Newcomers Lead Bulldogs Offensively but QU Holds On Late

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - - Freshman Andrew Vander Zwaag's 17 points led three Truman men's basketball players in double-figures, but Quincy used 31 free throw attempts and 13 three-pointers to hold off the 'Dogs 81-74 on Tuesday night in Pershing Arena.

Quincy (3-0), after coming into the game shooting just 21% on the season from three-point range, caught fire on the night by hitting 13 triples and added a 24-for-31 mark from the charity stripe. Truman (2-4), meanwhile, hit six more field goals (28-22) but went just 8-for-21 from deep and 10-for-17 at the line.

The Bulldogs jumped out a 10-3 lead through the first five and a half minutes before Quincy began their three-point barrage – hitting nine in the opening 20 minutes to take a 40-32 halftime lead. Seven different Bulldogs scored in the first 20 minutes, led by seven from redshirt freshman Mike Carlson and six by sophomore Isaac Gardner.

In the second half, Quincy opened up a 14-point lead – its largest of the night – just a minute in, but the Bulldogs slowly began to chip away. Truman eventually made it a one-possession game at the 7:09 mark when senior Vesko Filchev hit a layup to cut QU's lead to 61-58. The lead would be as little as two on three occasions, keeping it close to the 5-minute mark, but the Hawks slowly pulled away at the free throw line, going 5-of-6 down the stretch to grab the 81-74 final.

Vander Zwaag scored 12 of his team-high 17 in the second half, while junior EJ Hicks added 11 of his 15 in the final 20 minutes as well. Each player added two assists, while Carlson scored 14 points, grabbed five rebounds and added a pair of blocks. The 'Dogs outscored QU 36-12 in the paint on the evening but couldn't find an answer for the Hawks' Justin Brock, who led all players with 29 points in 34 minutes.

The Bulldogs hit the road for their final early season nonconference game, traveling to Fayette, Iowa, this Saturday for a 1:00 pm tipoff against Upper Iowa University.

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