Box Score | Season Stats

EMPORIA, Kan. - - An Ethan Freeman lay-up with less than two minutes to play tied Sunday afternoon's game at Emporia State at 61 apiece, but the Truman men's basketball team couldn't offset four Hornet free throws in the final minute in a 65-61 defeat at White Auditorium. Senior Alex Henderson led the Bulldogs with 17 points behind five three-pointers.

Neither team led by more than seven at any point throughout the game, with all but 24 seconds of the game's final 16 minutes being played within a one possession margin. Emporia (11-9, 8-6 MIAA) got the margin to five at 56-51 with 6:07 to play, but a quick triple by sophomore Tom Norton brought Truman (5-13, 3-11 MIAA) to within a basket just moments later.

The three-point play which led to ESU's five-point advantage marked the final field goal of the day for the Hornets, as the 'Dogs clamped down on defense and held the hosts scoreless everywhere they could defend. However, ESU converted nine of 12 free throws during the final six minutes, and Truman could only manage to tie – never regaining the lead – three separate times in the waning minutes to allow the Hornets to squeeze out the four-point victory.

The 'Dogs had a chance to tie in the final seconds, but Norton's three-point try missed with five seconds to play.

Henderson's 17 points led a Bulldog offense that shot 39% from the floor and drained nine three-pointers. While Henderson accounted for five to tie his career-high, Norton added three triples off the bench on the way to 13 points. Junior Vesko Filchev notched his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Freeman poured in nine points and garnered seven rebounds in 33 minutes.

Henderson also led Truman in assists with four, with both Freeman and freshman Pat Sodemann adding three helpers each. Both teams committed just eight turnovers, buried nine three-pointers and shot in the high-30 percent range, but it came down to charity stripe chances, with Truman going 8-for-14 from the line compared to a 17-for-24 effort by the Hornets.

ESU was led by 17 points apiece from Xavier Burnette and Matt Boswell.

The Bulldogs return to action, wrapping up a stretch of four road games out of five, at Washburn (Kan.) University on Wednesday, Feb. 2. Tipoff from Lee Arena in Topeka, Kan., is set for 7:30 pm.