Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - - Freshman Seth Jackson (St. Louis, Mo., CBC) led all Bulldogs with 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting, but the Truman men's basketball team dropped a 99-68 decision to Div. I Missouri State University on Thursday night in the exhibition opener for both teams.

The Bears, who captured the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title in 2010-11, used a 24-7 run midway through the first half to open a 42-17 lead with 2:42 to play. The Bears and Bulldogs scored five apiece the rest of the way to head into the break with MSU holding a 47-22 lead.

Despite shooting just 32% in the first half, the Bulldogs rebounded in the second half to go 14-for-26 (53.8%) from the field, including an 8-for-12 mark from three-point range, to score 46 in the final 20 minutes. Junior Tom Norton (Bloomington, Ill., Central Catholic) scored all 14 of his points on the night in the second half to lead all players.

Jackson's team-high 16 points came in just 21 minutes of work, while Norton (14) and sophomore Isaac Gardner (Washington, Iowa, Washington) (10) joined him in double-figures. For the game, Truman shot 42.6% (23-for-54) from the field and hit 10 three-pointers on 22 attempts (45.5%). Missouri State out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 34-27, and forced 21 Truman turnovers.

Kyle Weems, the reigning MVC player of the year, led all players with 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting.

The Bulldogs continue their three-game exhibition slate next Wednesday (Nov. 2) night in Columbia when they take on the Big XII's Missouri Tigers at 7:00 pm.