Game 12: No. 11 Central Missouri (9-2, 3-2 MIAA) at No. 10 Fort Hays State (11-1, 5-1 MIAA)
Thursday, Jan. 4 | 5:30 p.m. | Hays, Kan. (Gross Memorial Coliseum)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The BAR (Greg Hassler, pxp)
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Game 13: No. 11 Central Missouri at Nebraska Kearney (10-2, 4-2 MIAA)
Saturday, Jan. 6 | 2 p.m. | Kearney, Neb. (Health & Sports Center)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The BAR (Greg Hassler, pxp)
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Live Stats |
Live Audio
UCM Game Notes (PDF)
Tip-Off
- No. 11-ranked University of Central Missouri Jennies basketball (9-2, 3-2 MIAA) is scheduled to travel to Hay, Kan., and Kearney, Neb., for a pair of MIAA contests Thursday, Jan. 4, and Saturday, Jan. 6. UCM is slated to face No. 10-ranked Fort Hays State (11-1, 5-1 MIAA) at Gross Memorial Coliseum Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in Hays before taking on Nebraska Kearney (10-2, 4-2 MIAA) at the Health & Sports Center Saturday at 2 p.m. in Kearney.
- The Jennies are coming off a 66-54 win over Evangel in a non-conference game Dec. 29 in Warrensburg.
- Through 11 games, the Central Missouri is paced by Brooke Littrell (20.1 ppg., 9.3 rpg., 2.3 apg., 1.5 spg.), Olivia Nelson (15.9 ppg., 4.5 apg., 2.5 spg., 2.3 rpg.) and Ashley Tull (9.7 ppg., 6.0 rpg., 1.3 bpg.).
- Littrell leads the MIAA in scoring through 11 games with her 20.1 points per game.
- As a team through 11 contests, the Jennies are shooting 44.1 percent from the floor, 29 percent from three-point range and 74.6 percent at the free-throw line. UCM is outscoring its opponents, 75.4-61.7 and outrebounding adversaries, 38.2-32.4
Last Time Out for UCM
- No. 14-ranked Central Missouri Jennies basketball outscored Evangel in the fourth quarter, 26-14, to pull away and defeat the Valor, 66-54, in a non-conference game Friday, Dec. 29, inside the UCM Multipurpose Building.
- Brooke Littrell netted 26 points on 12-of-20 shooting from the floor and a 1-of-1 performance at the free-throw line and snagged nine rebounds, leading UCM. Olivia Nelson (12 points) and Ashley Tull (11 points) also reached double figures for Central Missouri.
- UCM was 28-for-65 from the floor (43 percent), 5-of-20 from three-point range (25 percent) and 5-of-8 at the free-throw line (63 percent) in the victory and outrebounded Evangel, 41-35. In addition, the Jennies outscored the Valor in the paint, 42-30, and off turnovers, 23-14.
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 409-173 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 (793 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. 11 in the latest WBCA Division II Top-25 Coaches Poll released Tuesday, Jan. 2.
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 returns home to the Multipurpose Building to host Washburn in a conference contest Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 5:30 p.m.
