GAMES 24 & 25: TRUMAN AT LEWIS | TRUMAN AT WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE
	Truman Bulldogs 2016-17 Record: 17-6, 9-4 GLVC Coach: Chris Foster, Third season Roster | Schedule | Statistics
	Lewis Flyers 2016-17 Record: 15-8, 10-3 GLVC Coach: Scott Trost, 11th season Roster | Schedule | Statistics
	Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers 2016-17 Record: 18-4, 10-3 GLVC Coach: Luke Reigel, 14th season Roster | Schedule | Statistics
	Game Information When? February 9, 2017 | 7:30 p.m. February 11, 2017 | 3:00 p.m. Where? Romeoville, Ill. | Neil Carey Arena (1,100) Kenosha, Wis. | DeSimone Gymnasium (2,120) Follow Along Live Stats: Lewis | Parkside GLVCSN: Lewis | Parkside 104.7 KRES: Both Twitter Truman Athletics | #BewareOfDog Truman Men's Basketball

Truman Game Notes (.PDF)

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - The final road trip of the 2016-17 regular season is upon us and it may very well be the toughest one of the year for the Truman men's basketball team. The Bulldogs will travel to play two of the GLVC East Division's top four teams in Lewis (15-8, 10-3 GLVC) and Wisconsin-Parkside (18-4, 10-3 GLVC). Combined, Truman has won just one of nine games against these two teams including an eight-game skid. That one victory was in its first ever game against Wisconsin-Parkside on Jan. 26, 1991 when the Bulldogs won by 25, 83-58.

Going back to last week, the Bulldogs split their two games with a loss against Indianapolis on Thursday, 94-86, before a big win vs. Saint Joseph's on Saturday, 96-77. Connor Erickson had a huge week as he averaged 23 points, six rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. Erickson poured in a career-high 22 points in the loss against the Greyhounds before besting that with 24 more points in the win over the Pumas. In his last six games, the Overland Park, Kan. native is putting up 14.5 points per contest.

Truman will be without one of its top scorers in Nathan Messer for the rest of the season. Early in the game against Saint Joseph's on Saturday, Messer suffered a broken right hand that will sideline him for the rest of 2016-17. The Navy transfer is currently third on the team in points per game (12.6), first in three-pointers made (77), first in three-pointers attempted (184), first in three-pointers attempted per game (8.0), and second in three-pointers made per game (3.3). Redshirt-sophomore, Nikola Pesic, will likely start in Messer's place.

Scouting the Flyers
Since dropping three straight from Jan. 16-21, Lewis has won four in a row over the likes of McKendree (96-83), Illinois Springfield (94-73), William Jewell (81-78), and Rockhurst (75-54). The Flyers are in year No. 11 under the leadership of head coach, Scott Trost, who has an overall record of 203-115 (.638 winning percentage) during his time in Romeoville. This year, Trost boasts two of the top 17 scorers in the GLVC. Those two players are No. 5 Miles Simelton and No. 20 Delaney Blaylock. Simelton is 11th in the league in scoring with 15.6 points per game and Blaylock is down at No. 17 with 14.5 points per contest. Simelton is the team's top three-point threat as he is making 42.1 percent (40-of-95) of his looks from behind the arc. Inside, Lewis is getting contributions from a couple of bigs in No. 10 Cristen Wilson and No. 23 Frank Vukaj, both of which are making over 53 percent of their looks from the field. Wilson is shooting 53.2 percent (84-for-158) and Vukaj has a red-hot 56.8 percent (79-of-139) clip. Both put over nine points per contest while Vukaj is the team's top rebounder with an even seven per game.

Scouting the Rangers
Ranked as high as No. 22 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches poll, Wisconsin-Parkside has dropped three of its last six since beginning the season with a record of 15-1 overall and 7-0 in the GLVC. Two of those three losses were against a pair of top 15 teams in Southern Indiana and Bellarmine, but most recently, the Rangers dropped a 10-point decision at Rockhurst, 64-54. Wisconsin-Parkside is coached by Luke Reigel in his 14th season (214-179/.545 winning percentage). The Rangers are led by a trio of scorers averaging at least 10 points per game including No. 24 Alexander Brown (17.1), No. 10 Kendale McCullum (15.0) and No. 13 Jake Verhagen (10.3). Brown's average is eighth in the conference while McCullum is ranked 12th in the league. Just outside of those top three for scoring is No. 45 Goran Zagorac, a 6-9 center, who leads the squad in rebounding with 6.3 boards per contest. McCullum's 6.3 assists per game are second-best in the GLVC behind Herm Senor II's 6.5 at Quincy.

Beat the Streak
As mentioned above, the Truman men's basketball team hasn't fared well when going up against Lewis and Wisconsin-Parkside, with a combined record of 1-8 against the two East Division foes. The Flyers have taken three straight over the Bulldogs while the Rangers have been winners in five in a row against the Purple and White. With that being said, Truman has been very good on the road in GLVC play this year with a record of 6-1. That one loss came against West-leading Quincy on Dec. 10 and was by just one point, 91-90. The Bulldogs had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Nathan Messer's three-point attempt from the left wing came up begging.

Stop Simelton
No. 5 and senior guard, Miles Simelton, is the top scoring threat for the Lewis Flyers. Simelton has gone for double-figures in all but five games this season including seven contests with at least 20 points. In his last 10 games, it has been all or nothing, though, for the Oswego, Ill. native. During that span, Simelton has poured in 20+ points five times, but been held to 10 or less on three instances. The Flyers have a record of 6-1 when he goes for at least 20 points. The 6-1 guard is shooting 46.8 percent (133-of-284) from the floor, 42.1 percent (40-for-95) from distance and 83.9 percent (52-of-62) from the free throw line.

Unfriendly Confines
Wisconsin-Parkside has won all 11 of its home games this season inside the Alfred and Bernice DeSimone Gymnasium. The Rangers haven't lost more than three home games in a season since the 2011-12 season when they were 6-9. During that span, Wisconsin-Parkside has a home record of 62-8, which equals out to a winning percentage of .886. Only twice in those five seasons did the Rangers lose more than one game at home.

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