Game Preview:
The Truman women's basketball team took the first step on the road to March Madness by locking down their conference tournament berth on Wednesday night and will now look to get the upper hand in seeding as they host Missouri Western State University in the annual “Think Pink” game on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
The Bulldogs (14-9; 8-9 MIAA) suffered a one-point loss to the Griffons (6-17; 4-13 MIAA) in the previous matchup in St. Joseph. Truman led by 16 early in the game but Missouri Western clawed their way back and took their only lead with a minute to play in the game in the 65-64 loss.
Truman will have to contend with one of the nation's top scorers in Jessica Koch who is averaging 22.7 points a game and leads the Griffons in most statistical categories. Koch is joined by Ashleigh Curry in double-figures for the Griffons averaging 17 points in eight games played this season. Curry last played against the Bulldogs five years ago (February 14, 2007) when she scored 36 points in an 84-74 win.
Breanna Daniels notched her second double-double of the season and Truman made nine of 17 from behind the arc in a 79-52 dismantling of defending conference champion Northwest Missouri on Wednesday night. The Bearcats did not make a three-pointer (0-of-10) and shot just 28% from the field. It was Truman's largest margin of victory over a conference opponent this season and largest ever over Northwest in the series history.
What's At Stake:
Truman and Lincoln are tied for sixth in the conference with 8-9 records and three games left. The Bulldogs won the first meeting with Lincoln and the two will meet again on Wednesday night. Both are two games back of fifth place, Fort Hays St. Truman would need to win all three remaining games and have Fort Hays drop their remaining three for the Bulldogs to move up to fifth. The Bulldogs can fall no farther than seventh.
Missouri Western is a half-game up in eighth place on Southwest Baptist and a full game ahead of Northwest Missouri and Missouri Southern. SBU won the first meeting with the Griffons in overtime and the two will meet the final day of the regular season in what could be a “winner-takes-all” game.
About The Bulldogs:
Junior
Becka McHenry leads Truman in scoring and is 9th in the conference at 14.0 points per game. McHenry is averaging 14.6 in 17 conference games while shooting 43% from the floor with 5.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Junior
Jennifer Conway is second in scoring at 11.7 points and 11.3 in conference games. Conway is shooting a team-high 45% from the field.
Senior
Breanna Daniels is third in scoring at 10.6 overall and in league games. Daniels is the team's top free throw shooter at 88% but has only been to the line 36 times.
Sophomore
Nicole Gloor has 25 steals and leads the team with 45 offensive rebounds while averaging 9.2 points per game and freshman
Allie Norton has made a team-leading 50 three-pointers while scoring 8.7 points a night. Norton has hit a three in all but one game this season (Emporia State, December 17th).
The Bulldogs are averaging 70.0 points per game and 66.6 in conference games. They are shooting 40% from the field, 36% from beyond the arc and 73% from the foul line in conference action.
The Series:
Missouri Western leads the overall series 50-16 and has won the last three games. The Griffons are 22-10 in Kirksville with the Bulldogs last win coming on the home court on February 20, 2010.
Bulldog Trends:
In the last five conference games (3-2), Truman is holding opponents to just 15% from behind the line (9-of-58) while just turning the ball over just 11.4 times.
Becka McHenry has averaged 14.4 points per game with a pair of 24 point outings while
Jennifer Conway has averaged 12.6 points during that span.
In the eight Truman conference wins this season, the average margin of victory has been 16.3 points, the closest win was a two-point victory at Washburn and the largest win was a 27 point home win against Northwest Missouri. In those wins, Truman has a positive turnover margin (+3.1), shoot 42% overall and 38% from three while limiting opponents to just 22% (21-of-92) from beyond the arc.
In the eight conference losses, the average margin of defeat is just six points, with three one-point losses in the mix. The largest loss was by 21 at Emporia State while Truman dropped one-point games to Northwest, Missouri Western and Pittsburg State. Also in those defeats, Truman has been blocked 57 times (6.3/g) compared to 21 (3.4/g) times in the wins.
Surpassing A Grand:
Senior
Breanna Daniels became the 16
th Truman women's basketball player to eclipse 1,000 points for a career and first since Georgia Mueller did so in 2009 earlier this season. Daniels has scored 1,177 points to date, tied with Kelli Kreuser (1997-00) for 10th all-time in Truman history. She can pass Annie Westhoff (2000-05) with six points and Kristy Brown (1992-96) 12 points.
Daniels has started 88 of 104 games played during her Bulldog career and is shooting nearly 40% from the field with 140 made three pointers. Her single-game high in points is 27 against Northwest Missouri on Feb. 17, 2010. She is averaging 11.3 points per game. Daniels had 66 double figure scoring nights with two double-doubles, both coming her senior season.
Daniels is fifth all-time in Truman history in made three-pointers (140), third in three-pointers attempted (407), eighth in free throw percentage (.796) and seventh in field goals (452), fifth in field goals attempted (1140) and fourth in games started (88).
Notable National Rankings:
In the latest set of national rankings released on Feb. 12th Truman was 24th in three-point field goal percentage (35.3%) and seventh in turnovers per game at 13.2. They are also 24th in assist/turnover ratio, 44th in free throw percentage (73.5%) and 52nd in rebounding margin (+4.7).
Individually,
Becka McHenry was 26th in assists per game at 4.8 and 11th in assist/turnover ratio.
Allie Norton is 39th in three-point field goal percentage (38.3%).
Notable Conference Rankings:
Truman is in the top five in 11 MIAA statistical categories. They are first in turnover margin at +3.2 per game, second in free throw percentage and third in both assist/turnover ratio and offensive rebounds per game (13.8).
Becka McHenry
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7th Scoring (14.5/g)
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10th FG Pct. (44.7%)
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1st Assists (4.8/g)
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9th FT Pct. (70.8%)
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T7th Steals (1.5/g)
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2nd A/T Ratio (2.0)
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5th Minutes (31.9/g)
Jennifer Conway
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15th Scoring (12.1/g)
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15th Rebounds (6.2/g)
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8th FG Pct. (46.3%)
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11th Blocks (1.0/g)
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7th Off. Reb. (2.5/g)
Allie Norton
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13th Assists (2.8/g)
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9th 3pt Pct. (38.3%)
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3rd 3pt Made (2.1/g)
Breanna Daniels
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25th Scoring (10.2/g)
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13th Rebounds (6.4/g)
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T14th 3pt Pct. (34.6%)
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6th Def. Reb. (5.0/g)
Nicole Gloor
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11th FT Pct. (69.4%)
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12th Steals (1.3/g)
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11th Off. Reb. (2.2/g)
Quick Look Around The MIAA:
Pittsburg State has the inside track for their third MIAA regular season championship and first since they grabbed a three-way share of the title in the 1995-96 season. They can win the title with a victory at Washburn on Saturday. A loss to the Lady Blues would give Washburn the season sweep over the Gorillas and propel them to the top seed in the conference.
Individually, Missouri Western's Jessica Koch leads the conference and is third in the nation in scoring at 23 points per game. She leads Central Missouri's Nicole Caddell by over seven points per game. Koch has scored 506 points. Vivian Essuon (Lincoln) and Katelyn Edwards (Fort Hays St.) are both in the top five in scoring and rebounding. Essuon is first in boards at 9.7 per game and fourth in scoring at 15.4 while Edwards is third in rebounds (8.4) and scoring (15.6).
Bulldog Tip-Ins:
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Truman is averaging 70.0 points and shooting 40% from the field, 36% from the arc and 73% 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.
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The Bulldogs are 8-4 in Pershing Arena this season and 14-10 over the past two years at home.
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Over the past two years, Truman is 9-11 on the road in conference play. From 2000-2010, the Bulldogs were just 15 and 75 (.200) in league road tilts.
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Truman has led at the half in 16 games this year and has won 12. They have trailed the other seven games and won two of them.
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The Bulldogs have won the battle of the boards in 15 games this season with the largest margin of 19 against Lincoln. They have had a double-digit advantage in rebounds in nine games.
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Three Bulldogs have topped 20 points 11 times this season. Becka McHenry has scored 24 points in three games and has six this season. Nicole Gloor also had 24 points in the win against Lincoln and has two games over 20 points. Conway has three over 20 this season.
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Truman has had five different players through 23 games lead them in scoring. McHenry has nine games while Conway (5), Gloor (4), Daniels (4) and Jenny Dorman have one game.
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Five Bulldogs have each recorded double-doubles through 23 games. Jennifer Conway has three while Breanna Daniels has two, Allie Norton, Nicole Gloor 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.
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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 the 12th triple-double recorded in Division II this season and first in the MIAA since Missouri Western's Tiffany Davis recorded on in 2006 against Washburn (18p, 14,r, 11a).
Up Next:
Senior night will be held in Pershing Arena on Wednesday as the Bulldogs host Lincoln University in another key conference game. Truman defeated the Blue Tigers 70-48 in Jefferson City on January 14. Seniors
Breanna Daniels and
Jenny Dorman will also be making their final appearance at home for Truman.
Player Notes:
#5 Allison Wiese – Has appeared in 14 games, eight in the MIAA…scored a season-high eight points against McKendree…has made five of her 13 three-point attempts.
#10 Kaitlin Stump – Has missed the past 22 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 23 games and leads the team with 50 three-pointers and a 38% three-point shooting percentage…has scored in double-figures 10 times this season with a season-high 16 points against Quincy and Missouri Southern…is second on the team with assists with 65 and dished out 10 for a double-double against Central Methodist…has made a three-pointer in 22 games this season.
#13 Jenny Dorman – Has come off the bench in all 23 games this season…scored in double figures twice with a season-high 19 points against Central Methodist…averaging about 13 minutes per game and is shooting about 33% from the field and 32% from beyond the arc.
#15 Jennifer Conway – Started 21 games and is second in rebounding (6.2 rpg) and scoring at 11.7 points per game…has been in double-figures 13 times this season with a high of 23 points against Pittsburg State…shooting 45% from the floor and has three double-doubles.
#21 Megan Sharpe – Joined the team on Dec. 3
rd after earning all-America honors for the third straight year on the volleyball court…has played in 17 games, making six starts…had the game-winning basket against #15 Washburn as time expired while also playing a season-high 25 minutes…has scored a season-high 10 points twice (Emporia St. & McKendree).
#22 Becka McHenry – Team leader in minutes played at 31.9 per game while also first in scoring 14.0 and first in assists with 112…has scored over 20 points on six occasions with a high of 24 against Lincoln, Southwest Baptist and Fort Hays State…been in double-figures 16 times and had a triple-double with 14, points, 10, rebounds and 10 assists against Pittsburg State on Jan. 25.
#24 Sarah Gaeddert – Had played in 20 games this year and averaging around eight minutes a game…scored a season-high four points against five teams, most recently against Northwest Missouri and added three assists with six rebounds in a win over Rockhurst.
#25 Bianca Szafarowicz – Has started six and come off the bench in 15 games…shooting 46% from the field and is third on the team with 34 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 nine others…one of the team's top defensive player…has scored in double-figures 10 times this season with a high of 24 against Lincoln…second on the team lead in steals with 25 and third with six blocked shots…averaging about 22 minutes per game.
#41 Rachel Remick – Played in all 23 games made three starts…scored in 16…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 20 games and came off the bench in the other three…averaging 28.3 minutes in each…has been in double-figures 15 times with a season-high 18 points coming against Washburn.…has two double-doubles on the season with against Lindenwood-Belleville and Northwest Missouri…went over the 1,000 career point total with 13 against Pittsburg State on Dec. 3…a third team all-MIAA member and Academic all-district selection last season.
