netted double-figure points for UCM. Littrell and Nelson each dished out a team-best five assists, and Holden and Frost added four assists, with Holden also compiling a team-high three blocks, respectively.
• The Jennies shot 49 percent from the field (32-of-66), 27 percent from three-point range (7-of-26) and were 71 percent from the free-throw line (10-of-14). UCM outrebounded Emporia State (8-7, 5-4 MIAA), 52-29, and outscored the Lady Hornets in the paint, 40-14.

Weekly Honors

• University of Central Missouri Jennies basketball's Brooke Littrell has been voted the MIAA Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week on Jan. 16 for her performance on the court during the week of Jan. 9-14. Littrell averaged 18.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game in No. 17-ranked Central Missouri's pair of MIAA wins over Washburn and Emporia State Jan. 10 and 13 in Warrensburg. Littrell scored 24 points on 56.3 shooting from the field while snagging eight rebounds and dishing out four assists in the victory over Washburn Jan. 10 before tallying 13 points on 50 percent shooting from the field, going along with eight boards and five assists in the triumph over Emporia State Jan. 13.

 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 412-174 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 (796 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. 17 in the latest WBCA Division II Top-25 Coaches Poll released Tuesday, Jan. 16.

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

• The Jennies return home to the Multipurpose Building for a MIAA contest vs. Northwest Missouri State Thursday, Jan. 25, at 5:30 p.m.