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KIRKSVILLE - - After picking up two of three during last week's stretch of home games, the Truman men's basketball team will take its act on the road for a pair of contests this week, starting Wednesday (Jan. 19) night at the University of Central Missouri. Tipoff between the Bulldogs and Mules is set for 7:30 pm in the Multipurpose Building in Warrensburg.
Wednesday night's game marks the end of the first half of MIAA play, as Truman (5-9, 3-7 MIAA) and Central Missouri (9-7, 4-6 MIAA) have yet to face off this year. The Bulldogs are coming off the aforementioned back-to-back Saturday wins, while UCM has dropped four of its last five.
The Bulldogs are still searching for their first road win of the season, as the squad is riding a ten-game losing streak away from Pershing, dating back to Jan. 27, 2010 at Pittsburg State. The Mules, meanwhile, have had their struggles on the road but have made up for it at home, posting a 5-1 mark.
This is the 188th all-time meeting between the programs, with UCM holding a 121-66 lead dating back to the first contest between the schools in 1920. The Mules have a 58-19 all-time record in games played in Warrensburg and are currently on an 11-game winning streak overall against the 'Dogs – whose last win came on Jan. 4, 2006 in Warrensburg, a 77-69 decision.
Under head coach Jack Schrader (since 1995), the Bulldogs are 5-25 against the Mules and 3-12 at the Multi. It's been all Mules, however, since the start of the 2002-2003 season, as UCM is 17-1 in the last 18 games of the series.
Media Information:
104.7 FM KRES is the official radio home of Truman football, men's basketball and women's basketball. Brad Boyer and Hank Janssen will provide coverage throughout the season of Truman basketball on the Moberly-based station.
KRES broadcasts its sports coverage online at centralmoinfo.com. Fans can also watch MIAA games on their computer this season through AmericaOne/B2 Networks for a fee.
Live stats for all Bulldog games throughout the season will be made available via links on the men's basketball schedule page at TrumanBulldogs.com.
About the Bulldogs:
The Bulldogs continue to remain within striking distance of the middle of the MIAA pack, as a pair of wins over the past ten days helped get the team to 5-9 overall, 3-7 in the MIAA. Truman does have a tough stretch coming up, playing four of its next five outside of Kirksville – a place that's produced all five wins this season.
A pair of seniors – guard Alex Henderson (15.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 40% 3FG) and forward Ethan Freeman (11.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg) – lead the Bulldogs offensively, as the duo are the only two players to have started each of Truman's 14 games this season.
Sophomore guard Tom Norton (9.8 ppg, 34 3FG) and junior center Vesko Filchev (9.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg) have also been regulars to the starting lineup. Truman as a team is shooting 43.4% from the field, 38.2% from long-range and 69.0% from the free throw line. Opponents, meanwhile, are at 44.7% overall, 34.0% from distance and are hitting 70.8% of their charity stripe chances.
'Dog Bites:
· The Bulldogs are scoring 72.8 points per game through 14 games, while giving up 76.9 ppg. In wins, though, the Bulldogs are topping 80 (82.2) points while stifling opponents to just 64.2 points per game.
· Six players have topped 20 points in a game for Truman this year, led by Alex Henderson's career-high 24 against Culver-Stockton on Nov. 15, and most recently Isaac Gardner's career-high 21 against Missouri Western on Jan. 12.
· Ethan Freeman has been setting new career-highs all season, scoring 23 points twice, pulling down 17 rebounds against QU on Nov. 27, and handing out ten assists against Northwest Missouri on Jan. 8. Against NWMSU, he came up three points shy of Truman's first triple-double in 16 years (7p, 15r, 10a) and became the first Bulldog since Banks Estridge in March of 2007 to hand out ten assists.
· Tom Norton and freshman Isaac Gardner have been snipers from long-range, as the duo has combined for 66 three-pointers (56% of team total).
· Norton also continues his ascent into Truman history from the foul line, having hit 69-of-76 (90.8%) total chances in his time at Truman. He hit 31 in a row during his freshman season and is 23-of-26 this year.
· Junior Vesko Filchev picked up his second double-double of the season against WU on Dec. 11, finishing with 13 points and ten rebounds. Filchev has dominated the paint defensively this year, swatting ten shots to lead the 'Dogs and pulling down 5.6 rebounds/game.
Free Throw Extravaganza:
The Bulldogs took 41 free throws in Saturday's (Jan. 15) 83-79 win against Lincoln, marking the most by a Truman team in more than 12 years, dating back to a 45-attempt game against Graceland (Iowa) on Nov. 24, 1998.
In addition, senior Ethan Freeman earned 18 chances from the stripe, the second-most by a Bulldog in single-game program history.
Truman has taken 319 free throws (22.8 per game) this season, up from last season's 16.4 per game, and most since the 1999-2000 team's 24.2 attempts per game average.
Heading Toward 1,000:
Two Bulldog seniors – Ethan Freeman and Alex Henderson – have a shot to reach 1,000 career points this season. Freeman sits at 877 (9.2 ppg career), while Henderson is tracking right behind him at 862 (9.2 ppg career).
Freeman would need to average 10.3 ppg over his final 12 games, while Henderson needs to record 11.5 ppg to become the 23rd and 24th members of Truman's 1,000-point club.
Providing Long-Distance Support:
Freshman guard Isaac Gardner averaged 16 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last week to move into fifth on the squad in scoring at 8.5 points per game off the bench. The Washington, Iowa-native has been deadly all season from beyond the arc, leading the MIAA at a 47% connection rate (32-for-68).
Home Cookin':
Through eight home and six road games, the Truman men's basketball team has seen positive splits at home (5-3 record) compared to away from Kirksville (0-6 record). As a team, the 'Dogs are scoring more than 77 points per game at home compared to just 67 points on the road and are nearly 20% better from the free throw line.
However, the biggest discrepancy comes on the defensive end, where Truman is holding foes to just 70 points and 32% three-point shooting at home versus nearly 86 points and 36% from long-range.
The biggest individual beneficiary from playing at home versus the road has been Alex Henderson, who is averaging more than 17 points per game (17.4) at home compared to 11.3 on the road. Ethan Freeman, meanwhile, has put up better numbers on the road, averaging a double-double with 13.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per contest.
A Look at the Mules:
Picked to finish first by the media and second by the coaches prior to the start of the MIAA season, the Central Missouri Mules have gotten out to a 4-6 record in conference play behind seven road games.
After posting a 5-1 record through non-conference play, the Mules dropped back-to-back games at SBU and MSSU before picking up three in a row against ESU, LU and PSU. However, from there, the squad has dropped four of five, including a last-second heartbreaker against UNO on Jan. 8 to fall to ninth in the MIAA.
Four players average in double-figures offensively, led by Boo Hunter's 16.6 ppg mark. Hunter has gotten his fair-share of free throw opportunities, going 106-for-128 (83%) in 16 games. As a team, the Mules are shooting 43% from the floor, 36% from three-point range and 73% from the free throw line.
The Mules are coached by Kim Anderson, who is in his ninth year with the program. He has a career mark of 194-70 at the school.
Up Next:
The Bulldogs start the second round of MIAA regular season play with a trip to No. 22 Missouri Southern on Saturday (Jan. 22) afternoon. Truman will take on the conference-leading Lions at 3:00 pm in Joplin, Mo.
