Game Preview:
The Bulldog women will wrap up their two-game swing through the GLVC with their first road game of the season at Rockhurst at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday evening in Kansas City.
Truman notched their first win over a ranked opponent since 2008 when they handled Quincy University 79-69 to improve to 4-0 on the young season. Five Bulldogs scored in double-figures paced Becka McHenry's 19 points.
The Bulldogs led the majority of the time but the Hawks closed to within two points with just over 12 minutes to play. Sparked by eight points by Allie Norton and Nicole Gloor and a Bulldog defense that held the Hawks without a field goal for eight plus minutes, the Bulldogs scored 24 of the next 26 points and led by 26 with three minutes to play.
Four Bulldogs are averaging in double-figures in scoring through four games led by Jennifer Conway's 15 points per game average. Conway is also leading the team with 8.8 rebounds and has two double-doubles thus far. McHenry is averaging a dozen per game with freshman Norton scoring 11.5 and Breanna Daniels averaging 10.5 per game.
The Hawks have struggled offensively entering their game at home with Missouri Western on Tuesday night. Rockhurst is averaging just 44 points through their first three games with MaKayla Grahn and Megan Cook leading the team with seven points per game.
Rockhurst played two Division I exhibition games falling in both. They dropped a 83-26 decision to Creighton (Neb.) and fell 79-29 to Iowa State. The Hawks opened the season with Emporia State and lost to the Lady Hornets 71-50. They have since lost to Avila (Mo.) 66-44 and Regis (Colo.) 64-38 before Tuesday's game loss to Missouri Western 57-50.
Larry Park is in his third year at the helm of the women's program at Rockhurst. Last season the Hawks were 4-22 overall and 0-18 in the GLVC. Rockhurst was picked seventh West division in the 2011-12 GLVC Coaches Poll.
Bulldogs In the Non-Conference:
Truman has played 22 non-conference games under Coach Michael Smith and are 14-8. All but five games have been against Division II opponents. Seven of the games have had final margins of five points or less and 11 of them have been decided by 10 points or less.
The largest margin of victory in non-conference games was set this past Saturday when Truman downed Central Methodist 108-55 (+53) while the largest deficit was 63-44 (-19) to Barry University in 2010.
The Bulldogs are 6-1 in non-conference home games under Smith with the only loss coming in the first home game back in 2008 to Quincy 76-58, which they avenged on Tuesday night.
MIAA Coaches/Media Poll:
In the annual conference coaches' and media polls that were released on Oct. 25th, the Bulldogs were picked seventh in the coaches and 9th in the media out of 11 teams. Washburn (Kan.) and Emporia St. (Kan.) were the unanimous top two choices in both polls.
The seventh selection of the Bulldogs is the highest for the program since the 2000 season.
Chasing 1,000
Senior Breanna Daniels is 24 points away from 1,000 for her career. She would be the 16th Truman women's basketball player to eclipse 1,000 for a career and first since Georgia Mueller did so in 2009.
Daniels has started 72 of 85 games played during her Bulldog career and is shooting nearly 40% from the field with 112 made three pointers. Her single-game high in points is 27 against Northwest Missouri on Feb. 17, 2010. She is averaging 11.5 points per game.
Carol Jarrard (1978-82) is the Bulldogs all-time leading scorer with 2,066 points in 112 games played.
Bulldogs Fast Start:
Truman is 4-0 for the first time since the 2007-08 season when they started 5-0. This is the fifth time in the program history that they have won the first four games out of the gate. The best start all-time was to begin the 1998-99 season under Karin Nicholls when Truman won their first seven.
Bulldogs Fast Start (Part II):
Truman has had the lead at the half in each of the first four games this season and have outscored opponents in the first 20 minutes 175-84 (+91).
Bulldog Tip-Ins:
· Truman is averaging 84.5 points and shooting 47% from the field and 44% from the arc. Last season the team averaged 62.7 points shooting 39% from the field, 33% from beyond the arc and 66% from the free throw line.
· The Bulldogs are winning the battle of the board. Truman is grabbing 45 per night while giving up just 33.5.
· Truman was involved in two overtime games last season, winning 78-74 at the University of Central Missouri and falling in double OT to Northwest Missouri, the MIAA champion, 73-72 at home.
· Jennifer Conway has the single-game high in points with 20 this season against William Penn. Breanna Daniels had the single-game high in points scored last season with 26 in a non-conference game against Nova-Southeastern (Fla.).
· Daniels led the team with 24, 10-point plus games last season and has 57 for her career. She is the active leading scorer with 976 points and was the team's leading scorer in 15 of the 27 games.
· Eight different Bulldogs were single-game leaders in rebounding last year with Jennifer Conway leading the way with 11 games with the most boards.
· Three Bulldogs have each recorded double-doubles through four games. Jennifer Conway has two while Breanna Daniels and Allie Norton have one apiece. Norton has the only one with both points and assists, instead of rebounds. Three Bulldogs recorded double-doubles last season with five coming from Jennifer Conway and one apiece from Amy Galey and Megan Sharpe.
Up Next:
The Bulldogs will step into MIAA play on Wednesday night as they will make the trip to Joplin to open the conference slate with Missouri Southern. The Lions were 3-1 with a game against Newman (Kan.) on Friday before entertaining Truman. Tip time from Missouri Southern will be 5:30 p.m.
