KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – In front of a spirited crowd of 1,400 that included over 1,100 students from grades 1-6 across the Northeast Missouri area, the Truman State women's basketball team held off a furious fourth-quarter comeback from Quincy to secure a 70-67 victory on Wednesday morning at Pershing Arena. The win improved the Bulldogs to 5-6 overall and 3-1 in conference play, while the Hawks fell to 4-6 overall and 1-3 in league action.
The game began as a defensive struggle with both teams trading early baskets. Quincy struck first with a Karly Peters three-pointer at 9:08 to take a 5-0 lead, and Acheampomaa Danso added a putback tip-in to extend the lead to 5-0. The Bulldogs responded with Mallory Ott hitting two free throws and draining a three-pointer at 6:16 to tie the game at 5-5. Ott's steal and subsequent basket at the buzzer tied the game at 15-15 heading into the second quarter.
The second quarter belonged to Truman State as the Bulldogs seized control with a dominant performance. Emajin McCallop came alive, scoring seven points in the period including a three-point play sequence where she drove for a layup and converted the free throw to complete a run that gave the Bulldogs a 32-26 lead. Morgan Miller added four points from the free-throw line, and the Bulldogs' pressure defense forced seven Quincy turnovers in the quarter. Truman State took a 35-26 advantage into halftime.
The third quarter saw the Bulldogs extend their lead to double digits. Miller opened the scoring with a driving layup to make it 37-28, then McCallop added a layup at 7:14 to push the lead to 39-28. Miller caught fire from beyond the arc, draining a three-pointer at 6:38 to extend the lead to 42-31. Mariann Blass joined the three-point party at 5:26 to make it 45-33. McCallop continued her dominance with back-to-back baskets to push the lead to 49-38 and then 54-43, with Miller adding another three-pointer at 2:36 to make it 52-40. The Bulldogs maintained control throughout the period, taking a 56-45 lead into the fourth quarter after Katelyn Odem hit two free throws at the buzzer.
However, Quincy mounted a spirited comeback in the final period. The Hawks opened the quarter on a run, cutting the deficit to 58-48. Katey Flynn hit a three-pointer at 8:31, and Danso scored on a fast break layup at 7:01 to make it 59-53.
The Hawks continued their charge, pulling within three points multiple times down the stretch. Hampton Williams hit a crucial three-pointer at 5:58 to make it 59-56, and after Peters tied the game at 60-60 with a fast break layup at 1:56, the tension in Pershing Arena was palpable.
Lexie White emerged as the hero in the final minutes. She drilled a three-pointer at 1:23 to give Truman State a 63-60 lead, then calmly converted four consecutive free throws in the final 38 seconds to help seal the victory. White finished a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the game and scored all nine of her points in the fourth quarter. Reagan Reed pulled Quincy within two at 66-64 with a putback layup with 19 seconds left, and Sydney Runsewe hit a three-pointer with nine seconds remaining to cut it to 68-67, but White's two final free throws with two seconds left clinched the victory for the Bulldogs.
Team Statistics Comparison
| Category |
Truman State |
Quincy |
| Field Goals |
20-45 (44.4%) |
25-60 (41.7%) |
| Three-Pointers |
5-19 (26.3%) |
11-31 (35.5%) |
| Free Throws |
25-29 (86.2%) |
6-9 (66.7%) |
| Rebounds |
35 |
28 |
| Assists |
14 |
16 |
| Turnovers |
22 |
18 |
| Steals |
7 |
8 |
| Blocks |
1 |
0 |
| Points in Paint |
26 |
28 |
| Fast Break Points |
15 |
9 |
| Second Chance Points |
5 |
13 |
| Bench Points |
20 |
23 |
Truman State Statistical Leaders
Scoring:
Rebounding:
Assists:
Steals:
Blocks:
The enthusiastic crowd of young students created an electric atmosphere at Pershing Arena, with cheers echoing throughout the arena as the Bulldogs battled for the conference victory. The field trip game provided an excellent opportunity for local elementary students to experience collegiate athletics firsthand.
Up Next:
The Bulldogs will travel to Wisconsin to face off in an exhibition against Division I Marquette University at noon on December 20th.
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