KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – After coming up empty in Minnesota, the Truman State Women's Basketball team returns to Pershing Arena for the first time for the 2024-25 season with back-to-back home games against Washburn (Kan.) and Quincy (Ill.).
 
The Bulldogs couldn't break through on their most recent road swing through Minnesota. Last Friday Concordia St. Paul downed Truman State 68-57 despite 17 points each from Jordan Cunningham and Molly Joyce. The next day at Winona State, the Warriors used an 11-0 run in the closing stages of the fourth quarter to overtake and then pull away for a 70-64 loss. Joyce scored 23 points followed by Maddie Niemeier with 15 and Bryar Duwe with 13.
 
Joyce continues her hot start with 21.3 points per game mark. She leads the team with 10 three-pointers made and is 21-of-25 from the foul line. Joyce also paces the team with eight steals.
 
Three other starters are also averaging in double-figures. Niemeier is shooting 55% from the floor and averaging 12.3 points per night, Cunningham averages 11 points and is the leader in minutes (34.5) and assists (12). Duwe has been in double-digits in all four games. Lexie White is the fifth starter and is tied with Cunningham with four blocks while averaging 4.3 points a contest.
 
It will be Washburn's first trip to Kirksville in 12 seasons as the Ichabods last played on the Pershing Arena court in February of 2012 when both schools were members of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. Washburn dominated the MIAA years with a 42-9 all-time mark against the Bulldogs. The team's played a non-conference game in Topeka, Kansas in November 2017 with the Ichabods winning at the buzzer 68-67.
 
It will also be a bit of a homecoming for Washburn head coach Lora Westling, who served as the assistant coach for Michael Smith from 2010 through 2013 and helped the Bulldogs to their first 20-win season (20-8 in 2013) in 13 years. Westling is now the coach of her alma mater where she helped the then Lady Blues win a Division II National Championship in 2005.
 
The Quincy match-up will be counted as a non-conference game as the Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule has only one contest between the two schools this season. That game will take place in Quincy on Saturday, January 25. The Hawks snapped the Bulldogs 12-game winning streak against them by sweeping Truman State in the two games last year. Quincy won 78-75 in January and 92-89 in late February.
 
Through four games, Truman State has averaged 69 points offensively and allowed 65 points per night. The Bulldogs make around seven three-pointers and 12.5 free throws per game. In other stats, the squad has averaged 12.8 assists and 13.3 turnovers per game.
 
Off the bench, five additional players have played in all four games thus far. Emma Bulman (20.2 mpg) and Gracie Neff (14.2 mpg) have been the first two off the pine this season. Mallory Ott, McKenna Williams and Katelyn Odem are the other players who have played in each game.
 
About the Opponents:
Washburn ran away in the second quarter with a 24-8 burst to pick up their first victory of the season over William Jewell 80-58 on Tuesday night. Payton Sterk scored a game-high 25 points for the Ichabods with Gabi Giovannetti adding 18.
 
Washburn is 1-2 against GLVC teams this season, losing last weekend to McKendree (88-83) and Quincy (70-67). Their other two defeats were at the hands of Southwest Minnesota State (82-72) and St. Cloud (Minn.) State (63-51).
 
Yiibari Nwidadah leads the Ichabods in scoring at 17.2 points per night followed by Sterk at 14.6 and Giovannetti at 12.6.
 
Last season, Washburn posted a 13-16 overall mark and an 8-14 ledger in the MIAA. They were picked ninth in the preseason media poll and 10^th in the coaches' poll.
 
Quincy is 3-1 on the young season as they joined the Bulldogs in sweeping Ursuline and Cedarville in the first weekend of action and defeated Washburn on Saturday 70-67. The Hawks are a +16 in rebounding margin.
 
Nicole McDermott has been the leading scorer thus far at 17.8 points per game followed by Taylor Haase at 11.8. McDermott has nearly half of the team's offensive rebounds with 24 and 24 of 27 from the free-throw line.
 
Quincy garnered 109 points to tie with Missouri-St. Louis in the GLVC coaches' poll in seventh position. They were 10-18 a year ago with a 9-13 record in the conference.
 
Up Next:
The Bulldogs return to Springfield, Missouri for the Drury Thanksgiving Classic. Again, back-to-back games on the docket with Newman (Kan.) on Tuesday and Arkansas Fort-Smith on Wednesday.
 
Truman State returns to Pershing Arena for the Saturday following the holiday facing Rockhurst (Mo.) in the first GLVC game of the season.