FAYETTE, Iowa – The Truman State men's basketball team suffered a 91-82 defeat to Upper Iowa Friday afternoon at Dorman Memorial Gym. The Bulldogs drop to 7-10 overall and 4-5 in conference play, while the Peacocks improve to 13-3 and 8-1 in league standings.
Truman started strong, taking an early 3-0 lead on a Drew Kingery three-pointer. The Bulldogs maintained a slim advantage early, but Upper Iowa responded with a 7-0 run to take a 7-3 lead. Julian Brown answered with a three-pointer to cut it to 7-6, but the Peacocks extended their lead to 19-14 behind strong interior play.
The game turned into a back-and-forth battle late in the first half. After Upper Iowa pushed ahead 19-14, Emmanuel Byrd provided a spark off the bench with a block on the defensive end. The Peacocks extended their lead to 32-24, but the Bulldogs mounted a strong finish to the half. Marquis Carver-Smith hit a three-pointer, and Jahki Parrinello converted a driving layup and free throw to pull Truman within four at 39-35 heading into halftime.
The second half saw Upper Iowa gradually pull away. Kyle Hrncir dominated inside for the Peacocks, scoring 30 points in the game. Upper Iowa built their largest lead of 12 points at 66-54 with 10:03 remaining. The Bulldogs fought back with a 7-0 run, sparked by Troy Anderson's three-pointer and Julian Brown's free throws, cutting the deficit to 66-61 at the 8:24 mark.
Truman continued to battle, pulling within five points multiple times down the stretch. Ja'Vion Byers hit a three-pointer at 3:38 to make it 84-76, but Upper Iowa answered every challenge. The Peacocks dominated in the paint with 54 points and converted 24 fast-break points to maintain their advantage throughout the second half.
Team Statistics
| Category |
Truman State |
Upper Iowa |
| Final Score |
82 |
91 |
| Field Goals |
28-63 (44.4%) |
33-72 (45.8%) |
| 3-Point FG |
9-23 (39.1%) |
2-15 (13.3%) |
| Free Throws |
17-26 (65.4%) |
23-39 (59.0%) |
| Rebounds |
41 |
50 |
| Offensive Rebounds |
7 |
17 |
| Assists |
17 |
15 |
| Steals |
2 |
9 |
| Blocks |
4 |
4 |
| Turnovers |
16 |
7 |
| Points in Paint |
36 |
54 |
| Second Chance Points |
3 |
19 |
| Fast Break Points |
6 |
24 |
| Points off Turnovers |
10 |
17 |
| Bench Points |
31 |
21 |
Bulldogs Leaders
Points:
Rebounds:
Assists:
Steals:
Blocks:
Up Next:
The Bulldogs split the weekend after getting the win against Lewis on Thursday. Truman State will have a home matchup against Quincy on Thursday at 7:30 PM. The Bulldogs won a nailbiter a season ago 80-76 against the Hawks.
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