KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The Truman State Women's Basketball team made a season-high 15 three-pointers and hit 15-of-18 free throws in the fourth quarter to pick up a big 86-79 win over the Maryville (Mo.) Saints on Thursday night.
 
Molly Joyce scored 27 points, 19 coming in the second half and made a career-high 12 free throws on 14 attempts as the Bulldogs bag a key victory over a team inside the top eight of the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament field. She also recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds and added six assists.
 
Maryville grabbed an early eight-point lead but the Bulldogs got scoring from Kaitlyn Patke and Emma Bulman and jumped back in front in the second quarter. Patke scored eight in the first half and Bulman scored 11 in the half and finished with 17 as the duo stepped up replacing Lexie White in the lineup.
 
The game was tied at 61 in the second half but the Bulldogs scored five straight to take a lead they would not surrender. They would lead by eight following free throws from Joyce with two minutes left and weathered the storm by making their connections at the line to keep Maryville at bay.
 
Jordan Cunningham added 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting.
 
The Bulldogs were 15-of-32 from outside, surpassing the 11 made in game two of the season. Truman State also won the glass by a 38-28 margin.
 
Former Bulldogs Gracie Stugart and Claire Rake led Maryville. Stugart finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and Rake scored 15 on five made triples.
 
The Bulldogs will host Missouri-St. Louis in another key conference game on Saturday starting at 1 p.m.