Bulldogs Fall By Two In Top 25 Match-Up

Box Score | Season Statistics

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – In a battle of top 25 teams, it was the home team that held serve as #13 University of Central Missouri held on to defeat #25 Truman State University 58-56 on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs were paced by Allie Norton's 16 points.

The Jennies (22-3; 14-3 MIAA) scored the game's first six points and led wire-to-wire as they outscored the Bulldogs (19-6; 12-5 MIAA) 38-6 in points in the paint. Truman shot just 25% for the game but were 8-of-18 (44.4%) from three and 20-of-22 (90.9%) from the foul line.

An 11-2 run midway through the first half pushed the Jennies lead to double figures but Courtney Strait righted the ship by knocking down her only three-pointer of the night.

The lead bounced between six and 11 points until about five minutes left to play. Becka McHenry and Megan Sharpe converted on consecutive free throw attempts to pull Truman to within four and after a Central free throw by Nicole Caddell, the duo scored again to make it 51-50 with 4:05 remaining.

The Bulldogs had three chances to tie or take the lead before Caddell scored from inside with a minute and a half left to make it a four point game.

Caddell then converted on a steal to make it six points with under a minute to go but Truman's Nicole Gloor would dial from three to cut the lead in half.

The Jennies would miss both free throws but got an offensive board by Caddell and her free throws made it a five-point game.

Norton hit her fourth triple of the game and again Central fanned on a pair of free throws with four seconds left however Quinnecia Twine snuck in a stole the ball from Jennifer Conway to prevent the Bulldogs last second shot.

Norton was joined in double figures by McHenry with 11 points. However the Truman post players struggled with just four points on 1-of-10 shooting.

Truman did dominate the boards with a 49-34 advantage with Conway pulling down a season-high 12.

Central got 46 of their 58 points from their top three scorers. Caddell finished with 23 points and nine rebounds while Keuna Flax added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds and BreAnna Lewis poured in 10. The Jennies, second to Truman in three-point shooting percentage in the conference, managed just one of 12 attempts and were 11-of-21 from the foul line.

Earlier in the day, Truman remained at number five in the NCAA Central region poll that was released. The Bulldogs will be in the hunt for one of eight berths to the NCAA Division II tournament entering the final game and conference tournament.

Truman will control their own destiny for the fourth spot and free pass to Kansas City for the league's postseason tournament. A win by the Bulldogs on Saturday at Northwest Missouri State University would lock the team into the fourth spot. A loss would open up possible tie-breakers with Emporia (Kan.) State, Fort Hays (Kan.) State and Pittsburg (Kan.) State. Tip off from Maryville is set for 1:30 p.m.

Print Friendly Version