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University of Central Missouri Athletics

Taylor Weishaar (20) vs. Missouri Southern MIAA Tournament Semifinals
Andrew Mather | University Photographer

No. 1 Jennies set to Battle No. 3 Washburn in MIAA Tournament Championship Game Sunday

3/7/2026 5:38:00 PM

2026 MIAA Women's Basketball Tournament Championship Game
Game 31: No. 1 Central Missouri (25-5) vs. No. 3 Washburn (23-7)
Sunday, March 8 | 1 p.m. | Kansas City, Mo. (Municipal Auditorium)
Radio: 1450 KOKO AM, 92.1 FM, 98.5 The BAR FM (Greg Hassler, play-by-play; Kim Anderson, color commentary)
Live Video | Live Stats | Live Audio

UCM Game Notes | UCM Roster | Washburn Roster
QUICK HITS
  • Top-seeded University of Central Missouri Jennies Basketball (25-5) is set to face the No. 3 seed Washburn Ichabods (23-7) in the 2026 MIAA Women's Basketball Tournament Championship Game on Sunday, March 8, at 1 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Mo.
  • The Jennies advanced to the tournament championship game after taking down No. 4 seed Missouri Southern in the semifinals on Saturday in Kansas City, 60-45.
  • This will be Central Missouri's first appearance in the title game since 2023 and the 18th in program history.
  • Entering the championship game, UCM has won 13 straight games and 19 of its last 20 contests. The 13-game winning streak is the longest since the Jennies won 16 in a row in 2022-23.
  • 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 30 games, Central Missouri is paced by Reese Schaaf (19.2 ppg., 9.7 rpg., 2.8 apg., 1.8 spg., .531 FG%, .449 3Pt%, .852 FT%) and Taylor Weishaar (15.3 ppg., 8.1 rpg., 1.9 apg., 1.6 bpg., .456 FG%, .284 3Pt%, .750 FT%).
  • Reese Schaaf leads the MIAA in field-goal percentage (.531), ranks second in scoring (19.2 ppg.) and rebounding (9.7 rpg.), third in free-throw percentage (.852), and fifth in steals (1.8 spg.), while Taylor Weishaar is fourth in blocks (1.6 bpg.), sixth in scoring (15.3 ppg.), and seventh in rebounding (8.1 rpg.).
  • In the MIAA team statistics, Central Missouri is first in scoring margin (+14.2), second in scoring defense (57.6 ppg.), assists (15.7 apg.), field-goal percentage (.443), three-point field-goal percentage (.330), free-throw percentage (.747), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.06),  third in blocked shots (4.3 bpg.) and attendance (1,069 fans per home game), and fourth in scoring offense (71.9 ppg.).
  • In the latest NCAA-II National Statistics, Reese Schaaf is 12th in double-doubles (17), 18th in points (575), 19th in rebounds (292), 21st in points per game (19.2), and 24th in rebounds per game (9.7 rpg.). As a team, UCM is 19th in field-goal percentage (.443), 25th in assists per game (15.7), and 29th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.06).
UCM ATHLETICS TO HOST PREGAME GATHERING SUNDAY PRIOR TO MIAA TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
  • University of Central Missouri Athletics will be hosting pregame gatherings for all Mules and Jennies fans prior to tip-off of each remaining Jennies Basketball game at the MIAA Tournament.
  • John's Big Deck will host the Cardinal & Black Fund Pregame Fan Headquarters before every Jennies game. All UCM fans are welcome. John's Big Deck is located at 928 Wyandotte Street in downtown Kansas City, Mo., which is approximately a 2-minute drive or a 9-minute walk from Municipal Auditorium. The gatherings will be on the second floor and will feature an appetizer spread. Fans can also purchase additional food and/or beverages.
  • Sunday's pregame gathering prior to the Jennies' MIAA Championship game vs. Washburn will be from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
JENNIES BASKETBALL IN THE MIAA TOURNAMENT
  • UCM is 50-33 in the MIAA tournament, going into Sunday's championship game. The Jennies are 21-13 in quarterfinal games and 18-11 in semifinal games. This will be Central Missouri's 18th appearance in the MIAA tournament title game and first since 2023 when the Jennies fell to Missouri Southern, 78-63.
  • Central Missouri has won eight MIAA Tournament Championships all-time. UCM last won the tournament in 2020, also in Kansas City, Mo.
  • All-time against Washburn, the Jennies are 3-5 in the MIAA tournament. UCM and Washburn last met in the tournament quarterfinals in 2021, with the Ichabods defeating the Jennies, 63-55. 
 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 with 17 double-doubles on the season.
  • Schaaf has shot at least 50 percent from the field in 15 of her last 20 games.
HEIM HEATING UP
  • Freshman Hayden Heim has scored in double figures in three of her last five games. She's averaging 12.2 points per game in her last five contests.
REESE SCHAAF, TAYLOR WEISHAAR AMONG JENNIES' CAREER LEADERS
  • In 62 career games for the Jennies, Reese Schaaf is tied for third in career scoring average at 18.9 points per game and career rebounding with 9.9 rebounds per game, and ranks fourth in free-throw percentage at .845 (246-of-291).
  • Taylor Weishaar is fourth in career blocks for the Jennies with 114 swats in 62 career games.
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 16 votes in the latest poll released Tuesday, March 3.
  • The Jennies are ranked fifth in the third NCAA Division II Central Regional Rankings released on Wednesday, March 4, by the NCAA. It's UCM's second straight week ranked in the number five spot. 
LAST TIME OUT: NO. 1 JENNIES TURN BACK NO. 4 MISSOURI SOUTHERN TO ADVANCE TO MIAA TOURNAMENT TITLE GAME
  • Top-seeded University of Central Missouri Jennies Basketball outscored the fourth-seeded Missouri Southern Lions in the second half, 33-21, to turn a three-point halftime lead into a 60-45 victory in the MIAA Women's Basketball Tournament Semifinals on Saturday, March 7, inside historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Mo.
  • UCM and Missouri Southern (20-10) were tied, 31-31, after a MSSU three with 7:01 to go in the third quarter before  Taylor Weishaar scored 10 consecutive points on two layups and a pair of three-pointers to ignite a 12-2 run, capped off by a layup from Rylee Vierthaler as the horn sounded at the end of the quarter, giving Central Missouri the 43-33 lead.
  • The Jennies kept rolling in the fourth quarter, upping their lead to 20 points, 53-33, after Reese Schaaf connected on a layup at the 8:14 mark. The Lions couldn't get any closer than 15 points the remainder of the game, securing the triumph for UCM.
  • Weishaar scored 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field, including a 3-of-6 performance from three-point range, and dished out three assists, Schaaf netted 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for her team and MIAA-high 17th double-double of the season, and Makenzie Farmer tallied 11 points on 2-of-4 shooting from the floor and a career-best 7-of-8 performance at the free-throw line, leading Central Missouri in the contest.
  • For the game, UCM shot 41 percent from the field (24-of-59), 22 percent from three-point range (5-of-23), and were 7-of-8 at the free-throw line for 88 percent. All eight of the Jennies' free throws were from Farmer. Central Missouri outrebounded Missouri Southern, 41-37, and outscored MSSU in the paint, 36-26, and off turnovers, 19-15.
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 847 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, they'll secure their ninth MIAA Tournament Championship in program history and the MIAA's automatic bid to the NCAA-II Women's Basketball Tournament.
  • Even if UCM falls to Washburn on Sunday, it is still poised to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA-II Women's Basketball Tournament.
  • The 2026 NCAA-II Women's Basketball Tournament Selection Show is scheduled for Sunday, March 8, at 9:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.
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