KENOSHA, Wis. - Wisconsin-Parkside doesn't lose at home. It just doesn't happen. Don't tell that to the Truman men's basketball team, though. Saturday, the Bulldogs marched into DeSimone Gymnasium and gifted the Rangers their first home loss of the season (12-1) and just the ninth since the beginning of the 2012-13 season (63-9). Truman weathered Wisconsin-Parkside's 19-5 late-game run to hold on for the massive three-point victory, 64-61.

The Bulldogs, who came in losing three of their last four, improved to 18-7 overall and 10-5 in the GLVC. On the other side, the Rangers suffered only their second loss to the Bulldogs in program history (5-2) and first since Jan. 26, 1991 (83-58). Wisconsin-Parkside now drops to 19-5 on the year and 11-4 in league play. The Rangers haven't been held to 61 points or fewer at home since Nov. 28, 2015 against Ferris State (84-58). With Quincy's 82-76 win at Lewis, Truman remains one game behind the Hawks in the West Division with three games left including a date with each other in the regular-season finale on Thursday, Feb. 23 in Pershing Arena.

Connor Erickson played like a man possessed and was an absolute force in the paint despite playing with a limp for most of the game. The Blue Valley North product finished with 20 points (9-of-13 FG, 2-for-2 FT), seven rebounds, six blocks, and two steals. Those six swats are a career high for Erickson and are tied for third in program history with Mike Carlson (Jan. 24, 2013 vs. Nebraska-Kearney). In the past four games, Connor is averaging 19 points, seven boards, 4.5 stuffs, and 2.5 steals per contest while shooting an absurd 64.6 percent from the field (31-of-48) and 87.5 percent at the free throw line (14-for-16).

When the Myers boys play against Wisconsin-Parkside, the likelihood that something special is going to happen is pretty high. Exactly one year ago today, Cole went off for a personal-best 34 points against the Rangers in Pershing and 365 days later, his twin brother wrote another chapter in his illustrious season. Cory stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, six assists, three rebounds, two steals, and one block while playing all 40 minutes. That effort marked the 10th time this season that the redshirt senior has dished out at least five dimes and Truman is 8-2 in those games. After Erickson and Myers, Dwight Sistrunk, Jr. had eight points, all in the first half, Kyle Kanaskie finished with seven, Zach Fischer had six, and all eight Bulldogs that played found the scoring column.

In the team head-to-head, Truman outrebounded Wisconsin-Parkside 36-28, including 16-6 in the first half, and shot 49.1 percent (27-of-55) from the floor to the Rangers' 46.2 percent (24-for-52). After one half of play, the Bulldogs were shooting an unconscious 70.4 percent (19-of-27) from the field, but only connected on 28.6 percent (8-for-28) of their looks in the second period. Truman continued to prove it can win the low-scoring battles as its 64 points are the fewest of the season by eight (72 at both Lincoln and Rockhurst). The Bulldogs improved to 5-2 in games in which they are held below 80 points. Truman pulled this off despite cashing in on just four three-pointers (4-of-14), their lowest output from behind the arc since splashing in three against the Rangers in the GLVC Tournament on March 4, 2016 of last season.

Unlike Thursday at Lewis, Truman was quick out of the gates with leads of 4-0, 15-8 and 21-10. In the midst of that stretch was a 15-4 run for the good guys in which Erickson had 10 and Myers added five. Those two carried the load from the get-go, started by shooting a combined 11-for-12 and each made their first six shot attempts. After the Bulldogs' 11-point advantage, the Rangers slimmed the margin to as little as seven three times (31-24, 33-26 and 35-28) before the halftime separation of 10 points, 40-30.

Out of the locker rooms, the home team scored eight of the first 11 points to cut it to five, 43-38, the lowest it had been since it was 15-10 with 11:34 to go in the first half. The visitors came right back, though, this time with 12 of the next 14 points, and had their biggest lead of the day at 15, 55-40. After a second 15-point advantage at 57-42, Wisconsin-Parkside began to play like it has all season inside its friendly confines. The Rangers rattled off a 19-5 spurt of their own and the Bulldog lead was down to one, 60-59, at the 57-second mark. The hosts were within one again at 62-61, but never tied it as Jake Velky and Kanaskie put the game on ice with two free throws each. Wisconsin-Parkside had a chance to tie it at the buzzer with a three-point look from its top deep threat in Jake Verhagen, but the result went in favor of Truman.

The Bulldogs will now look to finish the regular season just as strong with a three-game homestand beginning with William Jewell on Thursday and tip is set for 7:30 p.m.

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