WC Missouri News

The Central Missouri Mules men's basketball team is set to continue its 120th season with two games at the 2025 Central Region Challenge. The team will face Minnesota State Mavericks on Friday, Nov. 14, at John Lance Arena in Pittsburg, Kansas, followed by a game against the Sioux Falls Cougars on Saturday, Nov. 15.

Both games are scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CST and will be available via pay-per-view through the MIAA Network.

Last weekend, the Mules achieved a 2-1 record at the 2025 D2CCA Tip-Off Classic with wins over No. 10 Colorado School of Mines and New Mexico Highlands. Players Lazerek Houston and Jevon Hill were named to the All-Tournament Team for their performances.

Freshman guard Lazerek Houston was highlighted on ESPN SportsCenter's Top-10 plays for his dunk during the team's win over Colorado School of Mines, where he recorded 35 points, 11 assists, five rebounds, and four steals.

Central Missouri enters this tournament tied for second-most wins in NCAA Division II men's basketball history with 1,800 victories and has previously won two NCAA Men's DII National Championships (1984 & 2014) along with two NAIB championships (1937 & 1938).

Head coach Adam Bohac is entering his third season after finishing last year with a .500 record (15-15 overall; 9-10 in conference play). The roster returns four players from last year’s squad including Kyran Tilley—last season’s MIAA Freshman of the Year—Jake Fritz, Noah Martin, and Kyree Polk.

This season’s roster includes six transfer students: three from Division I programs—Naz Brown (Coastal Carolina), AJ Lux (Bellarmine), and Jevon Hill (South Dakota)—and three from Division II schools—Judah Sault (Belmont Abbey), Deadric Fikes (Newman), and Deshawne Crim (St. Thomas Aquinas College). Three freshmen have also joined: forwards Carter Kaifes and Trinell Parker as well as guard Lazerek Houston.

Through three games so far this season, Central Missouri is averaging 83 points per game while shooting an even 50 percent from the field. The team also averages just over nine steals per contest.

Three players are currently averaging double-digit points: Lazerek Houston leads with nearly 28 points per game along with more than five assists; forward Jevon Hill is contributing more than seventeen points; Kyran Tilley adds about eleven points each contest.

Friday's matchup against Minnesota State marks only the second time these teams have met; Central Missouri won their previous meeting in November of 2014 by one point. On Saturday against Sioux Falls Cougars, each team has one win apiece in their brief series history—the Cougars claimed victory in overtime during their last encounter in Kansas City in November of 2018.

Following these games at the Central Region Challenge, Central Missouri will return home to host Upper Iowa Peacocks on Thursday, Nov. 20 at Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center for Meet the Mules Night.