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Rockhurst - Live Video ($) | Live Audio | Live Stats | Game Notes (PDF)
William Jewell – Live Video ($) | Live Audio | Live Stats | Game Notes (PDF)
 
 
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Coming off back-to-back 80 or more-point outings, the Truman State Women's Basketball team will play in the Kansas City area this weekend. The Bulldogs will be at Rockhurst on Thursday evening and at William Jewell on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Bulldogs found their scoring touch in the two home games last weekend where they scored 99 points in a victory over Southwest Baptist and 82 points as they pushed Drury to the end in a 92-82 loss to the Lady Panthers on Saturday. The Bulldogs shot 52.8% from the field and made 26 three-pointers last week. It was the first time this season that Truman has strung together consecutive games with at least 10 threes and had more triples in the last two games than they did in the previous five.
 
Five players averaged over double digits in scoring led by Ellie Weltha at 16.5 PPG. Molly Joyce was second at 15 points, Claire Rake was next at 14, Bailey Kliewer at 11.5 and Madison Niemeier at 10.5.
 
First on the road trip will be a stop at Rockhurst. The Hawks held the Bulldogs last year to a season-low 44 points in a 53-44 defeat in Kansas City last February. Rockhurst is 8-0 at home this year and 9-6 overall, 6-5 in the GLVC. They are coming off an empty road trip with a 74-60 loss at Missouri S&T and a 96-60 defeat at Maryville on Saturday. The Hawks are the number one team in the GLVC in turnover margin at +5 per game and force over 21 opponent turnovers per game.
 
Truman State has lost their last two games played in Mason-Halpin Fieldhouse but have won the other last six games in the series.
 
The Bulldogs have had an eight-game dominance over William Jewell and have posted a 17-4 overall record over the Cardinals. William Jewell had dropped their last five games including last weekend's 95-64 loss at Maryville and a 79-67 defeat to the hands of Missouri S&T. The Cardinals are last in the GLVC in rebounding margin at minus 14.6 per game.
 
Truman State pounded William Jewell in the regular season finale last year 98-72 with 12 three-pointers made and a +12 in rebounds. Hannah Belanger led the way with 17 points followed by 14 from Ellie Weltha, 13 by Claire Rake and 10 from Gracie Neff.
 
About the Bulldogs:
Ellie Weltha has dropped to fifth in overall scoring among GLVC players at 17.3 points per game and she is 11^th in conference-only games at 16.2 per outing.. She had been in double figures in 15 of 16 games this season and became only the third Bulldog player to achieve 1,000 career rebounds last Saturday. She joined Felicia Sutton (1987-91) and Carol Jarrard (1978-82). Weltha has lettered in three sports while at Truman playing for the softball team in both 2021 and 2022 and was the GLVC champion in the outdoor Discus throw and silver medalist in the Shot Put. Weltha finished ninth in the Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships last May in the Shot.
 
Claire Rake is second in scoring at 10.2 points per outing and leads the team with 40 three-pointers made in 118 attempts. Rake has started all 16 games, scoring in double-figures seven times with a high of 23 points on seven made triples against Southwest Baptist. In 76 career games, Rake has knocked down 115 three-pointers.
 
Bailey Kliewer is the active leader in games played with 122 in five seasons. The past four have been at Rogers (Okla.) State where she earned all-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association honors. Kliewer has 1,203 career points and is averaging 8.6 points this season as a Bulldog. In starting 12 of 16 games, Kliewer has been in double digits seven times, with one double-double and a single-game best 19 against Southwest Baptist.
 
Molly Joyce made her first two collegiate starts last week and scored a career-high 24 points against Drury while playing a season-high 33 minutes. Joyce has been in double-figures six times as a freshman and is averaging 8.3 points per game this season while appearing in all 16.
 
Gracie Neff has started the last nine games and recorded her first double-double of her career last Saturday against Drury. Neff scored a season/career-high 13 points and added 10 assists. Neff has moved up to fifth in conference-only stats for assists at 4.3 per outing.
 
Maddie Niemeier has started the last four games and has been in double-figures in three straight. Niemeier averaged nearly 30 minutes on the floor last week and made 10-of-18 field goal attempts. She notched her first career double-double last week against Southwest Baptist with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Niemeier has played in all 16 games.
 
Ainsley Tolson averages 8.1 points and is second in assists with 45 in her first season with the Bulldogs. Tolson has played 121 games with stops at three other schools during her college career and amassed 1,551 points, and 392 assists. She has scored in double-figures in six games as a Bulldogs with a high of 18 points in two games. Tolson has started 10 of the 16 games thus far.
 
Emma Bulman has started 11 of 16 games this season and averages 6.6 points. Bulman's single-game high this season is 18 points against McKendree and has been in double-figures in four games this season.
 
As a team, Truman is shooting 43% overall and scoring 71.4 points per game while opponents are shooting 42% overall and averaging 77.9 points. The Bulldogs are making 7.1 three-pointers per game, 15.4 free throws per outing, shooting 75% from the line, 16.1 assists, 6.5 steals and two blocks. In the 10 GLVC games, the Bulldogs are shooting 42% overall, 27% from distance and 72% at the line.  
 
Theo Dean is in his fifth season at Truman State and has a 79-46 record. He is currently fourth on the all-time wins list at Truman State. Dean's teams have nearly won 70% of his GLVC games during his tenure with a 59-27 conference record. His squads are 32-12 in GLVC home games and 28-15 in conference road games.
 
Up Next:
The Bulldogs will play their second games against McKendree and Missouri-St. Louis at home next weekend. The Bearcats are currently leading the GLVC with a 10-1 conference record and defeated Truman State in the GLVC opener back in November 76-71. Missouri-St. Louis enters the week with a 5-6 league mark and downed the Bulldogs 61-60 on January 6^th.