Game Preview:

The 31st season of women's basketball conference play in the MIAA will tipoff on Wednesday night as the Truman Bulldogs will travel to Missouri Western State University for a rematch of the Bulldogs 67-65 victory two weeks ago. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. from the Missouri Western Fieldhouse.

In a game that featured 13 lead changes and 12 ties, it was the Truman who remained perfect on the season after handing Missouri Western their first loss of the year 67-65 during the Lincoln (Mo.) University Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 23.

Nicole Gloor  and Amy Briggs had 17 and 16 points respectfully as Truman took their final lead with just over four minutes left to play on consecutive baskets by the duo.
 
A pair of free throws by Lanicia Lawrence, who had a game high 20 points, closed the Western gap to just a point with 1:25 left by the junior transfer Briggs connected on her third three-pointer of the game with 55 seconds left to give Truman a 67-63 lead.

The Bulldogs have been off since their 67-49 non-conference win over Rockhurst (Mo.) last Wednesday night while the Griffons defeated the Hawks 67-63 in their conference tune-up on Sunday.

Becka McHenry leads Truman at 13.2 points per game and is ranked in fifth MIAA statistical categories.  Gloor (11.6) and Allie Norton (10.0) are the other two Bulldogs averaging in double-figures on a team that is scoring at a 75.6 per game clip.

Western's only blemish is the loss to Truman with wins over Division I, UMKC (68-51) and then #7 Metro State (Colo.) 66-55. They won four more games against Great Lakes Valley Conference members including common opponents with Truman, Quincy 81-67 and Rockhurst.

Heather Howard is averaging a double-double with 12.6 points and 10.8 rebounds.

In the first meeting with Truman, Western hit just one of six three-point attempts but in the three games since have averaged 7.6 made threes a game and shot 43% from beyond the arc (23-of-53).

#Trending:

In last week's WBCA/USA Today Division II Coaches Poll, Truman received a vote in the poll.  The Bulldogs received votes in three polls last season. The last national ranking was in 1999-2000 season.

Truman is ranked in the top three in seven MIAA stat categories entering the week. They are first in three-point field goal percentage (.427) and defensive rebounds (28.0), second in field goal percentage (.489), free throw percentage (.757), rebounding margin (+12.0) and three-point defense (.241). They are third in scoring (75.6).

This is the fifth time and second straight year Truman women's basketball has started the season 5-0. The three other times were 2007-08 (Won first five), 1999-2000 (Won first five) and 1998-99 (Won first seven).

Truman has won their last two conference openers and are 12-18 in league “lid-lifters” since the start of MIAA play in 1982-83. This is the first conference opener against Missouri Western since the 1992-93 season (L 85-48). Eight of the last nine conference openers, including the last six have been against Missouri Southern (3-3).

Michael Smith is 4-5 against Missouri Western all-time and 2-2 in conference opening games.

In the last two years of conference play, the Bulldogs are 21-21 while the previous four years (2006-2010) they were 21-54.

Truman has a scoring margin of +21.2 points and all but one games (67-65 win over Missouri Western) been decided by less than 10 points.

The Bulldogs are shooting 48% from the field, 42% from three (6.4/g) and 73% from the line while outrebounding opponents by 12 per contest. Opponents are shooting 24% from three (2.8/g) and 39% overall.

2011-12 Truman Season Milestones:

• The 17 regular season wins was the most for the program since the team won 17 during the 1999-2000 season. The school record for wins is 22 set by the 1998-99 team.
• The 11 MIAA wins was one better than the previous season, with two fewer games conference games played. They finished with the highest conference winning percentage (.555) since a .667 (12-6) during the 99-00 campaign. It was the first time in a dozen years the Bulldogs finished above .500 in conference play.
• Truman's 37.9% three-point field goal percentage was the second highest percentage in school history. Only the 39.0% in 1989-90, the third year the 3-point shot was in-play was higher.
• The 28.5% opponent three-point field goal percentage is the lowest allowed by the Bulldogs since the arc came into play in 1987-88.
• The Bulldogs held opponents to a school record 60.6 points per game the previous low allowed was 62.2 points per game in the 1981-82 season.
• The 362 (13.4/g) turnovers were the fewest in school history. The previous low was 407 (15.0/g) in 27 games in the 2009-10 season.
• The sixth place finish by the Bulldogs in conference play was the highest since they finished fourth in the 1999-2000 season.
• Allie Norton's 40.1% shooting from beyond the arc broke the Truman freshman mark previously held by Angie Gum set in the 1987-88 season (26-of-67/38.8%). The 40.1% was seventh all-time in single-season three-point shooting.
• Becka McHenry's 145 assists last season was third in the Truman single-season rankings bettering Amy Eagan's 144 in 1997-98 and 15 off Eagan's 1998-99 total of 160. She did break Susan Theroff's junior class record of 140 set in 1989-90.
• Graduating senior Breanna Daniels had an 88.1% free throw shooting percentage last season and finished sixth in the single-season rankings with a minimum of 30 made (37-of-42).
• Daniels finished her Truman career with 1,213 points, good for eighth all-time in Truman history.
• The Bulldogs set tied a single-game record last year with 15 three-pointers made and set a new record with a .625 three-point shooting percentage (15-of-24) in a victory over Central Methodist (Mo.) University.
• Truman eclipsed 100 points for the first time since 2007 with a 108-55 victory over Central Methodist (Mo.) on Nov. 19, 2011.
• Becka McHenry recorded the first triple-double since Amy Eagan in 1999 when she had 14 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds against Pittsburg (Kan.) State University.

Bulldog Tip-Ins:

·         Truman is 21-10 in non-conference games since Coach Michael Smith took over the program in 2008

·         Truman averaged 70.9 points and shot 41% from the field, 37% from the arc and 71% from the line last season. In 2010-11 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 finished 10-4 in Pershing Arena last season.

·         Over the past two years, Truman is 10-11 on the road in conference play. From 2000-2010, the Bulldogs were just 15 and 75 (.200) in league road tilts.

·         Truman led at the half in 18 games last year and won 14. They have trailed the other eight games and won three of them.

·         The Bulldogs won the battle of the boards in 15 games last season with the largest margin of 19 against Lincoln. They had a double-digit advantage in rebounds in nine games.

·         Three Bulldogs topped 20 points 11 times last season. Becka McHenry scored 24 points in three games and had six last year. Nicole Gloor also had 24 points in the win against Lincoln and had two games over 20 points. Conway had three over 20 last season.

·         Truman had six different lead them in scoring. McHenry had 10 games while Conway (5), Gloor (5), Daniels (5), Jenny Dorman and Allie Norton led in one game.

·         Six Bulldogs recorded double-doubles last season. Jennifer Conway had three while Breanna Daniels had two, Allie Norton, Nicole Gloor, Megan Sharpe and Becka McHenry had one apiece.

·         Becka McHenry recorded the first triple-double for the Bulldogs since December 1, 1998 when she scored 14 and had 10 assists and 10 rebounds. It was first in the MIAA since Missouri Western's Tiffany Davis recorded on in 2006 against Washburn (18p, 14,r, 11a).

Up Next:

Truman will host Missouri Southern on Saturday afternoon in the conference home opener for the Bulldogs. Truman swept the season series against the Lions last year and have won four of the last five. Game time is at 1:00 p.m.