Game Preview:
The 5-0 Truman Bulldogs will head south to face the 4-2 Missouri Southern Lions in the 2011-12 tipoff of conference play in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in Joplin. The two teams split last year's meetings with each winning on their home court.
The Bulldogs are 5-0 for the first time since the 2007-08 season and for only the third time in the program's 40 year history following a pair of wins against members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference last week. Truman defeated #24 Quincy University 79-69 to pick up their first win over a ranked opponent since 2008 last Tuesday then traveled to Kansas City for a 62-46 win over Rockhurst University.
Four Truman starters are averaging over 10 points per game during the non-conference portion of the schedule with junior Jennifer Conway leading the way at 14 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest. Senior Breanna Daniels and freshman Allie Norton are averaging 11.2 points and junior guard Becka McHenry has dropped in 10.6 per game.
Daniels is closing in on 1,000 points for her career as she is within 10 entering this week's games.
The Lions are 4-2 after picking up a 74-68 win over Arkansas-Fort Smith on Saturday. Haley Weathers scored a career-high 23 points in the win as she torched the net from long ranging hitting seven of 10 three-point attempts. Returning third-team all-MIAA forward Erin Rice and junior guard Kelby Fritz, are leading the Lions in scoring at 11 points per game.
This is the sixth straight year that the Bulldogs and Lions will open up MIAA play against each other and it will be the first time that a conference game in the MIAA will be played in the month of November.
Truman won last year's opener in Kirksville 71-58 behind 16 points from Breanna Daniels while the Lions won 64-40 in Joplin with former Southern all-conference standout Jasmine Lovejoy scoring 19 in the win.
Truman Non-Conference Recap:
The Bulldogs posted a 5-0 record in non-conference play this season with one game remaining (Feb. 11 at McKendree (Ill.)). Truman averaged 80 points per game and had a +27.2 scoring margin. They shot 45% from the field including 40% from beyond the arc and made over seven three-pointers per game.
Truman also averaged 17 assists and just 12 turnovers in the five non-conference games.
The Bulldogs are 15-8 in non-conference games under Coach Michael Smith.
Bulldogs Fast Start:
Truman is 5-0 for the first time since the 2007-08 season when they also started 5-0. This is the third time in the program history that they have won the first five 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 five games this season and have outscored opponents in the first 20 minutes 208-107 (+101).
Chasing 1,000
Senior Breanna Daniels is 10 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 73 of 86 games played during her Bulldog career and is shooting nearly 40% from the field with 116 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.
Daniels is third all-time in Truman history in made three-pointers (116), fourth in three-pointers attempted (340), eighth in free throw percentage (.779) and 10th in field goals (384), field goals attempted (960) and games started (73).
Bulldog Tip-Ins:
· Truman is averaging 80.0 points and shooting 45% from the field and 40% 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 44 per night while giving up just 33.8.
· 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 58 for her career. She is the active leading scorer with 990 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:
Truman returns home for their only home games in the month of December. The Bulldogs will host Pittsburg State on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. followed by Southwest Baptist on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
