This week in Bulldog Athletics Dec. 2-8.
 
FOOTBALL
vs. Tiffin (Ohio) // America's Crossroad Bowl // 1 p.m. // Dec. 7 // Hobart, Ind.
 
Truman State Football takes on Tiffin (Ohio) University in the 5th America's Crossroads Bowl at 1 p.m. Saturday in Hobart, Ind.
 
The Bulldogs bring a 7-4 mark into the game after finishing second in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) while Tippen, 8-3 overall, finished third in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) after posting a 7-2 record.
 
The contest is a rematch of the 2022 bowl game in which the Bulldogs prevented a two-point conversion with 46 seconds remaining to defeat the Dragons, 28-27. It was the third consecutive trip to the America's Crossroads Bowl for Truman State, all victories, while Ashland (Ohio) defeated McKendree (Ill.) last season in the GMAC's first win.
 
Tiffin defeated a Findlay (Ohio) squad, 37-14 in its season finale, that opened the 2024 campaign with a 37-21 win over Truman State in at Stokes Stadium Kirksville, Mo. Both the Dragons and the 'Dogs secured victories over Wayne State (Mich.) University as the other common foe in the season. The Purple and White hold a perfect 3-0 all-time record against Tiffin all of which were decided by three points or less.
 
TRACK AND FIELD
at Mel Tjeerdsma Classic // Northwest Missouri State // Dec. 7 // Hughes Fieldhouse – Nodaway Valley Bank Track // Maryville, Mo.
 
The Men's and Women's Track and Field teams open their 2024-25 indoor schedule at the Mel Tjeerdsma Classic at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Mo.
 
Truman State was picked to finish seventh in bot in the GLVC preseason coaches' poll in October with Lewis (Ill.) voted as the top school in both. The 'Dogs finished last year's indoor meet in sixth on both the men's and women's sides. Leslie Hardesty helms both squads and is assisted by Collin Nurenberg. 
 
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
at Southwest Baptist (Mo.)* // 5:30 p.m. // Dec. 5 // John Q. Hammons Court // Bolivar, Mo.
at Drury (Mo.)* // 1 p.m. // Dec. 7 // O'Reilly Family Event Center // Springfield, Mo.
 
The 4-5 overall, 1-0 GLVC Bulldog Women's Basketball team looks to stay in the win column after a 82-64 defeat of Rockhurst (Mo.) to open conference play this past Saturday. Southwest Baptist trounced Lincoln (Mo.), 102-67, in the first conference action of the season for the 3-3 Bearcats while Drury, 3-2 overall, takes on Southwest Baptist in its first GLVC contest for 2024-25 Monday.
 
Truman State, 23-34 all time against Southwest Baptist, split against the Bearcats last season winning 99-75 on Jan. 18 in Kirksville but falling 88-74 Feb. 29 in Bolivar. Since 2020, the Purple and White holds a 4-3 advantage against the Bearcats in GLVC play. Drury dominates Truman State all time, 21 wins against 1 loss, with the lone Bulldog victory coming on Jan. 17, 2022, in Kirksville by a 67-66 final tally.
 
Sophomore guard Molly Joyce, conference Freshman of the Year last season, ranks second in conference scoring with 19.1 points per game while graduate student guard Jordan Cunningham and her 15.7 points per game are good for 10th. 
 
MEN'S BASKETBALL
at Southwest Baptist (Mo.)* // 7:30 p.m. // Dec. 5 // John Q. Hammons Court // Bolivar, Mo.
at Drury (Mo.)* // 3 p.m. // Dec. 7 // O'Reilly Family Event Center // Springfield, Mo.
 
Bulldog Men's Basketball, 4-3 overall, 0-1 GLVC, takes to the road for a pair of conference games after splitting at the Augustana (S.D.) Bill Gross Classic in Sioux Falls over the weekend. The host Vikings fell to Truman State by a score of 74-65 but Minnesota State, defending Division II national champions, defeated the 'Dogs 95-64 on Saturday. 
 
Drury, 4-1 overall, plays host to Southwest Baptist, 3-2 overall, 1-0 GLVC, in its first conference competition of the season Monday. Drury and Truman State first squared off on the hardwood March 1, 1923, in a 15-14 Bulldog win in Springfield with the Panthers holding a 13-11 all-time advantage. The two split action in the 2023-24 season with a January 68-63 'Dog win in January while Drury took the second 90-87 in March. At 30-26 all-time versus Truman State, Southwest Baptist has a current four-game losing streak to the Bulldogs having lost seven of the previous ten.
 
Sophomore guard Kobi Williams and senior guard Trey Shearer both rank among the Top 25 GLVC leaders in scoring with 13.0 (19th) and 12.8 (22nd) points per game, respectively. Junior guard Xavier Hall's 6.1 assists per game is good for second in the conference.