Box Score | Season Stats
JOPLIN, Mo. - - The Truman men's basketball team had the No. 14 and MIAA-leading Missouri Southern Lions on the ropes for more than 35 minutes, but a late 12-2 run by the MSSU Lions held off a Bulldog upset bid in an 83-70 final score from the Leggett and Platt Center.
Senior Ethan Freeman (Urbandale, Iowa, Urbandale) recorded his seventh double-double of the season, scoring 11 points and pulling down a career-high 18 rebounds, for the Bulldogs (5-11, 3-9 MIAA), who return to Pershing Arena on Wednesday (Jan. 26) night for a 7:30 pm tilt with Pittsburg State.
The Bulldogs came out blistering in the opening 20 minutes, getting three triples from both Tom Norton (Bloomington, Ill., Bloomington Catholic) and Isaac Gardner (Washington, Iowa, Washington) along with 15 first-half boards by Freeman to carry a 38-27 lead into the break. Truman never trailed in the first half against MSSU (15-1, 11- MIAA) and was tied just once, at 2-2, before going on a 17-4 run to open a 19-6 advantage with 11:07 on the clock. The lead stayed between nine and 12 points the rest of the first half.
However, the Lions applied pressure to start the second half and quickly erased Truman's lead, drawing even at 42-42 on a Keane Thomann jumper with 13:43 to play in the game. An Alex Henderson (Willard, Mo., Willard) three-pointer put Truman back on top right away, and the Bulldogs maintained their edge for five more minutes, leading 57-55 with 8:45 left on the clock.
It was then Missouri Southern's turn to lead, holding slim margins until the Bulldogs evened the score at 63 apiece at the final media timeout. But, back-to-back three-pointers by Jason Adams and Skyler Bowlin gave the Lions a six-point lead which they would not relinquish on the way to the 83-70 final. Missed shots and quick buckets by MSSU helped swell a three-point lead with 1:38 to play into the 13-point margin.
Freeman was one of four Bulldogs in double-figures, as Norton's 14 points in 26 minutes off the bench led the way for the purple and white. Vesko Filchev (Plovdiv, Bulgaria, GPCHE) added 11 – also off the bench – and Henderson reached double-figures for the 13th time this season by pouring in ten.
The 18 rebounds by Freeman marked not only a new career-high, breaking his previous mark of 17 against Quincy earlier this season, but also set a new standard in the MIAA this season. The conference's leading rebounder overall and defensively is now averaging 9.4 rebounds per game to go with 11.9 points per outing.
Despite both teams shooting 46% from the floor, the Bulldogs were done in by 20 turnovers to just four by the Lions as well as the disparity at the free throw line where Truman went 13-of-19 to Missouri Southern's 26-of-39. The 'Dogs out-boarded MSSU, 40-29, and hit nine three-pointers on 18 attempts.
Adams and Bowlin dropped 17 points apiece for MSSU.
Additional Notes:
· Ethan Freeman's 18 rebounds were the most in a single-game by any Bulldog since Feb. 2, 2005, when Andy Calmes grabbed 18 against Southwest Baptist.
· Freeman moved into 11th all-time in Truman career-rebounding, passing Matt Beran (2001-2004), with 684 career rebounds. He also reached 900 career points exactly on the afternoon.
· Isaac Gardner went 3-for-4 from three-point range, raising his season-long percentage to 47.3% from outside the arc. He was 3rd in the MIAA entering Saturday.
· Tom Norton's three 3-pointers brought his total to 39 on the season. He was tied for 4th in the MIAA at 2.3/game entering Saturday.
· Alex Henderson, ranked 10th in the MIAA in 3-pt percentage entering the game, raised his mark to 39.5% after a 2-for-4 effort against MSSU.
· The two teams entered the game averaging 83 (MSSU) and 70 (TSU) points per game on the season.
· Truman has now dropped eight straight to Missouri Southern, with the Lions now leading the all-time series, 25-17.
· Truman has now lost 12 straight road games (10 straight in the MIAA).
· The Bulldogs will be going for a season-split against Pittsburg State on Wednesday night after dropping a 91-68 decision in early December in Pittsburg, Kan.
