Game Preview:
Two teams looking to bounce back after recent losses will match up on Saturday in Missouri's capital city. Truman, who has won the last 20 against the Lincoln Blue Tigers, will be looking to break a four-game skid while Lincoln has lost three of four since starting the season 9-1.
Truman suffered their second straight and third one-point loss in conference play on Wednesday night against Missouri Western. The Bulldogs again lead throughout until the Griffons look their only advantage with 58 seconds left in a 65-64 loss. Becka McHenry led Truman with 18 points before having to foul out needing to send Missouri Western to the line late. Brittany Griswold paced the home team with 23 points on 10-of-22 shooting.
The Bulldogs and Blue Tigers are nearly identical in statistical comparisons with the exception of three categories. Both teams are making over five three-pointers a game but Truman is shooting 40.5% from beyond the arc and the Blue Tigers are just 34.6%. Truman is the conferences' top free throw shooting team at 76.4% while Lincoln is only making 62.9% of their freebies and Lincoln is averaging 10.6 steals per game while Truman is averaging just 6.5.
Lincoln has surprised many around the MIAA with their 10-4 start after going just 2-24 and 1-21 in conference a year ago. Vivian Essuon has been the MIAA women's basketball player of the week the last two and is averaging 15.9 points and 10.7 rebounds this season. Essuon is shooting 61% from the field and has 70 offensive rebounds with 80 on the defensive end.
The Blue Tigers lost their third straight conference game on Wednesday night as they fell to Emporia State 81-68 on the road. Arriana Walker scored 22 points for the Blue Tigers in the loss and Essuon added 14 with 13 rebounds.
About The Bulldogs:
Junior Becka McHenry leads Truman in scoring and is 13th in the conference at 13.1 points per game. McHenry is averaging 14.6 in eight conference games while shooting 42% from the floor and 4.5 assists per game. Junior Jennifer Conway, returned to the lineup on Wednesday night after missing one game with an injury, is second in scoring at 12.2 per game and leads the team in rebounding at 6.5 per contest.
Senior Breanna Daniels is also in double-figures in scoring at 10.5 per game. Freshman Allie Norton leads the team with 30 three-pointers and is shooting 47% from beyond the arc.
The Bulldogs are averaging 70.8 points per game and 65.1 in conference games. They are shooting 41% from the field, 40% from beyond the arc and 76% from the foul line.
The Series:
Truman has won the last 20 games in the series with the Blue Tigers and have a 42-14 overall advantage. The Bulldogs are 14-10 in games played in Jefferson City with the last Lincoln win coming Jan. 28, 1998 in Jason Gym by a 77-73 margin.
The Bulldog bench bailed the starters out of a sluggish start against Lincoln in last year's first game. Truman trailed by 13 points late in the first half before the bench scored 14 of the last 16 points in the period to pull Truman to within one.
After shooting just 22% in the first half, the Bulldogs awoke and shot 46% the rest of the way to win 59-51 in Pershing Arena.
In the second game, it was all Bulldogs as they cruised to a 68-44 win in Jefferson City. Jennifer Conway had 15 points and Jenny Dorman scored 14, on four made three-pointers.
Bulldog Trends:
In the last four games (0-4), Truman is averaging 17 turnovers a game, five more than their season average entering. Truman has averaged 58.2 points, 12 below their season average and shooting 35% from the field.
The Bulldogs have been outscored by 31 points in the second half and are shooting just 19% (4-of-21) from three during the past four games. Opponents have shot 43% from the field in the second half and made nine three-pointers.
Quick Look Around The MIAA:
Nearing the midway point of the conference season, three teams have just one loss as Pittsburg State, Emporia State and Washburn lead the league. Fort Hays State is the only two-loss team at 6-2.
The logjam is between four through eight with Central Missouri and Lincoln both at 4-4 followed by Truman and Missouri Western at 3-5.
Southwest Baptist, Northwest Missouri and Missouri Southern are on the outside looking in if the season ended today as all three have just one conference win.
Surpassing A Grand:
With 13 points against Pittsburg State on Dec. 3rd, senior Breanna Daniels became the 16th Truman women's basketball player to eclipse 1,000 points for a career and first since Georgia Mueller did so in 2009.
Daniels has started 80 of 94 games played during her Bulldog career and is shooting nearly 40% from the field with 124 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 had 62 double figure scoring nights with one double-double.
Daniels is third all-time in Truman history in made three-pointers (127), third in three-pointers attempted (364), eighth in free throw percentage (.782) and 10th in field goals (413), seventh in field goals attempted (1040) and sixth in games started (80).
Notable National Rankings:
In the latest set of national rankings released on Jan. 8th Truman was second Division II in three-point field goal percentage (40.5%). Arkansas Tech leads the nation just one-tenth of a percentage point ahead (40.6%).
Truman was seventh in Division II in turnovers per game (13.5). They were 12th in free throw shooting (76.8%).
Individually, Allie Norton was 4th in three-point field goal percentage (50.0%) while Becka McHenry was 31st in the country in assists per game at 4.8.
Notable Conference Rankings:
Truman leads the MIAA in two categories; three-point field goal percentage (40.5%) and in free throw percentage (76.4%).
Becka McHenry
-
10th Scoring (13.1/g)
-
9th FG Pct. (42.7%)
-
2nd Assists (4.6/g)
-
9th FT Pct. (76.3%)
-
T11th Steals (1.4/g)
-
6th Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.7)
-
8th Minutes (30.8/g)
Jennifer Conway
-
16th Scoring (12.2/g)
-
12th Rebounds (6.5/g)
-
7th FT Pct. (80.0%)
-
13th Off. Reb. (2.3/g)
-
12th Def. Reb. (4.3/g)
Allie Norton
-
4th 3pt Pct. (47.6%)
-
3rd 3pt Made (2.3/g)
Breanna Daniels
-
27th Scoring (10.5/g)
-
11th Rebounds (6.5/g)
-
7th 3pt Pct. (42.9%)
-
9th Def. Reb. (5.2/g)
Nicole Gloor
Bulldog Tip-Ins:
· Truman is averaging 70.8 points and shooting 41% from the field, 40% from the arc and 76% from the line. 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 5-2 in Pershing Arena this season and 11-8 over the past two years at home.
· Over the past two years, Truman is 7-9 on the road in conference play. From 2000-2010, the Bulldogs were just 15 and 75 (.200) in league road tilts.
· Truman has led at the half in eight games this year and has won six. They have trailed the other five games and won two of them.
· The Bulldogs have won the battle of the boards in nine games this season with the largest margin of 18 against Central Methodist. They have had a double-digit advantage in rebounds in six games.
· Three Bulldogs have topped 20 points this season. Becka McHenry and Nicole Gloor had single-game highs of 22 with McHenry's coming against Missouri Southern and Gloor's against Pittsburg State. McHenry also had 20 against Pittsburg State and Jennifer Conway scored 20 against William Penn.
· Truman has had five different players through 13 games lead them in scoring. McHenry has six games while Conway (2), Gloor (2), Daniels (2) and Jenny Dorman have one game.
· Four Bulldogs have each recorded double-doubles through 11 games. Jennifer Conway has two while Breanna Daniels, Allie Norton and Becka McHenry have one apiece. Three Bulldogs recorded double-doubles last season with five coming from Jennifer Conway and one apiece from Amy Galey and Megan Sharpe.
Up Next:
After three straight on the road, Truman will be home for four of the next five conference games. The Bulldogs will end the first half of league play on Wednesday night by hosting Central Missouri at 5:30 p.m. in Pershing Arena.
Player Notes:
#5 Allison Wiese – Has appeared in seven games, two in the MIAA thus far…scored a season-high six points against Central Methodist while playing 13 minutes and adding two steals.
#10 Kaitlin Stump – Has missed the past 12 games with an injury…only action of the season was in the opener against Lindenwood-Belleville where she played eight minutes and had one assist.
#12 Allie Norton – Started all 13 games and leads the team with 30 three-pointers and a 47% three-point shooting percentage…has scored in double-figures seven times this season with a season-high 16 points against Quincy and Missouri Southern…is second on the team with assists with 33 and dished out 10 for a double-double against Central Methodist.
#13 Jenny Dorman – Has come off the bench in all 13 games this season…scored in double figures twice with a season-high 19 points against Central Methodist…averaging about 15 minutes per game and is shooting about 34% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc.
#15 Jennifer Conway – Started 12 games and leads the team in rebounding (6.5 rpg) and is second in scoring at 12.2 points per game…has been in double-figures 10 times this season with a high of 20 points against William Penn…shooting 48% from the floor and has two double-doubles.
#21 Megan Sharpe – Joined the team on Dec. 3rd after earning all-America honors for the third straight year on the volleyball court…has played in seven games, making two starts…had the game-winning basket against #15 Washburn as time expired while also playing a season-high 25 minutes.
#22 Becka McHenry – Team leader in minutes played at 30.8 per game while also first in scoring 13.1 and first in assists with 60…has scored over 20 points on two occasions with a high of 22 against Missouri Southern…been in double-figures eight times and had a double-double with 10 assists against Southwest Baptist.
#24 Sarah Gaeddert – Had played in 11 games this year and averaging around nine minutes a game…scored a season-high four points against Lindenwood-Belleville, Central Methodist and Northwest Missouri and added three assists with six rebounds in a win over Rockhurst.
#25 Bianca Szafarowicz – Has started one and come off the bench in 12 games…shooting 51% from the field and is third on the team with 24 offensive rebounds…scored a season-high 11 points in a win over William Penn and pulled down nine rebounds with six offensive in a win against Lindenwood-Belleville.
#32 Nicole Gloor – Has started 11 games and came off the bench in the other two games…is the team's top defensive player…has scored in double-figures five times this season with a high of 22 against Pittsburg State…tied for the team lead in steals with 18 and second with five blocked shots…averaging over 23 minutes per game.
#41 Rachel Remick – Played in all 13 games making one start against Northwest Missouri…scored in 11…season-high is eight points against Emporia State on Dec. 17th…posted a season-high nine rebounds against Lindenwood-Belleville.
#42 Breanna Daniels – Has started 12 games and came off the bench in the other…averaging 27.2 minutes in each…has been in double-figures nine times with a season-high 15 points coming against Missouri Western.…has one-double-double on the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds against Lindenwood-Belleville…went over the 1,000 career point total with 13 against Pittsburg State on Dec. 3.
