Game Preview:
The Truman Bulldogs will open up a three-game work week on Tuesday night when they face border rival Quincy (Ill.) University at 5:15 p.m. The team will then play in the Lincoln (Mo.) University Thanksgiving Classic facing MIAA foe Missouri Western on Friday at 4:00 p.m. and Harris-Stowe (Mo.) State University at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Truman (1-0) opened up the season on a big way last Saturday with a 60-point second half explosion to defeat McKendree (Ill.) University 94-64.
Allie Norton scored a career-high 20 points with 13 coming in the second half and
Bianca Szafarowicz pulled down six rebounds on each end of the court for a career-benchmark of a dozen. Truman outrebounded the Bearcats 28-5 in the final 20 minutes and 49-26 for the game which was a one-point Truman advantage with 18 minutes showing on the clock.
Quincy (1-2) enters the game after picking up their first win of the season against Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) 71-50. Kelly Buresh (14), Cierra Young (13) and Felisha Loggins (11) all scored in double figures for the Lady Hawks with Loggins adding 13 rebounds for a double-double. The Lady Hawks finished 22-8 last season, tied for first in the Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division, advanced to the second round of the NCAA regional but lost four starters off that squad.
Last year in Kirksville, the Bulldogs had five players in double-figures led by
Becka McHenry's 19 points and Truman throttled the #24-rated Lady Hawks 79-69. The Bulldogs led by as many as 26 with three minutes left in the game. That win by the Bulldogs broke a five-game Quincy winning streak. The Lady Hawks led the all-time series 22-17 and have won the last four at home. Truman's last win in the Gem city was Nov. 18, 2000 (50-48).
Turkey Weekend Classic Preview:
The Bulldogs will open the Lincoln Thanksgiving Tournament will a non-conference tilt against conference opponent Missouri Western on Friday. The Griffons (4-0) knocked of Division I, Missouri-Kansas City (68-51), seventh-rated Metro (Colo.) State (66-55) and GLVC members Illinois-Springfield (57-54) and Maryville (Mo.) 74-68 to start the season.
They are led in scoring by Oklahoma State transfer Heather Howard (15.0 ppg) and are under the direction of new coach Rob Edmisson. The two teams split last year's conference games with the Griffons winning 65-64 in St. Joseph and Truman winning 80-64 in Kirksville. The Griffons finished 7-20 last season and were picked 11th in the MIAA Coaches poll and 12th in the media poll.
The two teams will actually open up MIAA play on December 5th in St. Joseph.
In game two of the tournament, the Bulldogs will square off against Harris-Stowe (Mo.) State University on Saturday. The Hornets are 1-4 this season with games against Freed-Hardman (Tenn.) on Tuesday night and against the host Lincoln Blue Tigers on Friday. They have played just six players in the first five games this season and have been led in scoring by Kayla Fisher at 19.2 points per game. Truman is 9-1 against the Hornets with the last meeting occurring in 2006 (73-56).
2011-12 Truman Season Milestones:
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The 17 regular season wins was the most for the program since the team won 17 during the 1999-2000 season. The school record for wins is 22 set by the 1998-99 team.
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The 11 MIAA wins was one better than the previous season, with two fewer games conference games played. They finished with the highest conference winning percentage (.555) since a .667 (12-6) during the 99-00 campaign. It was the first time in a dozen years the Bulldogs finished above .500 in conference play.
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Truman's 37.9% three-point field goal percentage was the second highest percentage in school history. Only the 39.0% in 1989-90, the third year the 3-point shot was in-play was higher.
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The 28.5% opponent three-point field goal percentage is the lowest allowed by the Bulldogs since the arc came into play in 1987-88.
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The Bulldogs held opponents to a school record 60.6 points per game the previous low allowed was 62.2 points per game in the 1981-82 season.
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The 362 (13.4/g) turnovers were the fewest in school history. The previous low was 407 (15.0/g) in 27 games in the 2009-10 season.
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The sixth place finish by the Bulldogs in conference play was the highest since they finished fourth in the 1999-2000 season.
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Allie Norton's 40.1% shooting from beyond the arc broke the Truman freshman mark previously held by Angie Gum set in the 1987-88 season (26-of-67/38.8%). The 40.1% was seventh all-time in single-season three-point shooting.
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Becka McHenry's 145 assists last season was third in the Truman single-season rankings bettering Amy Eagan's 144 in 1997-98 and 15 off Eagan's 1998-99 total of 160. She did break Susan Theroff's junior class record of 140 set in 1989-90.
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Graduating senior Breanna Daniels had an 88.1% free throw shooting percentage last season and finished sixth in the single-season rankings with a minimum of 30 made (37-of-42).
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Daniels finished her Truman career with 1,213 points, good for eighth all-time in Truman history.
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The Bulldogs set tied a single-game record last year with 15 three-pointers made and set a new record with a .625 three-point shooting percentage (15-of-24) in a victory over Central Methodist (Mo.) University.
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Truman eclipsed 100 points for the first time since 2007 with a 108-55 victory over Central Methodist (Mo.) on Nov. 19, 2011.
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Becka McHenry recorded the first triple-double since Amy Eagan in 1999 when she had 14 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds against Pittsburg (Kan.) State University.
Bulldog Tip-Ins:
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Truman is 17-10 in non-conference games since Coach Michael Smith took over the program in 2008
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Truman averaged 70.9 points and shot 41% from the field, 37% from the arc and 71% from the line last season. In 2010-11 the team averaged 62.7 points shooting 39% from the field, 33% from beyond the arc and 66% from the free throw line.
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The Bulldogs finished 10-4 in Pershing Arena last season.
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Over the past two years, Truman is 10-11 on the road in conference play. From 2000-2010, the Bulldogs were just 15 and 75 (.200) in league road tilts.
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Truman led at the half in 18 games last year and won 14. They have trailed the other eight games and won three of them.
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The Bulldogs won the battle of the boards in 15 games last season with the largest margin of 19 against Lincoln. They had a double-digit advantage in rebounds in nine games.
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Three Bulldogs topped 20 points 11 times last season. Becka McHenry scored 24 points in three games and had six last year. Nicole Gloor also had 24 points in the win against Lincoln and had two games over 20 points. Conway had three over 20 last season.
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Truman had six different lead them in scoring. McHenry had 10 games while Conway (5), Gloor (5), Daniels (5), Jenny Dorman and Allie Norton led in one game.
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Six Bulldogs recorded double-doubles last season. Jennifer Conway had three while Breanna Daniels had two, Allie Norton, Nicole Gloor, Megan Sharpe and Becka McHenry had one apiece.
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Becka McHenry recorded the first triple-double for the Bulldogs since December 1, 1998 when she scored 14 and had 10 assists and 10 rebounds. It was first in the MIAA since Missouri Western's Tiffany Davis recorded on in 2006 against Washburn (18p, 14,r, 11a).
Up Next:
The Bulldogs will play their third future GLVC opponent next Wednesday night when they host Rockhurst (Mo.) University for a 5:30 p.m. start of a doubleheader with the men's team.
Player Notes:
#2 Amy Briggs - An all-state and all-metro player at Lansing HS, Briggs moved on to help Johnson County finish fifth in junior college nationals as a freshman. She averaged nine points and four assists per game while running the point for JCCC while also shooting 41% from three-point range. She averaged 12 points, three assists per game while earning second team all-Jayhawk conference honors and was a WBCA All-America as a sophomore.
#5 Allison Wiese –Appeared in 16 games, nine in the MIAA…scored a season-high eight points against McKendree… made five of her 13 three-point attempts.
#12 Allie Norton – Started all 27 games and broke the freshman school record with a .401 three-point shooting percentage hitting 59-of-147 attempts…scored in double-figures 12 times with a season-high 17 points against Lincoln on Feb. 22… second on the team with assists with 74 and dished out 10 for a double-double against Central Methodist… made a three-pointer in 26 games and one in the last 17 straight games…earned MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
#15 Jennifer Conway – Started 26 games and was second in rebounding (6.1 rpg) and scoring at 11.6 points per game…has been in double-figures 17 times this season with a high of 23 points against Pittsburg State…shot 45% from the floor and had three double-doubles…her 78 career blocks ranks fourth in Truman history.
#21 Megan Sharpe – Joined the team on Dec. 3
rd after earning all-America honors for the third straight year on the volleyball court… played in 21 games, making 10 starts…had the game-winning basket against #15 Washburn as time expired…recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in the MIAA postseason tournament game against Emporia State…shot 43% from the field and added 4.3 rebounds per game…named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll
#22 Becka McHenry – Second team all-MIAA…team leader in minutes played at 32.4 per game while also first in scoring 14.2 and first in assists with 145…the 145 assists were the third best single-season total in school history and she will enter her senior year seventh all-time in assists with 261…scored over 20 points on six occasions with a high of 24 against Lincoln, Southwest Baptist and Fort Hays State…was in double-figures 20 times and had a triple-double with 14, points, 10, rebounds and 10 assists against Pittsburg State on Jan. 25…named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll
#23 Courtney Strait - Was a two-time all-state selection earning first-team honors her senior season. Averaged 21 points and nine rebounds during her final season to also be placed on the all-metro and all-conference teams. As a junior, scored 16 points per game and pulled down six rebounds per night for Kennedy HS. She was named third-team all-state at the 4A level, while also picking up all-metro and all-district accolades. She was a 42% shooter from three-point range.
#24 Sarah Gaeddert –Played in 23 games and averaged around eight minutes a game…scored a season-high four points against five teams, last coming against Northwest Missouri and added three assists with six rebounds in a win over Rockhurst.
#25 Bianca Szafarowicz –Started seven and came off the bench in 15 games…shot 46% from the field and was third on the team with 34 offensive rebounds…scored a season-high 11 points in a win over William Penn and pulled down nine rebounds with six offensive in a win against Lindenwood-Belleville…named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
#30 Kasey Gassensmith - Was a two-time all-state selection earning second team honors as a senior while averaging 13 points and four rebounds. As a junior, averaged 11 points and five rebounds per game to earn honorable mention all-state in Class 4A. Earned all-conference and all-area honors.
#32 Nicole Gloor – Started 11 games and came off the bench in 13 others…one of the team's top defensive players…scored in double-figures 14 times this season with a high of 24 against Lincoln…her 14-of-18 free throw performance against Emporia State was the third most in makes and attempts in Truman single-game history…was second on the team lead in steals with 33…averaged about 22 minutes per game…named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
#42 Jessica Redd - A four-time all-state selection by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, Redd comes to Truman having led her Marion County team to a 60-1 record during her junior and senior years and a Class 1 state championship in 2010-11. She averaged 21 points and nine rebounds her last two years. Jessica was named the Quincy Herald-Whig's 2011 player of the year and has started for teams that have placed first, second and third (twice) in the MSHSAA state tournament.
#44 Michelle Tomczak – Redshirted last season…averaged a double-double as a high school senior to earn honorable mention all-state honors...helped her high school team to a 22-6 record her senior season.
