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KIRKSVILLE - - When the calendar turns to December, it means it's time for conference action in the MIAA, and the Truman men's basketball team opens the 22-game MIAA slate by welcoming Missouri Southern to Pershing Arena for a 7:30 pm tip on Wednesday (Dec. 1) night.
Both teams played all four of their allotted non-conference games before MIAA begins Wednesday, with the Bulldogs posting a 2-2 record and the Lions going 4-0. Truman enters Wednesday night coming off a tough 76-71 loss at Quincy (Ill.) University that saw the 'Dogs surrender a 16-point second half lead before the Hawks iced the game from the foul line. Truman is 2-0, though, at home this season, having picked up wins against nearby NAIA foes, Culver-Stockton (Mo.) and Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) in mid-November.
Missouri Southern meanwhile, comes into Wednesday's game having won four straight to start the season and are just one of three teams in the conference to navigate November unblemished. The Lions have defeated two Div. II opponents this season, setting back Northeastern (Okla.) State, 75-53, in the season-opener before traveling to Arkansas-Fort Smith last Wednesday night for a 75-70 win against another set of Lions. They also have home wins against Central Bible (Mo.) (79-51) and Ozarks (Mo.) (76-62).
Truman is 2-8 in conference openers since 2000 and has seen the Lions six times to start the MIAA season since the 2003-2004 campaign. The Bulldogs are 2-4 in those matchups with wins coming on Dec. 30, 2003 and on Dec. 9, 2006 – both at home. This is the fifth straight season the two squads have started MIAA play against each other.
Media Information:
104.7 FM KRES is the official radio home of Truman football, men's basketball and women's basketball. Brad Boyer and Hank Janssen will provide coverage throughout the season of Truman basketball on the Moberly-based station.
KRES broadcasts its sports coverage online at centralmoinfo.com. Fans can also watch MIAA games on their computer this season through AmericaOne/B2 Networks for a fee.
Live stats for all Bulldog games throughout the season will be made available via links on the men's basketball schedule page at TrumanBulldogs.com.
About the 'Dogs:
· The Bulldogs are scoring 75.5 points per game through their first four games, while allowing opponents just 63.2 points per game for a +13.3 margin.
· Senior Alex Henderson is having a hot start to the season, leading the team at 19.0 points/game and 3.0 assists/game, while also ranking third in rebounds at 5.3/game. He is shooting 58% from the field and a blistering 65% (13-for-20) from long-distance. Henderson has scored 10+ points in all four games this season.
· Truman faced a variety of non-conference opponents this year, including Div. I Missouri-Kansas City, Div. II Quincy and NAIA's Culver-Stockton and Hannibal-LaGrange.
· Sophomore guard Tom Norton is also scoring in double-figures through four games, coming in at 11.8 points/game. He has dropped 11 three-pointers in 31 attempts and is a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
· Senior Ethan Freeman is averaging just shy of a double-double with 8.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He tied a career-high with 17 rebounds at QU on Nov. 27.
· Junior Vesko Filchev has dominated the paint defensively this year, swatting six shots to lead the 'Dogs and pulling down 6.0 rebounds/game.
· The Truman bench has contributed significantly to the usual starting five, averaging 23.3 points per game. The bench has been led by freshman Pat Sodemann's 5.3 ppg average and 56% shooting.
· Head coach Jack Schrader has used the same starting lineup for all four games, going with three seniors (Henderson, Freeman, Stefan Garrison), Filchev and Norton.
· The 'Dogs are shooting 75% from the free throw line this year (45-for-60) and have upped that mark to 79% (15-for-19) in the final five minutes of a game.
· The 76 points allowed to Quincy was a team-high by the Bulldog defense. Truman has topped 80 points twice this season and has been above 70 three times.
A Look at the Lions:
Missouri Southern enters Wednesday night's game at 4-0, with two wins against Div. II opponents in non-conference action. The Lions are 1-0 away from Joplin, having earned a 75-70 win at Ark.-Fort Smith last Wednesday night.
The Lions have two former MIAA Freshmen of the Year in their starting lineup, with junior Jason Adams leading the squad at 18.3 points per game, and senior Skyler Bowlin coming in right behind him at 16.5 ppg. Bowlin is the team leader in assists at 5.3 per game, while junior Keane Thomann leads the green and gold with 7.8 rebounds per contest.
As a squad, the Lions are shooting 49.4% from the field and 36.5% from long-range, but have struggled from the charity stripe – hitting just 58.8% of their free lunch tries.
MSSU has forced its opponents into more than 20 turnovers per game but have been turnover-prone as well with more than 16 per game of their own.
Robert Corn is in his 22nd season as the head coach at MSSU and has a career mark of 314-261.
They're on Fire:
The Bulldogs have been deadly from long-range this season, dropping three-pointers at a 41.1% clip (39-for-95) while holding their opponents to just a 26.7% (16-for-60) mark.
Leading the way has been Alex Henderson with 13 (on 20 attempts) and Tom Norton with 11. Seven different Bulldogs have hit three's this year, including freshman Isaac Gardner's seven on 16 attempts.
Coming Out Strong:
Truman has taken advantage of the first five minutes of the second half so far this season, outscoring opponents by 23 points (41-18) from the start of the half to the first media timeout under the 15-minute mark.
Up Next:
Truman will hit the road for two games in a four-day window, starting this Saturday (Dec. 4) at Pittsburg (Kan.) State with a 3:30 pm tipoff from John Lance Arena. Following that, the 'Dogs head back that direction, stopping in Bolivar, Mo., on Tuesday (Dec. 7) night for a 7:30 pm showdown with Southwest Baptist.
