Full Notes (PDF)
WU Game: Live Stats | KRES Live Audio | AmericaOne/B2 PPV Webcast
NWMSU Game: Live Stats | KRES Live Audio | AmericaOne/B2 PPV Webcast
KIRKSVILLE - - Following a pair of close home losses over the weekend, the Truman men's basketball team packs its bags for the first two games of a four-game road trip this Monday and Wednesday, as the Bulldogs head to Washburn and Northwest Missouri for a pair of 7:30 pm contests.
Truman (6-15, 4-13 MIAA) held double-figure leads against two of the MIAA's top three teams in Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Omaha last Thursday and Saturday, but early second-half runs by both the Tigers and Mavericks closed the recent homestand with a 1-2 mark. It was a tale of two halves in each game, as the Bulldogs came out scorching the nets in the opening 20 minutes by shooting a combined 57%, drilling 12 three-pointers and averaging 45.5 points. But, in the second halves, Truman shot just 32% and hit one three-pointer total in scoring 31 points on average.
While Washburn (14-7, 11-6 MIAA) and Northwest (8-14, 6-12 MIAA) sit on nearly opposite ends of the MIAA standings, both have performed well as of late, with WU going 5-2 in its last seven games and NWMSU posting a 4-1 mark in its last five outings. Washburn is currently ninth in the South Central region, fueled by a 7-1 conference mark in the month of January. The Ichabods feature the league's leading scorer, Logan Stutz, who checks in at 20.2 ppg and is shooting 71% from the floor.
The Bulldogs will be trying to pick up their first road win of the season on this upcoming four-game trip. Truman's last game outside of Pershing Arena was a 65-61 late-game loss at Emporia State on Jan. 30.
Media Information:
104.7 FM KRES is the official radio home of Truman football, men's basketball and women's basketball. Brad Boyer and Hank Janssen will provide coverage throughout the season of Truman basketball on the Moberly-based station.
KRES broadcasts its sports coverage online at centralmoinfo.com. Fans can also watch MIAA games on their computer this season through AmericaOne/B2 Networks for a fee.
Live stats for all Bulldog games throughout the season will be made available via links on the men's basketball schedule page at TrumanBulldogs.com.
'Dog Bites:
· Senior Ethan Freeman is averaging nearly a double-double on the season (12.0 ppg, 9.7 rpg) and is the MIAA's top rebounder (both total and defensive). He has ten double-doubles on the season and has set new career-highs this year in points, rebounds and assists. Freeman has also been just short of the program's first triple-double in nearly 20 years twice this season, most recently ending two assists shy (14-10-8) against Nebraska-Omaha on Saturday.
· Senior Alex Henderson is the team's leading scorer at 14.8 ppg and has 16 double-figure games this year. He has hit 41 3-pointers at a 40% clip and is an 81% free throw shooter. He set a new career-high with 26 points against Nebraska-Omaha on Saturday and topped the 20-point mark for the fifth time this year.
· Sophomore Tom Norton is third on the team in scoring at 10.4 ppg and has drained a team-high 51 3-pointers this season. He also set a career-high in points (21) against Nebraska-Omaha on Saturday, doing so off the bench. He is 45-for-52 from the free throw line this year and is a 90% career free throw shooter.
· Junior Vesko Filchev is fourth on the team in scoring, checking in at 10.0 ppg. He is shooting 54% from the field and leads the squad with 20 blocked shots. Vesko has also recorded three double-doubles this year.
· Freshman Isaac Gardner leads the MIAA in three-point shooting percentage (46.2%) and is averaging 6.8 points per game. He has started two times this season and is averaging more than 17 minutes per game.
· Senior Stefan Garrison has started 17 of 21 games this year and is averaging 4.2 points per game. He has two double-figure scoring games this season.
· Freshman Pat Sodemann scored a career-high 18 points in Truman's Feb. 5 win against Southwest Baptist and is averaging 4.1 points per game. He is one of just six Bulldogs to play in all 21 games this season and is 24-for-28 (86%) from the free throw line.
· Senior Brian Nwelue ranks second on the team in blocks with 14 and is one of the squad's top defenders. He has pulled down 22 offensive rebounds and is averaging 3.2 points per game.
Mr. 1,000 (x2):
Both Ethan Freeman and Alex Henderson will have a shot to reach the 1,000-point mark in the final five games of the regular season, as each need to average a little less than eight points per game the rest of the way to become the 23rd and 24th members of Truman's top scoring club. The full list of career chart chasing for each player is available in the full notes.
Climbing for the Century Mark:
After both Freeman and Henderson reached their 100th career games played last week, fellow senior Stefan Garrison could reach the century mark should he play in both games this week. Garrison has seen action in all 21 games this year. The career leader in games played for Truman is Cory Parker, who checks in at 115.
Free Throw Extravaganza:
Truman has taken 489 free throws (23.3 per game) this season, up from last season's 16.4 per game, and most since the 1999-2000 team's 24.2 attempts per game average.
A Look at the Ichabods:
· Offense: 77.8 ppg, 48.5% FG, 33.4% 3FG, 66.8% FT
· Defense: 70.7 ppg, 45.5% FG, 38.9% 3FG, +3.9 rpg margin
· Top Players: Logan Stutz (20.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 71% FG); De'Andre Washington (16.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.5 apg)
· Head Coach: Bob Chipman (32nd season, 692-285 record)
A Look at the Bearcats:
· Offense: 68.2 ppg, 44.3% FG, 35.6% 3FG, 70.6% FT
· Defense: 68.9 ppg, 46.6% FG, 40.5% 3FG, +2.8 rpg margin
· Top Players: DeShaun Cooper (15.5 ppg, 5.1 apg, 33.2 mpg); Elijah Allen (14.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg)
· Head Coach: Ben McCollum (2nd season, 20-29 record)
Earlier This Year:
(Dec. 11) KIRKSVILLE - - The Truman men's basketball team put four players in double-figures, led by senior guard Alex Henderson's 23, and snapped a four-game slide with an 83-78 win against Washburn University.
The Bulldogs (3-5, 1-3 MIAA) hit eight-of-13 three-pointers in the second half, including a stretch of five in five minutes to pull away after trailing by two, 36-34, at the intermission. Sophomore Tom Norton, who finished the game with 19 points, gave the Bulldogs the lead at the 16:30 mark of the second half at 42-40 to start a 24-12 run that was capped by an Isaac Gardner triple with 8:55 to play in the game. That gave the 'Dogs their biggest lead to that point, 63-52, before another Gardner triple two minutes later pushed the margin to 13 at 71-58.
Washburn closed the deficit to five three times in the final three minutes before a De'Andre Washington three-pointer cut Truman's lead to four, 82-78, with 11 seconds to play. But Henderson drained one of two from the free throw line to eliminate any four-point play possibility, and the 'Dogs held on for the 83-78 final.
Henderson maintained his stretch of reaching double-figures in each game so far this season by finishing with 23 points on 5-of-10 shooting. The conference-leader from long-range, the senior hit three triples and went 10-for-11 from the charity stripe. Norton (19), Filchev (13) and Freeman (10) capped four starters in double-figures, while Filchev pulled down ten rebounds for his second straight double-double. The Bulldogs got 72 of their 83 points from its starters, as Gardner came off the bench for nine.
For the game, Truman shot 27-for-53 (51%) from the field and 12-for-25 (48%) from three-point range. The 'Dogs also hit 17-of-25 (68%) of their free throw chances, while WU struggled from the charity stripe at 3-for-11. The Ichabods (5-3, 2-2 MIAA) took 19 more field goal attempts and hit six more (33-for-72), but went 9-for-29 from deep (31%).
The 'Dogs out-rebounded WU, 40-34, and had 31 defensive rebounds to the Ichabods' 22. Truman also got a career-high seven assists from Freeman, as the Bulldogs posted assists on 17 of their 27 made buckets.
Washington led Washburn with 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
(Jan. 8) KIRKSVILLE - - Senior Ethan Freeman came up just three points shy of what would have been Truman's first triple-double in 16 years, but his 15 rebounds and career-high ten assists helped the Bulldog men's basketball team open a three-game homestand with a 73-58 victory against Northwest Missouri State.
Three Bulldogs scored in double-figures, led by senior Alex Henderson's 19, as Truman (4-8, 2-6 MIAA) shot 47% and led from the 2:56 mark of the first half the rest of the way to defeat the visiting Bearcats (4-8, 2-6 MIAA). The Bulldogs opened up a 17-point lead in the second half and only let the margin dip below double-figures three times, and never less than eight.
Northwest held a six-point advantage at 20-14 with 7:03 left in the opening half before the Bulldogs rattled off a 15-2 run to close the half and take a 31-22 lead into the break. The 'Dogs then continued to press the accelerator from there, scoring 12 of the first 16 points of the second half to lead 42-26 just four minutes in.
But the Bearcats kept the fans' interest, cutting the purple and white lead to just eight, 53-45, with 7:25 to play, but clutch shooting by the 'Dogs combined with a handful of defensive stops helped keep it a three-possession game the rest of the way. Truman also hit 18-of-21 free throws in the second half, including 13-of-15 in the final five minutes to seal the team's fourth win of the year and remain just two games back of a five-team tie for fifth in the MIAA.
Henderson's 19 led a Truman attack that hit 47% of its field goals, including 6-of-13 from long-range and 23-of-28 from the stripe. Junior Vesko Filchev added 18, and freshman Pat Sodemann notched a career-best 12 behind a pair of three's and a 4-for-4 night at the line.
Backed by Freeman's 15 rebounds (14 defensive), the 'Dogs met the Bearcats in rebounding, 35-35, while out-assisting Northwest, 17-10, behind Freeman's ten. The Bulldogs also swatted five shots, while avoiding any deflections against them.
Shaneel Narayan led Northwest with 22 points, while Elijah Allen added 14.
Up Next:
The Bulldogs head back to the western part of Missouri for a battle with Missouri Western on Saturday (Feb. 19) night. Tipoff from St. Joseph is set for 7:30 pm.
Truman Athletics: 21 Sports, One Team
