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KIRKSVILLE - - With the calendar turned to February, the Truman men's basketball team kicks off the final month of the regular season with a three game homestand, starting Saturday (Feb. 5) afternoon at 3:00 pm against Southwest Baptist (Mo.) University.
The Bulldogs (5-13, 3-11 MIAA) are coming off a bizarre stretch of days which saw its midweek game at Washburn postponed twice due to the massive snowstorm that paralyzed much of the Midwest. After that contest was eventually moved to Monday, Feb. 14, Truman then turned its attention to its purple partner in the conference, looking to avenge an early December loss in Bolivar and kick-start a final push towards the MIAA tournament.
Meanwhile, SBU (10-10, 7-7 MIAA) rallied late in the second half on Thursday (Feb. 3) night to pick up an 82-73 home win against Pitt State to climb into a tie for eighth in the MIAA with Missouri Western. A mere game and a half separates fourth through ninth in the conference as teams have either seven or eight games remaining in the regular season.
Truman will look to capitalize on its home strength this season, as the 'Dogs are 5-4 inside the friendly confines of Pershing Arena and are scoring 12 points per game more than their season average. The Bearcats, meanwhile, have struggled outside of Bolivar, posting just a 2-6 record in road games this year, including five straight losses.
Three to Track:
· Bombs Away: SBU and Truman combine for nearly 20 three-pointers per game, with more than 50% of SBU's total shots coming from long-range.
· Limiting 2nd Chances: SBU ranks 6th in the league in offensive rebounds but is last in rebounding margin. Truman is 2nd in the league in defensive rebounding.
· Handling the Pressure: In the first meeting between the teams, Truman turned the ball over 24 times, leading to 28 points for the Bearcats. However, the Bulldogs have averaged just 12 turnovers per game in the past six contests.
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.
Earlier This Year:
(Dec. 7) BOLIVAR, Mo. - - Both Ethan Freeman and Vesko Filchev recorded double-doubles, but the Truman men's basketball team ran into a Southwest Baptist squad that buried 19 three-pointers in a 108-75 Bearcat victory on Tuesday night.
Freeman finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Filchev scored 11 and added ten boards for the Bulldogs (2-5, 0-3 MIAA). SBU moves to 6-3 overall (3-0 MIAA) and were led by Tomas Brock's 23 points.
Truman led just once in the contest behind a three-pointer by Alex Henderson in the opening minute, but SBU opened the game on a 15-3 run and remained hot throughout the evening. The Bulldogs did shoot 43% from the field for the game and hit nine three-pointers, but hit 10-of-22 free throws and turned the ball over 24 times.
Joining Freeman and Filchev in double-figures offensively were Henderson and Tom Norton, who co-led the 'Dogs with 15 points apiece. Henderson added six assists – the most for any Bulldog – while Norton's five three-pointers tied SBU's Brock for the most on the evening.
The Bearcats countered though with depth beyond the perimeter, as seven different players hit three-pointers to total 19 on 42 attempts. More than half of the SBU shots came from distance, with the Bearcats converting on 40-of-79 total field goal attempts.
Both teams totaled 12 offensive rebounds, with Filchev's four leading all players.
Career Numbers to Watch:
· Ethan Freeman (921 points) needs to average 9.9 ppg over the final eight games to become the 23rd player in the 1,000-point club.
· Freeman (708 rebounds) is 10th all-time at Truman … next: Floyd McMillon (9th; 714), Erik Hansen (8th; 730).
· Freeman (241 free throws) is tied for 8th all-time at Truman … next: David Wild (7th; 258), Brian Basich (6th; 265).
· Alex Henderson (908 points) needs to average 11.5 ppg over the final eight games to become the 23rd player in the 1,000-point club.
· Henderson (136 3-ptrs) is 9th all-time at Truman … next: Jiri Mikl (8th; 154), Mike Peterson (7th; 161).
· Henderson (226 free throws) … to crack top-10: Terry Bussard (10th; 238).
· Vesko Filchev (66 blocks) is 9th all-time at Truman … next: Brian Brown (8th; 67), Rick Rigsbee (7th; 69).
'Dog Bites:
· Senior Ethan Freeman is averaging nearly a double-double on the season (11.7 ppg, 9.7 rpg) and is the MIAA's top rebounder (both total and defensive). He has eight double-doubles on the season and has set new career-highs this year in points, rebounds and assists.
· Senior Alex Henderson is the team's leading scorer at 14.3 ppg and has 14 double-figure games this year. He has hit 36 3-pointers at a 40.4% clip and is averaging 3.1 assists per game.
· Junior Vesko Filchev is third on the team in scoring at 9.6 ppg. He is shooting 55% from the field and leads the squad with 16 blocked shots. Vesko has also recorded three double-doubles this year.
· Sophomore Tom Norton has a team-high 42 3-pointers to rank fourth on the squad offensively at 9.5 ppg. He is also 33-for-37 from the free throw line this year and is a 92% career free throw shooter. Norton hit 31 in a row during his freshman season.
· Senior Stefan Garrison has started 14 of 18 games this year and is averaging 4.3 points per game. He has two double-figure scoring games this season.
· Senior Brian Nwelue has started three of the last four games and is averaging 3.3 points per game on the year. He has swatted six shots in the last three games.
· The Truman bench is averaging 23.2 points per game, thanks in part to the effort of two freshmen – Isaac Gardner and Pat Sodemann. Gardner is one of the MIAA's best 3-point shooters at 48% and is scoring 7.8 ppg, while Sodemann has shot 45% overall and is 86% from the free throw line.
Freeman to Hit Century Mark:
Forward Ethan Freeman will be playing in his 100th career game on Saturday afternoon, having started 86 to this point. He has yet to miss a game, playing in 27 apiece in each of his first three seasons before playing in and starting all 18 so far this year.
Truman's career record for games played is Cory Parker's 115, set from 1995-2000, aided by a six-game medical redshirt year in the 1996-1997 season.
A Look at the Bearcats:
The SBU Bearcats are looking to find consistency as they make a push towards the MIAA tournament, having split their last six decisions. Not coincidentally, in its recent 3-3 stretch, its three wins have come at home while the three losses have been on the road.
Ryan Dougherty is the team's top producer on offense, averaging 14.6 points per game while sharing the team high with 40 made three-pointers. This year's Bearcat bunch follows the trend of recent SBU crews, as the team has more than 50% of its total field goal attempts coming from three-point range, where they are connecting at a 36% clip.
SBU is coached by Jeff Guiot, who is in his seventh season with the program. He has compiled a 137-64 record at the school and has a career 335-146 record in 16 collegiate seasons.
Notably vs. the Bearcats:
· Ethan Freeman has nearly averaged a double-double in seven career games against SBU, coming in at 11.1 ppg and 8.7 rpg.
· Alex Henderson (9.4 ppg) and Vesko Filchev (9.1 ppg) come in just shy of double-figure career averages.
· Fellow guards Tom Norton (6.7 ppg) and Stefan Garrison (6.1 ppg) are also adding nearly 15 combined points per game in the backcourt.
Free Throw Extravaganza:
Truman has taken 398 free throws (22.1 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.
Nine is the Loneliest Number:
The Bulldogs are 3-0 this season when hitting at least 10 three-pointers in a game. Ten has proven to be the magic number, as Truman is 0-4 when hitting precisely nine.
Up Next:
The Bulldogs start a grueling stretch of four games in seven days on Thursday (Feb. 10) night by welcoming No. 13 Fort Hays (Kan.) State to Pershing Arena for a 7:30 pm tipoff.
Truman Athletics: 21 Sports, One Team
