KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The Truman State women's basketball team earned a split during their GLVC games at Pershing Arena over the weekend, dropping the game against McKendree 84-64 on Thursday before downing Illinois-Springfield 64-53 on Saturday. The Bulldogs improved to 8-7 overall and 5-2 in GLVC play with the split.
Truman State 64, Illinois-Springfield 53
The Bulldogs dominated from start to finish, building a 22-point halftime lead and cruising to an 11-point victory on Saturday afternoon. Truman never trailed in the contest, taking control early and maintaining the advantage throughout.
The game featured a special halftime ceremony honoring Truman's 1994 and 1995 men's cross country teams, who were inducted into the Truman State Athletics Hall of Fame. The two teams combined to place third at back-to-back NCAA Division II national championships during those seasons.
Truman jumped out to a 14-7 lead after the first quarter behind strong interior play. The Bulldogs extended their advantage in the second quarter, outscoring the Prairie Stars 21-6 to take a commanding 35-13 halftime lead. Emajin McCallop led the charge with six first-half points.
Illinois-Springfield made a push in the second half, outscoring Truman 40-29 over the final two quarters, but the Bulldogs' first-half cushion proved too much to overcome. The Prairie Stars cut the deficit to nine points late in the third quarter, but Truman answered each time to maintain control.
The Bulldogs dominated the paint, outscoring Illinois-Springfield 48-22 in that category. Truman also forced 19 turnovers and converted them into 23 points, while holding the Prairie Stars to nine points off turnovers.
Thursday, January 8: McKendree 84, Truman State 64
The Bulldogs struggled to contain McKendree's balanced offensive attack in a 20-point home loss on Thursday evening. The Bearcats controlled the game for most of the night, using a strong inside-outside game to pull away.
Truman stayed competitive in the first quarter, trailing just 23-22 after one period. However, McKendree began to assert itself in the second quarter, taking a 37-33 halftime lead. The Bearcats extended their advantage to 53-44 after three quarters and pulled away in the fourth, outscoring the Bulldogs 31-20 in the final period.
McKendree dominated in the paint with 46 points compared to Truman's 20. The Bearcats also capitalized on second-chance opportunities, scoring 17 points on offensive rebounds while holding Truman to just six second-chance points.
Morgan Miller paced Truman with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including three three-pointers. Emajin McCallop and Mariann Blass each added 13 and 10 points respectively in the loss.
Weekend Statistical Leaders (Combined)
Scoring
Up Next:
The Bulldogs start their stretch of road games with a Thursday, 5:30 PM matchup against Lewis. Truman will look to secure their second win in the last seven games against the Flyers.
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