Jennies Basketball Faces Emporia State in MIAA Women's Basketball Championship First Round Wednesday

Women's Basketball | 3/4/2025 2:15:00 PM

2025 MIAA Women's Basketball Championship First Round
Game 31: No. 7 Central Missouri (16-14) vs. No. 10 Emporia State (10-18)
Wednesday, March 5 | 8:15 p.m. | Kansas City, Mo. (Municipal Auditorium)
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 | MIAA Tournament Central

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TIP-OFF

• Seventh-seeded University of Central Missouri Jennies basketball (16-14) is scheduled to tip-off action in the 2025 MIAA Women's Basketball Championship presented by Southern Bank with a first round contest against the 10th-seeded Emporia State Lady Hornets (10-18) Wednesday, March 5, at 8:15 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Mo.
• The Jennies fell at Missouri Southern and No. 10-ranked Pittsburg State to wrap up their 2024-25 regular season schedule.
• Through 30 games, Central Missouri is led by Reese Schaaf (18 ppg., 9.9 rpg., .500 FG%, .837 FT%, 38 A, 27 Stl, 10 Blk), Taylor Weishaar (12.8 ppg., 7.4 rpg., .456 FG%, .711 FT%, 62 Blk), Lauren Frost (10.7 ppg., 4.7 rpg., 152 A, .373 FG%, .714 FT%, 44 Stl, 12 Blk) and Allie Clevenger (10.1 ppg., 2.5 rpg., .376 FG%, .372 3FG%, .784 FT%, 53 A, 24 Stl).
• As a team, UCM is averaging 67.5 points per game while holding opponents to 63.8 points per game. The Jennies are outrebounding their adversaries, 37.3 to 35.6 rebounds per game, and shooting 42.5 percent from the field, 31.9 percent from three-point range and 74.2 percent at the free-throw line.
• Schaaf currently leads the MIAA in both scoring and rebounding through 30 contests with her 18 points and 9.9 boards per game. She ranks seventh in double-doubles (16), 11th in total field goals (207), 12th in rebounds (297) and 16th in points (541) and) in the most recent NCAA-II National Statistics.
• Weishaar leads the MIAA in blocks with 62 and is 12th nationally while Frost is third in the conference and 12th in Division II with her 152 assists this season.

JENNIES FANS INVITED TO MIAA TOURNAMENT PREGAME PEP RALLY WEDNESDAY

• All Jennies fans are invited to a pregame tailgate hosted by the MIAA from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, at Johnny's Tavern, located at 1310 Grand Blvd in the Kansas City Power & Light District.
• For more information, please visit TheMIAA.com.

JENNIES BASKETBALL IN THE MIAA POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT

• Central Missouri is 47-32 in the MIAA tournament going into Wednesday's first round game. UCM is 20-12 in quarterfinal round contests and 17-11 in semifinal games. The Jennies have made 17 appearances in the championship game, most recently in 2022-23.
• UCM has won eight MIAA Tournament Championships after winning the 2020 title in Kansas City.
• All-time against Emporia State in the MIAA tournament, the Jennies are 3-8.
• Last season, Central Missouri fell to third-seeded Fort Hays State in the quarterfinals, 65-63.

BLOCK PARTY

• Taylor Weishaar is currently tied for third in UCM single-season history with her 62 blocks this season. She is 12 blocks shy of tying former UCM women's basketball standout Kendra Banzet for second in single-season blocks. Banzet tallied 74 during the 1993-94 season.

SCHAAF, WEISHAAR EARN ALL-MIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HONORS

• Jennies basketball had a pair of student-athletes garner All-MIAA women's basketball honors for their performances on the basketball court during the regular season.
• Reese Schaaf was named the MIAA Co-Newcomer of the Year and was a Second Team All-MIAA honoree while Taylor Weishaar garnered Honorable Mention All-MIAA accolades.

TAKING CARE OF THE BASKETBALL

• Through 30 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 is second in the MIAA lead and ranks eighth 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.

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.

UP NEXT

• If the Jennies win Wednesday, they'll advance to face second-seeded Fort Hays State in the MIAA Women's Basketball Championship quarterfinals Thursday, March 6, at 8:15 p.m. in Kansas City.