ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Amidst a three-game losing streak, Griffon Men's Basketball has a chance to bounce back vs. Central Missouri on Saturday night inside the MWSU Fieldhouse.
KEEPING UP WITH THE GRIFFONS
KFEQ Radio will broadcast the games live on 680 AM and 95.3 FM with the "Voice of the Griffons" Tommy Rezac on the call inside the Looney Complex. Fans that want to watch the games can purchase a subscription to the MIAA network, where the games will be broadcast live. Admission can be purchased by clicking on the "Tickets" tab above.
OH YES, IT'S 80s NIGHT
It may be in the 30s outside tomorrow, but the forecast inside the MWSU Fieldhouse tomorrow calls for the 80s! Fans are encouraged to grab your fingerless gloves, large funky earrings and wear their hair big for the biggest game of the season!
SCOUTING CENTRAL MISSOURI: JAN. 21 - 3:30 PM
Central Missouri (8-10, 4-8 MIAA) comes to town with an 11th-place seat in the conference, winning one of its last five games. The Mules snapped a three-game skid by defeating Rogers State in overtime, 78-77, last Saturday in Warrensburg, Missouri. Before UCM traveled to St. Joe, the Mules lost to No. 9/8 Northwest Missouri State, 73-52, at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Missouri.
Head Coach
Doug Karleskint is in his ninth season leading UCM. He boasts a 221-146 career record, 132-112 record with UCM and is 79-94 in the MIAA. He is 12-5 vs. MWSU, 2-2 against Martin and 4-4 at the MWSU Fieldhouse, losing his last three games in St. Joe. His Mules have the best turnover margin in the MIAA at 5.2.
Who to Watch
Redshirt sophomore Mikel Henderson is one of UCM's main offensive weapons, putting up a team-high 12.7 PPG, which is 22nd in the MIAA. Redshirt senior forward Gavin Pinkley is right around with 12.1 PPG. Pinkley is also a threat from 3-point range, where he holds the MIAA's sixth-best line at 41.1%. Henderson was the only Mule starter to score more than 10 points vs. Northwest, putting up 14 in 33 minutes. Sophomore guard Jack Chapman chipped in 10 points in 31 minutes.
Record Rabbit Hole
Central Missouri leads the all-time series dating back to 1986, 43-32, but the Mules are 14-24 inside the Looney Complex. The series has alternated winners in the last four matchups, as neither team has won back-to-back showdowns since the Griffons won three straight from 2019-20.
Last Time Out
Box Score
Central Missouri came away victorious, 83-46, on Jan. 26, 2022, in Warrensburg.
ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON MEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY: JAN 21
Box Score | Video Recap
Back in 2017, the 6-12 Griffons faced a challenging, 12-5 Nebraska-Kearney team that fell apart after leading by seven just six minutes into the game. Down by three at 30-27, Missouri Western ended the first half on a 10-0 run, eventually starting the second half with five unanswered points to take a commanding lead all the way to the buzzer. Seth Bonifas slashed UNK for a career-high 18 points while TJ Evans matched a game-high 21 points, pickpocketing five steals in the process.
