Kirksville, Mo. – The Truman State Bulldogs battled valiantly but came up just short in a heart-stopping overtime contest against Purdue Northwest, falling 78-76 on Tuesday afternoon at Pershing Arena. The loss drops the Bulldogs to 3-5 on the season, while the Pride improved to 4-4.
Purdue Northwest came out firing in the opening minutes, jumping out to an early 8-2 lead behind a pair of three-pointers from Kevin Taylor. The Bulldogs responded with an 6-0 run highlighted by Jahki Parrinello, who got on a heater during the stretch, hitting a three-pointer to tie the game at 8-8.
The first half featured four lead changes and two ties as neither team could establish control. Truman State's largest lead of the half came at 24-17 with 6:57 remaining, sparked by back-to-back fast break layups from Marquis Carver-Smith and Ja'Vion Byers. However, Purdue Northwest closed the half on a 22-9 run, taking a 39-33 advantage into the break behind 11 first-half points from Taylor.
The second half saw the momentum swing repeatedly. The Pride extended their lead to 13 points at 50-37 with 16:41 remaining after Taylor connected on his fifth three-pointer of the game. However, the Bulldogs refused to fold, mounting a furious comeback. Emmanuel Byrd and the rest of the Bulldogs clawed back, and a Byrd layup with 11:37 left tied the game at 52-52.
The teams traded baskets down the stretch with neither able to gain separation. Parrinello, who was superb from the free-throw line all game, hit a pair of free throws to give Truman State a 70-67 lead with 1:13 remaining. Kyle Ross answered with two free throws of his own, and after Parrinello made two more from the charity stripe, Andres Arellano Jr. delivered the clutch play of regulation. With four seconds left, Arellano tipped in an errant shot from deep and was fouled, completing the three-point play to tie the game at 70-70 and force overtime.
In the extra period, Purdue Northwest seized control early. A Taylor layup and subsequent missed free throw led to a putback by Davontae Hall, giving the Pride a 74-70 lead. Byrd brought the Bulldogs within two at 74-72 with 2:54 remaining, but Truman State couldn't complete the comeback. Ahlante Askew's pull-up three-pointer with 54 seconds left in overtime proved to be the dagger, pushing the Pride's lead to 77-74. Julian Brown made two free throws with five seconds left to cut it to 77-76, but Hall sealed the victory with a free throw with four seconds remaining, and a final turnover ended the Bulldogs' hopes.
Team Statistics Comparison
| Category |
Truman State |
Purdue Northwest |
| Field Goals |
25-57 (43.9%) |
29-81 (35.8%) |
| Three-Pointers |
4-16 (25.0%) |
10-28 (35.7%) |
| Free Throws |
22-29 (75.9%) |
10-16 (62.5%) |
| Rebounds |
43 |
46 |
| Assists |
13 |
16 |
| Turnovers |
16 |
10 |
| Steals |
3 |
11 |
| Blocks |
7 |
2 |
| Points in Paint |
42 |
36 |
| Fast Break Points |
18 |
7 |
| Second Chance Points |
9 |
16 |
| Bench Points |
22 |
14 |
Truman State Statistical Leaders
Scoring:
Rebounding:
Assists:
Steals:
Blocks:
Up Next:
The Bulldogs will head south for the winter face off against Northeastern State in Tahlequah, Oklahoma this Sunday at 1:00 PM. The Bulldogs are 1-3 against the Riverhawks all time.
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