KIRKSVILLE, Mo.—The Truman Men's Basketball team came into Saturday's contest against Illinois Springfield down Cade McKnight, who suffered a shoulder injury late in the game against Quincy and then lost starting guard Trey Shearer early in the first half as he appeared to land hard on his shoulder diving after a loose ball and did not return to the game. Down two usual starters, the Bulldogs got all they could handle from the Prairie Stars but a career high 27 from Eric Northweather helped propel the Bulldogs to a 78-72 victory.
Northweather started the day with the hot hand as he scored eight of the first ten points for Truman, including two from downtown to help build a 10-2 lead early on. Truman would lead by as many as nine in the half, but UIS hung around and with 8:26 left in the half cut the Truman lead to three at 23-20. But once again Northweather answered the run with two straight baskets to make it a seven point game. A 7-0 run for UIS tied the game at 27, but Truman answered again with buckets from Masen Miller and from Northweather to go back on top, but UIS answered again and tied the game at 34 with 2:15 left in the half. Sam Nissen got his first basket of the game on a drive to give Truman the lead, before a three put UIS on top. Keaton Mitchell gave Truman back the lead with a jumper but UIS got the final basket of the half to lead 39-38 headed into the break.
Truman started the second half a bit slowly as UIS got the first four points to expand their lead to five, but Nissen hit a jumper in the paint to make it a three point game and then Miller hit a trey to even it at 43. After a UIS bucket, Miller found Northweather who stuffed it home for a dunk and tied the game back up at 45. On the other end, Northweather got one of his three blocked shots to keep it a tie game. With 15:10 to go, Dylan Peeters hit two foul shots to give Truman back the lead, and Josh Ollendieck drove in for a layup to put Truman up four on the next Bulldog possession. UIS got the next five points to go up 50-49, but on the next trip down the floor Sam Lock found Northweather in the corner for the three and after contact the basket counted and the foul was called. Northweather completed the rare four point play to put Truman back up three points. UIS answered the half continued to seesaw back and forth. With Truman up 70-68 with 2:37 to go, after a steal by UIS Northweather got down the floor and blocked a layup to prevent the tie game and on the other end Peeters got open for the dunk. A crucial four point swing kept momentum in Truman's favor. UIS would tie the game at 72 with 1:08 to play, but Miller found Peeters under the basket again for a layup and then Truman iced the game from the line as Northweather and Peeters each hit two to seal the six point win.
Northweather was joined in double figures by Peeters with 16, who also led the team with nine rebounds. Elijah Hazekamp had 12 points and eight rebounds, and Miller had 11 points and led with four assists. Hunter Strait also dished out three assists. Truman shot over 50% from the floor once again at 29-53 (54.7%) and 6-12 from three point range.
The Bulldogs will be back in action Monday as they have a makeup game in St. Louis against Maryville University, with a 7:30 tip off. After that Truman will host William Jewell on Thursday night in their final home game of the regular season.
