Game Preview:
The Truman Women's Basketball team will embark on a three-day, two-game road trip that will take them to Pittsburg (Kan.) State on Thursday night and MIAA newcomer Northeastern (Okla.) State on Saturday afternoon.
Truman (16-3; 9-2 MIAA) will face a Gorilla squad that was in the Elite Eight last season and returns the MIAA Freshman of the Year in Lizzy Jeronimus and a Riverhawk team that averages 8.5 three-pointers per game and was also in the national tournament last season.
The Bulldogs have won nine of their last 10 games and moved up three spots to number 19 in this week's WBCA/USA Today Sports Division II Coaches Poll. Truman is coming off a 64-50 win at Southwest Baptist (Mo.) on Saturday afternoon with sophomore guard
Allie Norton leading the way with 15 points and senior guard
Becka McHenry adding 14.
Truman is the top three-point shooting team in Division II as they have made 42.9% of their treys thus far. They are averaging 7.4 three-pointers per game while Norton is fourth in the nation with a 45.7% three-point shooting percentage and averaging two and a half triples a contest. Norton is joined in the national rankings by junior guard
Amy Briggs who is shooting 40.0% from outside and making 2.2 threes a game.
McHenry leads Truman in scoring at 13.5 points per game while pulling down 5.3 rebounds, dishing out 3.6 assists and recording a team high 31 steals this season.
Truman's 16 wins are one shy of last year's 17 victories. The Bulldogs are 33-13 over the past two seasons and 14-4 in the MIAA since February 1, 2012. Truman is ahead of pace to set the school record for fewest losses in a season. The 1998-99 and 1999-2000 teams lost nine games in each season while this year's squad is sitting on three losses with a minimum of nine games left.
The Gorillas (12-7; 6-5 MIAA) are returning home after suffering three straight road losses. They dropped games at Northeastern State (65-50), at Missouri Western (70-65) and most recently a 58-44 loss at Washburn (Kan.). The Gorillas are receiving votes in this week's poll after starting the season at number three in the national rankings.
Jeronimus was a WBCA Honorable Mention all-American last season and was named the most valuable player of the NCAA South Central regional. She leads the Gorillas in scoring (18.7/g), rebounding (6.6/g), assists (2.5/g), field goal percentage (49.2%), steals (1.0) and free throw percentage (79.5%).
Pittsburg State is second in the conference in three-point defense at 28.3%, second in defensive rebounds at 27.7 per game and fourth in scoring offense at 68.1 points per game.
Northeastern State (14-6; 9-3 MIAA) enter this week a perfect 7-0 at home and will host Lindenwood (Mo.) on Thursday night prior to the Bulldogs visit on Saturday. The Riverhawks have won six of their last seven games with the only loss coming last Thursday at Northwest Missouri by a three-point margin 67-64.
They are led by senior sharpshooter Taylor Lewis who is averaging 16.3 points per game while making 3.1 three-pointers per contest and shooting 44.7% from beyond the arc.
The Riverhawks are in their first year as a member of the MIAA and posted a 25-5 last year as an independent. They advanced to the second round of the NCAA South Central Regional before being defeated by Pittsburg State. They were a preseason 23rd in the national poll.
Coaches:
The Bulldogs are under fifth-year head coach Michael Smith, who has an overall record of 64-63. He is fourth all-time in victories at Truman and is 41-52 in conference games. Smith was previously at Division I, Arkansas-Little Rock is a graduate of Central Methodist (Mo.) and a graduate assistant at Northwest Missouri State.
Lane Lord is in the midst of his seventh season at Pittsburg State and fresh off a campaign that saw the Gorillas post a 27-6 mark which included program records for most wins, fewest losses and a 14-game winning streak. The Gorillas won the South Central regional tournament before bowing out of the Elite Eight in a 61-58 loss to Shaw (N.C.).
Randy Gipson is in his 14th season on the pine for Northeastern State. He is 273-128 (.680) during his tenure and has guided the Riverhawks to seven and three straight NCAA South Central regional tournaments. Prior to Northeastern State, Gipson spent 11 years as head coach at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and is a 1979 graduate of the University of Kentucky.
The Month That Was:
The Bulldogs posted a 7-1 record, all in conference, during the month of January to post the best winning percentage (.875) of any Truman team during that month. The seven wins tied the 1998-99 team with the most wins during the month and the seven victories equaled the total number of January wins from the past three years.
Truman had a scoring margin of +13.8 points, shot 41% from the field and 38.6% from beyond the arc. They were also 110-of-140 from the foul line (78.6%) and outscored opponents by 72 points or nine a game in the second half.
Becka McHenry averaged 14.6 points per game while adding 5.6 rebounds and an 85% free throw percentage.
Amy Briggs shot 44% from beyond the arc to average 10.8 points per game.
Securing A Berth:
With a win against Southwest Baptist, Truman clinched one of the 12 spots available for the MIAA postseason conference basketball tournament. The Bulldogs are tied with Central Missouri for second place in the league with Northeastern State a half game back. Washburn enters the week leading the league with a 9-1 record while Truman and Central are 9-2 and Northeastern State 9-3.
The top four teams in the final regular season standings get a “free pass” to Kansas City and the postseason tournament for the Friday, March 8th quarterfinals. Seeds five through eight will host seeds nine through 12 in a first round game on campus sites on Tuesday, March 5th.
WBCA/USA Today Poll:
Truman is again one of three MIAA schools in the top 25 this week with Washburn (Kan.) in at ninth and the University of Central Missouri at 10. Pittsburg (Kan.) State and Fort Hays (Kan.) State are also receiving mentions in this week's survey.
This is the seventh poll this season that Truman received votes and second week in the elusive top 25. The Bulldogs last appeared in the top 25 on January 26, 2000. They were 24th in that survey and dropped out the following week. The highest ranking for the Bulldogs was 14th on January 25, 1999.
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Truman remained first in the national statistics in three-point field goal percentage (42.9%). They are fifth in overall field goal percentage (45.6%) and 11th in free throw shooting (75.8%.)
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The Bulldogs are second among all NCAA schools in three-point shooting trailing Duke (N.C.) at 43.7%. Only three schools nationally are shooting above 40% from outside as Division III DePauw (Ind.) University joins the group shooting 41.9%.
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Truman is 16th in the national rankings in scoring margin (+15.7) and 18th in three-pointers per game (7.4/g).
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The Bulldogs have won a school-record 13 straight games in Pershing Arena dating back to February 1, 2012. The previous record for consecutive home wins was nine set during the 2007-08 season.
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Truman has won three MIAA games by a scoring margin of 20 or more points. They have six games of a margin of 20 or more points in conference over the last two years and 25 in the 30 years of MIAA Women's Basketball (since 1982-83).
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The largest margin Truman has trailed in a game in which they won this season is eight points against Fort Hays (Kan.) State. Their three losses came by seven (trailed by as many as 13) to Missouri Western, eight to Vanguard (Calif.) and five to Washburn.
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Truman has outscored their opponents by 79 points in the second half of 11 conference games. The Bulldogs average 35.7 points with McHenry averaging 6.5 points per game.
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Becka McHenry joined Amy Eagan as only the second Truman player to score over 1000 points (1043), have more than 400 rebounds (443) and dish out 300 assists (330). Eagan registered 1527 points, 643 boards and 529 assists from 1995-99.
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McHenry is seven assists away from tying Jeanette Cleven (1983-87) for fifth all-time
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Allie Norton leads the team with 48 three-pointers made while Amy Briggs is second with 42. Norton's 107 threes are seventh all-time in Bulldog career as a sophomore and her 41.9% from outside is currently the best all-time among Truman players with at least 50 made.
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Becka McHenry has made 70 straight starts and Allie Norton has started 46 consecutive games. Jennifer Conway has started in 61 straight games she has appeared in (missing three due to injury in the past two years). Bianca Szafarowicz has started all 19 this year and 42 for her career and Nicole Gloor all 17 she has been available for and 30 for her career.
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Courtney Strait's 28 points against Mount Mercy was the most by a Bulldog since Georgia Mueller scored 29 against Missouri Western on Feb. 21, 2009 and the second most by a freshman since Mueller scored 29 against Upper Iowa in January 2006.
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Amy Briggs has both of the team's only double-double this season. She had 14 points and 10 assists against Mount Mercy.
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The Bulldog bench is outscoring the opposing bench by nearly seven points per game (24.4/18.3) with freshman Jessica Redd leading the team with a 52% field goal percentage.
Up Next:
Truman returns home on Valentine's Day for their return game with Southwest Baptist (Mo.) University. The Bulldogs won 64-50 against the Bearcats in Bolivar on February 2. The game has also been designated as the annual “Think Pink” game in Breast Cancer Awareness. Fans are encouraged to wear pink for the 5:30 p.m. start.
