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KIRKSVILLE, Mo.—The Truman State Men's Basketball team moved up to #3 in the NABC poll this week, plays its final two regular season games against Rockhurst and Southwest Baptist at Pershing Arena this week. The Bulldogs have now won 11 straight after defeating William Jewell Saturday. From February 21, 2020 through February 20, 2021 the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 22-1.

On Saturday Cade McKnight passed 1,000 career points, and Turner Scott passed 100 career steals. Scott's six swipes were a career high for him and one off the Truman single game record. Truman got all they could handle from William Jewell for the second time this season but the Bulldogs emerged victorious 76-70.  

At 17.9 points per game, McKnight moved up to seventh in the GLVC in scoring average. He has broken the 20 point barrier five times this season, as he eclipsed 20 points three times in the last four games. His season high is 26 against UMSL (one shy of his career high). With 1,017 career points, he is tied with Steve Liford for 29th in program history.

Peeters is second in the GLVC with 9.3 rebounds per game. He's also second on the team with 12.9 points per game and leads with 13 blocks. His double-double count is at eight, still one of the five highest marks in the country.

Scott is averaging a career high 11.5 points per game, and needs just 32 more to reach 1,000 career points. He is first in the GLVC with 5.7 assists per game by a wide margin (and top 20 in the country)--second place is Conley Garrison at 5.1. He also crossed the 100 steal mark on Saturday with six: and tied two others for third best in a single game in program history. With 29 three pointers, he is third on the team--behind Masen Miller with 38 and Hazekamp with 33.

As a team, Truman is second in the GLVC in scoring with 78.5 points per game and first in scoring defense at 67.6 points allowed per game. The Bulldogs have a scoring differential of +10.8, well ahead of second place Southwest Baptist's +8.5. The Bulldogs rank first in field goal percentage at 49.8%, and third in field goal defense at 42.6%.

Hawks Scouting Report

Curtis Lewis leads the team with 13.3 points per game, and Nick Volz leads with 6.7 rebounds per game. Volz is third in the GLVC in field goal percentage at 59.7% and averages 10.1 points per game. Lewis leads the team with 50 assists on the season. The Hawks are coming off a 68-62 win over Quincy, which broke a five game losing streak.

Bearcats Scouting Report

SBU is one of the top defensive teams in the GLVC, second only to Truman in points allowed at 68.4 per game and top in the GLVC in field goal defense; allowing opponents a 40.1 shooting percentage. Quinn Nelson leads the team with 15.6 points per game, and Brady Smith is second with 15.2 points per game while leading the team with 5.9 rebounds per game. They enter the weekend on a three game winning streak, defeating UIndy, Lewis and UIS over their last three. 

Series History

The Bulldogs have played Rockhurst 45 times, with 29 victories. The Bulldogs won the first meeting back in 1947 53-52 in Kansas City. Truman has won eight of the last ten in the series, and have won two straight. The Bulldogs downed the Hawks 81-60 in the last regular season meeting and 85-68 in last year's GLVC Tournament. In GLVC play the Bulldogs are 10-3 against the Hawks.

The Bulldogs first met SBU in 1973, a 78-70 win for the Bulldogs. The two have met 50 times, with SBU owning a 29-21 edge. Last year Truman won the first meeting between the two as GLVC opponents 83-59 at Pershing Arena. It was the first meeting between them in seven years, when both were members of the MIAA. Overall Truman has won four of the last six between the two teams.

Coming Up

The Bulldogs will enter the GLVC Tournament, and will host as long as they are in the tournament.