Truman Game Notes (PDF)
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - Just five days after being blown out by then-No. 19 Lewis on Senior Day inside Pershing Arena, the Truman State University men's basketball team will face the now 15th-ranked Flyers for a third time this season after the two teams split their first two meetings by winning on the road. The two squads' 10th all-time meeting will also represent the first time since Quincy in 2015 that Truman will face the same opponent in both the regular season finale and the first game of the conference tournament. Prior to 2015, it hadn't happened since 1986 when the Bulldogs played Southeast Missouri to end the regular season and open the MIAA Tournament.
Truman will be making a seventh-consecutive appearance in its league's postseason tournament dating back to the final season in the MIAA. In just the GLVC Tournament, the Bulldogs have played 11 games with a record of 6-5 (.545 winning percentage) and have gotten better each season. Truman went 0-1 in year one before a 1-1 record in both years two and three followed by a 2-1 mark the last two seasons. In those 11 contests, the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by an average of just over four points per game (77.8-73.6).
Scouting Lewis
Lewis, the outright GLVC regular season champion for the first time since 2004, enter this matchup on an 11-game winning streak. The Flyers are led by both the 2019 GLVC Player and Defensive Player of the Year in senior guard, Kendale McCollum, as well as the GLVC Coach of the Year in 13th-year head man, Scott Trost. Lewis has jumped up to No. 15 in the NABC Coaches' poll to go with a No. 1 Midwest ranking in today's NCAA Regional poll.
Â
McCollum, a three-time league Player of the Week in 2018-19, leads the GLVC in both assists per game with 6.3 and steals per game with 2.8 while his 16.1 points per contest are good for eighth amongst his league peers. Joining the Wisconsin-Parkside transfer on the All-GLVC teams were senior guard/forward, Delaney Blaylock on the first team and junior guard, Adam Pischke. Junior guard/forward, Donovan Oliver, leads the team in rebounds per game with 6.3 and Blaylock is right behind him with 6.1 per contest.
Series History
March 2, 2019: #19 Lewis 79, Truman 58 (in Kirksville, Mo.)
Jan. 3, 2019: Truman 75, Lewis 66 (in Romeoville, Ill.)
March 2, 2018: Truman 103, Lewis 56 (GLVC Quarters - Edwardsville, Ill.)
Jan. 6, 2018: Truman 92, Lewis 80 (in Kirksville)
March 4, 2017: Lewis 85, Truman 75 (GLVC Semis - Evansville, Ind.)
Feb. 9, 2017: Lewis 94, Truman 73 (in Romeoville)
Feb. 13, 2016: Lewis 84, Truman 70 (in Kirksville)
Jan. 4, 2015: #23 Lewis 74, Truman 64 (in Kirksville)
Jan. 3, 2014: #22 Lewis 82, Truman 65 (in Romeoville)
Last Time Out
Lewis utilized two big first-half runs, 17-5 and 19-5, to take complete control of Senior Day inside Pershing Arena and never looked back. Unfortunately, the three times Truman could get as close as 13 in the second half, the Flyers had an answer each of those times and spoiled the festivities with the 21-point decision, 79-58.
Cade McKnight tied Lewis' Delaney Blaylock for the game high in points with 23, one off his career high, and missed just two of his 10 field goal attempts to go with five rebounds.
Brodric Thomas was the only other Bulldog in double-figures with 15 on 5-of-12 shooting, four boards and four steals, but turned the ball over six times without an assist.
Â
All-GLVC Recognition
Wednesday morning, the GLVC announced its all-conference teams and they featured three Bulldogs.
Brodric Thomas was named to both the First Team (unanimous) and All-Defensive for the second-consecutive season.
Cade McKnight was named Freshman of the Year, Second-Team All-GLVC and earned the only unanimous spot on the five-man All-Freshman Team.
Taurin Hughes was Truman's James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award nominee. Thomas was the Bulldogs first unanimous first team selection since
Mike Carlson in 2014 and McKnight was Truman's first Freshman of the Year since Seth Jackson for the MIAA in 2012.
Â
Sour Taste
The last time Truman and Lewis met in the GLVC Tournament was the quarterfinal round last season, also in Edwardsville at the Vadalabene Center. The Bulldogs were hot from the get-go and ran the Flyers out of the gym, 103-56. Five Truman players scored in double-figures including
Jake Velky (23),
Brodric Thomas (23),
Zach Fischer (13),
Turner Scott (10), and
Jacob Socha (10).
Â
Up Next
If Truman wins, it will face the winner of fourth-seeded Indianapolis and fifth-seeded Drury on Saturday at 12 p.m. The Bulldogs will likely need to win the tournament in order to make a third-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
#BewareOfDog
Â
