2026 NCAA-II Central Regional Semifinals
Game 33: No. 4 Central Missouri (26-6) vs. No. 8 Minnesota Duluth (21-8)
Saturday, March 14 | 7:30 p.m. | Mankato, Minn. (Taylor Center)
Radio: 1450 KOKO AM, 92.1 FM, 98.5 The BAR FM (Brad Hadank, play-by-play)
Live Video | Live Stats | Live Audio

UCM Game Notes | UCM Roster | Minnesota Duluth Roster | 2026 NCAA-II Tournament Bracket

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QUICK HITS

• Fourth-seeded University of Central Missouri Jennies Basketball (26-6) will take on eighth-seeded Minnesota Duluth (21-8) in the 2026 NCAA-II Central Regional Semifinals on Saturday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m. inside the Taylor Center on the Minnesota State University campus in Mankato, Minn.
• UCM is coming off a 64-55 win over the fifth-seeded Washburn Ichabods in the NCAA-II Central Regional on Friday night in Mankato.
• The Jennies are making their 25th overall appearance in the NCAA-II Tournament. This will be UCM's first appearance in the regional semifinals since 2019.
• Central Missouri clinched its 13th MIAA Regular Season Championship in program history with a 73-64 win over Missouri Southern on Wednesday, Feb. 25, in Warrensburg. The title was the first since 2019-20 and the fourth under head coach Dave Slifer.
• Through 32 games, Central Missouri is paced by Reese Schaaf (19.6 ppg., 9.9 rpg., 2.7 apg., 1.8 spg., .536 FG%, .441 3Pt%, .846 FT%) and Taylor Weishaar (14.7 ppg., 8.0 rpg., 1.9 apg., 1.6 bpg., .446 FG%, .270 3Pt%, .744 FT%).
• Reese Schaaf leads the MIAA in field-goal percentage (.536), ranks second in scoring (19.6 ppg.) and rebounding (9.9 rpg.), and fourth in free-throw percentage (.846) and steals (1.8 spg.), while Taylor Weishaar is fourth in blocks (1.6 bpg.), seventh in rebounding (8.0 rpg.), and eighth in scoring (14.7 ppg.).
• In the MIAA team statistics, Central Missouri is first in scoring margin (+13.3), second in scoring defense (57.4 ppg.), assists (15.3 apg.), field-goal percentage (.441), three-point field-goal percentage (.328), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.02), and attendance (1,069 fans per home game), third in blocked shots (4.3 bpg.), and fourth in scoring offense (70.8 ppg.) and free-throw percentage (.738).

UCM ATHLETICS TO HOST WATCH PARTIES FOR NCAA-II CENTRAL REGIONAL GAMES

• University of Central Missouri Athletics will be hosting watch parties for all Mules and Jennies NCAA Division II Central Regional games.
• Heroes Restaurant & Pub, located at 107 West Pine Street in downtown Warrensburg, will host the official watch parties for both teams throughout the tournament. All UCM fans who are unable to make the trip to either regional site are invited to cheer on the Mules and Jennies and enjoy exclusive food and drink specials.
• Heroes will continue to host watch parties as the Mules and Jennies advance in the tournament.  Stay tuned to UCM Athletics' social media for information on potential future game times.

JENNIES BASKETBALL IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

• The Jennies are 33-23 all-time in the NCAA-II tournament after defeating Washburn Friday in the Central Regional First Round.
• UCM last qualified for the NCAA-II tournament in 2022-23. The Jennies fell to Minnesota State in the opening round that year in Duluth, Minn., 83-81.
• Central Missouri has won two NCAA Division II National Championships (1984 and 2018).
• UCM and Minnesota Duluth have never faced each other in the NCAA tournament.

REESE SCHAAF NAMED D2CCA FIRST TEAM ALL-CENTRAL REGION

• Reese Schaaf was voted to the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Women's Basketball All-Central Region First Team for the 2025-26 season.
• This is Schaaf's first D2CCA All-Central Region selection at Central Missouri and her second-career D2CCA All-Region nod, as she was a First Team honoree in the Midwest Region at Drury in 2024.
• Athletic Communications professionals from NCAA Division II Central Region schools and conferences selected the D2CCA all-region teams. The process concludes with All-America selections announced later in the month.

SCHAAF, WEISHAAR EARN ALL-MIAA HONORS; SLIFER NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR

• Reese Schaaf and Taylor Weishaar both earned First Team All-MIAA honors, with Weishaar also being named to the All-Defensive Team, and Jennies head coach Dave Slifer was voted the MIAA Coach of the Year.
• Schaaf averaged a team-high 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in UCM's 28 regular-season games. In Central Missouri's 19 MIAA contests, Schaaf averaged a double-double with 21.4 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.
• Weishaar averaged 15.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and a team-high 1.6 blocks per game in UCM's 28 regular-season contests. In 19 MIAA games, she averaged 16.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game.
• Slifer, who is in his 22nd season as head coach for the Jennies, earned his third MIAA Coach of the Year honor at Central Missouri and sixth of his illustrious coaching career after leading UCM to its 13th MIAA Regular Season Championship in program history with a 17-2 conference record, and an overall record of 23-5 during the regular season. The regular-season title is the fourth under Slifer and first since 2019-20.

SCORING AND CRASHING THE GLASS

• Reese Schaaf leads the Jennies and MIAA, and is 10th in NCAA Division II with 19 double-doubles on the season.
• Schaaf has shot at least 50 percent from the field in 16 of her last 22 games.

REESE SCHAAF, TAYLOR WEISHAAR AMONG JENNIES' CAREER LEADERS

• In 64 career games for the Jennies, Reese Schaaf is third in career scoring average at 19.1 points per game and third in career rebounding with 10.0 rebounds per game, and ranks fourth in free-throw percentage at .842 (256-of-304).
• Taylor Weishaar is fourth in career blocks for the Jennies with 118 swats in 64 career games.
• Weishaar is five rebounds shy of 500 in her UCM career going into Saturday's game. The Wathena, Kan., native sits at 495 boards in 64 career games. Schaaf has 637 career boards in her 64 contests entering Saturday.

JENNIES IN THE RANKINGS

• The Jennies continue to receive votes in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II Top 25 Poll. UCM received seven votes in the latest poll released Tuesday, March 10.

LAST TIME OUT: NO. 4 JENNIES DEFEAT NO. 5 WASHBURN, 64-55, IN NCAA-II CENTRAL REGIONAL OPENER

• Reese Schaaf scored a career-high 35 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for her team and MIAA-high 19th double-double of the season, helping the No. 4-seeded University of Central Missouri Jennies Basketball Team to a 64-55 victory over the No. 5-seeded Washburn Ichabods in the First Round of the NCAA Division II Central Regional on Friday, March 13, inside the Taylor Center on the Minnesota State University campus.
• Central Missouri led 16-13 with just under nine minutes remaining in the second quarter before going on an 11-0 run to gain a 27-13 advantage after Makenzie Farmer made two free throws with 4:48 to go. Schaaf scored nine of UCM's 11 points during the run, with two layups, a jump shot, and a three-pointer.
• UCM would go into halftime leading, 29-22.
• The Ichabods were able to cut the Jennies' lead to five, 43-38, with 1:38 to go in the third quarter, but Jayla Griffith drilled a three-pointer 13 seconds later, pushing the UCM lead back to eight, 46-38. That was as close as Washburn got the remainder of the game, sealing the victory for UCM.
• Schaaf went 15-of-23 from the field, 1-of-3 from three-point range, and 4-of-6 at the free-throw line for her career-best 35 points, which ties for fifth-most points in a single game in program history. Farmer added eight points, Neely Schaaf had six points, Rylee Vierthaler tallied five points, Griffith had four points, and Hayden Heim and Taylor Weishaar each had three points, rounding out the Central Missouri scorers in the game.
• For the game, UCM shot 50 percent from the field (24-of-48), 31 percent from three-point range (5-of-16), and were 55 percent at the free-throw line (11-of-20). The Jennies outrebounded Washburn (24-8), 37-30, and outscored the Ichabods in points-off-turnovers, 14-11.

PRESEASON PICKS

• The Jennies were voted fourth in both the 2025-26 MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll and MIAA Preseason Media Poll. UCM received 138 points and one first-place vote in the preseason coaches' poll and 271 points and four first-place votes in the preseason media poll.

FAMILY CONNECTION

• The Jennies have two siblings on the 2025-26 roster in El Dorado Springs natives senior Reese Schaaf and freshman Neely Schaaf.

SLIFER AMONG THE BEST

• Jennies Basketball 22nd season head coach Dave Slifer is ranked fifth in career victories in all of NCAA (Division I, II, III) with 848 career wins in 36 years. In Division II, Slifer is second in career victories, trailing only Tom Shirley of Jefferson, who posted 905 victories in 43 years.

UP NEXT

• If the Jennies win Saturday, they'll secure a spot in the NCAA-II Central Regional Championship Game on Monday, March 16, in Mankato, Minn., and will face the winner of the No. 3 Fort Hays State vs. No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul semifinal.