Bulldogs Close Trip with 83-74 Road Win at SJC

FINAL: Truman 83, Saint Joseph's (Ind.) 74
Box Score || 2013-14 Schedule || 2013-14 Season Stats || Career Stats (Current Players)

RENSSELAER, Ind. – Mike Carlson and Seth Jackson combined for 52 points, and guard Reed Mells grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds, as the Truman men's basketball team earned an 83-74 road victory at Saint Joseph's (Ind.) College on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs (18-5, 11-4 GLVC) were engaged in a battle all afternoon with the host Pumas (4-21, 1-14 GLVC), with Truman's largest lead of the game coming at the outset thanks to a 12-1 run to start the ball game. SJC recovered, though, eventually drawing even at 17-all thanks to the early work of the conference's leading scorer, Cameron Vines.

Neither team would lead by more than two possessions until a Cole Myers layup off a Mells feed gave Truman a 44-37 lead with 17:09 to play in the ballgame. The lead would grow to nine before SJC fought back once again, pulling even at 52-52 on a basket with 13:23 left on the clock.

After playing to a 66-66 tie, Andrew Vander Zwaag gave the Bulldogs what would be the lead for good on a three-ball with 4:31 to play. Jackson would add five more points to make it an 8-0 Truman run, pushing the Bulldogs' lead to 74-66 with 2:44 to go.

The Pumas pulled to within four at 74-70, but Jackson turned the tide for the final time – throwing down a thunderous dunk with 1:21 to play. Truman then hit seven of its eight final free throws to ice the contest and earn the nine-point victory.

Carlson led all Bulldogs with 27 points, adding nine rebounds and a block in 39 minutes of work. Jackson, meanwhile, came one point shy of his career-high with 25 points, connecting on 7-of-10 field goals and 11-of-14 free throws. He added six rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes.

Mells was all over the court all afternoon, scoring eight points, grabbing a career-high dozen rebounds, and doling out six assists in 39 minutes of action. Vander Zwaag connected on three triples off the bench for nine points, and both Myers and Kyle Kanaskie added six points apiece. The Bulldogs shot 46% for the game and dominated the rebounding margin, 43-29.

Vines led all scorers with 33 points, while Jon Smith recorded a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double for the Pumas.

Truman moved into a three-way tie for fourth place in the GLVC overall standings on Saturday, as both the Bulldogs and Southern Indiana pulled even with Lewis at 11-4. The Bulldogs will next be in action on Thursday, Feb. 20, hosting Maryville (5-9 GLVC) at 7:30 p.m. in Pershing Arena.

Additional Notes:

Carlson moved into 10^th on Truman's all-time career scoring chart, passing Brian Brown (1997-2001) with 1,230 career points. He is 53 points behind Justin Matthews (1988-92) for ninth all-time.
Jackson moved closer to the 1,000-point mark for his career, sitting at 967. He is looking to become the 27^th member of the program's milestone club.
Mells' six assists came with a season-high seven turnovers on the afternoon. He entered the game as the conference's leader in assist-to-turnover ratio and ranked No. 2 in the nation in that category.
Truman hit a three-pointer for the 301^st consecutive game, dating back to Feb. 12, 2003.
The 33 points by Vines marked the second-most allowed by the Bulldogs to a single-player this season.
The team's 18^th victory this season matches the combined total of the past two seasons, as head coach Matt Woodley has improved the program's win totals from eight (year one), 10 (year two), and 18 so far in season three.
Truman moved to 8-4 this season in road/neutral contests, including a 5-3 mark in GLVC play.

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