Warrensburg, Mo. (Nov. 16, 1999)--Central Missouri State University's basketball teams will open their respective 1999-2000 seasons at the CMSU Multipurpose Building this weekend (Nov. 19-21). Coach Scott Ballard's Jennies will be the host team for the University Inn Jennies Classic Friday and Saturday, while coach Don Doucette's Mules make their season debut Sunday against Monmouth College (Ill.).

Joining the Jennies for their classic are Grand Canyon University, Lincoln University (Mo.) and the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Friday's pairings will send Lincoln against Nebraska-Omaha at 5:30 p.m. and the Jennies against Grand Canyon at 7:30 p.m. Saturday's third-place game will be at 5:30 p.m., followed by the championship game at 7:30 p.m. The Mules' contest with Monmouth Sunday will get underway at 3 p.m.

The Jennies, in their fifth season under Ballard, have no seniors on the roster and return their top three scorers from last season's 17-11 squad. Junior forward Kelly Sutton led the team in scoring (13.7 ppg) and in rebounding (6.7 rpg). Junior guard Marlies Ozias was second on the team in scoring (11.0 ppg), while sophomore guard Lori Nichols also scored in double-figures (10.9 ppg).

Grand Canyon, 9-21 last season, is in its third season under coach Tim Wilke. The 'Lopes have last season's top scorer and rebounder, senior center Veronica Gonzales, back. She averaged 15.0 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game.

Nebraska-Omaha, in its second season under coach Paula Buscher, is coming off an 11-16 season a year ago, but the Mavericks return their top three scorers and have added two standout transfers. Senior Kim Birkel (15.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg), sophomore Jennifer Mitchell (15.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and senior Sarah Larson (14.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg) led UNO last season. They're joined by University of Nebraska-Kearney transfers Darcy Stracke, a senior who was a first-team All-America selection and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference player of the year while averaging 24.3 points per game, and Anne Bomstad, a sophomore who averaged 11.0 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game.

Lincoln is in its first season under coach Tim Abney, a former men's player at the school, and hopes to improve on last season's 4-22 record. Seniors Denise Bynum, who averaged 10.8 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game, and Janice Modeste, who averaged 9.2 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game, are the Blue Tigers' top returners.

The Mules' opener against Monmouth will mark the ninth straight year the Division III Fighting Scots have played CMSU. Coming off last season's 14-14 record, the Mules are led by senior center Raymond Hugley, who led the team in scoring (14.5 ppg) and in rebounding (8.5 rpg).

Monmouth was 11-12 last season. Coach Terry Glasgow is in his 28th season as head coach and needs just two wins to reach 400 for his career. Sophomore Steve Glasgow, who averaged 13.5 points per game, is the Fighting Scots'  top returner, along with senior Kent Froebe (12.2 ppg) and sophomore Jeff Stenoish (10.1 ppg).