Men's Basketball 3/2/2013 7:26:00 PM Tyler Madsen, Truman Athletics

Carlson Leads Truman Past Bearcats, 63-56

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Site: Maryville, Mo. (Bearcat Arena)
Score: Truman 63, Northwest Missouri 56
Records: Truman (10-16, 7-11 MIAA); Northwest Missouri (18-9, 11-7 MIAA)
Next Truman Game: Monday, March 4 – at TBD (7:00 pm; TBD)

MARYVILLE, Mo. - - The Truman men's basketball team scored 47 points in the second half, overcoming a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat Northwest Missouri 63-56 in the 2013 regular season finale on Saturday afternoon in Bearcat Arena. Mike Carlson scored a season-high 29 points to lead the Bulldogs to their 10^th win of the season.

Carlson (Superior, Wis., Marshall), who set his career-high with 34 points in last year's regular season finale at Central Missouri, exploded again in the final regular season game this year by scoring 24 of his 29 points in the second half to lead the Bulldog (10-16, 7-11 MIAA) comeback in Maryville. Carlson went 8-of-12 overall, including 7-of-8 from three-point range, and added a 6-of-6 day from the free throw line to lead all scorers on the afternoon. He nearly posted a double-double in the second half alone, scoring 24 points and adding eight rebounds, as the Bulldogs bounced back from a dismal first half.

The Bulldogs were stifled throughout much of the first 20 minutes, only taking 13 shots and converting five, while turning the ball over 12 times en route to scoring just 16 total points. However, after the Bearcats (18-9, 11-7 MIAA) opened their largest lead of the day at 34-18 with 17:47 to play, the Bulldogs turned it on at both ends – outscoring NWMSU 45-22 the rest of the way.

In addition to Carlson's second-half fireworks, Seth Jackson (St. Louis, Mo., CBC) scored all eight of his points in the second half, and Patrick Burmester (DeWitt, Iowa, Central) added seven of his nine in the final 20 minutes. Burmester added his first career triple at the 9:07 mark off one of Cory Myers' (Ankeny, Iowa, Ankeny) career-best eight assists to pull the 'Dogs within five during their comeback.

Truman also made the most of its trips to the foul line in the second half, making 14-of-16 chances, and committed just two miscues in the final frame.

The Bulldogs, who secured a 10-win season for the first time since 2006-07, will now advance to the MIAA tournament next week, starting on Monday (March 4) evening at Pittsburg (Kan.) State. Truman earned the No. 10 seed and will travel to face the 7th-seeded Gorillas at 7:00 pm in Pittsburg, Kansas. The winner advances to the quarterfinal round to face 2nd-seeded Central Missouri at 6:00 pm on Thursday, March 7 in Kansas City's historic Municipal Auditorium.

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