Jennies Basketball Set to Welcome Newman Thursday, Emporia State Saturday to Warrensburg

Game 18: Central Missouri (9-8, 1-5 MIAA) vs. Newman (6-9, 1-5 MIAA)
Thursday, Jan. 16 | 5:30 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center)
**UCM Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night**
Radio: 1450 KOKO AM, "Your Country" 98.5 The BAR FM (Greg Hassler, play-by-play; Kim Anderson, color commentary)
Live Video | Live Stats | Live Audio

Game 19: Central Missouri vs. Emporia State (7-8, 2-4 MIAA)
Saturday, Jan. 18 | 1:00 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center)
**Military Appreciation Day**
Radio: 1450 KOKO AM, "Your Country" 98.5 The BAR FM (Greg Hassler, play-by-play; Kim Anderson, color commentary)
Live Video | Live Stats | Live Audio

UCM Game Notes | 2024-25 UCM Roster

TIP-OFF

Central Missouri Jennies basketball (9-8, 1-5 MIAA) will look to snap a three-game losing skid when it hosts a pair of home games inside the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center against the Newman Jets (6-9, 1-5 MIAA) and Emporia State Lady Hornets (7-8, 2-4 MIAA) Thursday, Jan. 16, and Saturday, Jan. 18. The Jennies will face the Jets on UCM Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night Thursday at 5:30 p.m. before welcoming the Lady Hornets for Military Appreciation Day Saturday at 1 p.m.
UCM is coming off an 86-73 loss to Missouri Western Saturday, Jan. 11, in Warrensburg.
Through 17 games, Central Missouri is led by Reese Schaaf (18.4 ppg., 9.3 rpg., .528 FG%, .851 FT%, 25 A, 19 Stl, 5 Blk), Lauren Frost (12.9 ppg., 4.7 rpg., 82 A, .421 FG%, .389 3FG%, .771 FT%, 27 Stl) and Taylor Weishaar (10.9 ppg., 7.5 rpg., .455 FG%, .630 FT%, 32 blk).
As a team, UCM is averaging 67.8 points per game while holding opponents to 63.6 points per game. The Jennies are outrebounding their adversaries, 36.9 to 35.4 rebounds per game, and shooting 43.3 percent from the field, 31.7 percent from three-point range and 75.3 percent at the free-throw line.
Schaaf currently leads the MIAA in both scoring and rebounding through 17 contests with her 18.4 points and 9.3 boards per game. She ranks eighth in total field goals (121), 12th in points (312) and 14th in rebounds (158) in the most recent NCAA-II National Statistics.
Weishaar leads the MIAA in blocks with 32 and is 13th nationally while Frost is second in the conference and 14th in Division II with her 82 assists this season.

LAST TIME OUT: JENNIES FALL TO MISSOURI WESTERN SATURDAY

The University of Central Missouri Jennies basketball team fell to the Missouri Western Griffons, 86-73, in a MIAA game played Saturday afternoon, Jan.11, inside the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center.
The Griffons led by eight at the break and never relinquished as they earned their 10th win of the season led by Alyssa Bonilla's double-double performance.
Reese Schaaf posted a double-double performance with 23 points and 10 rebounds while Lauren Frost had 17 points and a team-high six assists pacing Central Missouri in the contest.
For the game, the Jennies shot 47.5 percent (28-of-59) from the field and were 6-of-15 from beyond the arc for 40 percent.
The Griffons (10-4, 5-1 MIAA) outrebounded UCM, 34-30. Central Missouri outscored Missouri Western in second chance, 11-7, but MWSU won the points in the paint, 44-36.

TAKING CARE OF THE BASKETBALL

Through 17 games, the Jennies rank among the top teams in NCAA Division II when it comes to limiting turnovers. UCM is averaging just 12.5 turnovers per game, which leads the MIAA and ranks ninth nationally.

JENNIES INK FIVE HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUTS

University of Central Missouri women's basketball head coach Dave Slifer announced the signing of five high school standouts during the early signing period Tuesday, Nov. 26.
Hayden Heim, a 6-3 forward from Plaxico, Kan., Makenzie Farmer, a 5-11 guard from De Soto, Kan., Jayla Griffith, a 5-8 guard from Columbia, Mo., Olivia Robben, a 6-5 center from Olathe, Kan., and Neely Schaaf, a 5-8 guard from El Dorado Springs, Mo., will all continue their education and play basketball for the Jennies beginning in the fall of 2025.

PREVIEWING 2024-25

The 2024-25 Central Missouri Jennies welcome back two starters from last season's team that posted an overall record of 21-8 and a MIAA mark of 15-7. Starting guards Lauren Frost and Allie Clevenger are both back on the court for this season and will be joined by returners Shannon Karlin, Cierra Smith and Rylee Vierthaler.
UCM welcomes six new student-athletes to the roster in high school freshmen Jolie Bonderer and Taylor Weishaar, and transfers Nicole Davis, Akaysha Muggeridge, Reese Schaaf and Callie Ziebell.
UCM was picked fifth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll and sixth in the conference's preseason media poll.

SLIFER INKS FOUR-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION

Jennies head coach Dave Slifer, now in his 21st season as the leader of the program, signed a four-year contract extension through the 2027-28 season in the summer of 2024.
The contract is highly competitive in the MIAA and NCAA Division II and provides incentives for MIAA championships, postseason appearances and achievements, coach of the year awards, and academic achievement.
Slifer has led Jennies basketball to 12 NCAA Division II postseason berths, including an NCAA-II National Championship in 2018 with the Jennies best record in program history, as well as four MIAA Championships and a pair of NCAA-II Central Region Titles.
Among active head coaches, Slifer is the second winningest coach in Division II and ranks in the top 10 among all three divisions with his 805 career victories in 35 years as a head coach.
He is the winningest coach in both Central Missouri and MIAA women's basketball history and enters 2024-25 with 421 wins in 20 seasons as head coach of the Jennies.

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