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Game Preview:
The 2010-2011 MIAA Basketball season kicks off on Wednesday night as the Truman women host the Missouri Southern State University Lions at 5:30 p.m. in Pershing Arena. The Bulldogs are 1-2 overall while the Lions 2-2 in non-conference games.
Truman is coming off a 73-61 victory over Maryville University (Mo.)on Saturday and got most of their production from the bench. Of the 73 points score by the 'Dogs, 50 came from non-starters as the game featured 12 ties and six lead changes before Truman pulled away over the final five minutes.
Freshman Nicole Gloor scored 22 points followed by Breanna Daniels' 19 and Becka McHenry's 11. Gloor was 7-of-9 from the field after missing her first two shots of the game. The four other starters, minus Daniels, were just 1-of-14 from the field with freshman Bianca Szafarowicz adding the only other non-starter points with two.
Daniels is leading the Bulldogs in scoring overall with an 18.3 points per game average while Gloor is second at 8.7 and senior Cassie Hunt is third at 6.7 points per game.
Truman is shooting just 41% from the field and just 27% from beyond the arc but are getting it done at the line by shooting 82% overall and nearly 90% in the final five minutes of games.
Missouri Southern is 2-2 on the season with both wins coming this past weekend against Avila University and Evangel University at home. The Lions defeated Avila 71-46 behind Michelle Hedgecock's 27 points and 13 rebounds. The next day, Jasmine Lovejoy and LaTrice Jones both scored 20 in a 67-61 win over Evangel.
The Lions two losses came at the hands of Northeastern State (67-50) and Arkansas-Fort Smith (72-70).
Lovejoy, a senior guard, leads the team with a 19.8 points per game mark including a career-high 36 points in the season opening loss to Arkansas-Fort Smith that earned her the MIAA player of the week honors.
Last Year's Recap:
The Lions and Bulldogs split last year's meetings in the MIAA with the Southern taking the first game by 14 (79-65) and the Bulldogs winning in Kirksville by seven (64-57).
In Joplin, Jolea Apon scored 28 points while Jasmine Lovejoy added 20 in the Lions 79-65 victory. Southern was 10-of-20 from three-point land and shot 54% from the field for the game. Laura Joya had 20 points for the Bulldogs.
In Truman's 64-57 victory, Amy Galey, Breanna Daniels and Becka McHenry all scored in double-figures with Galey leading with 15 points and 10-of-11 from the charity stripe. Michelle Hedgecock led the Lions with 19 points while Lovejoy added 17.
Bulldog Coaching Staff:
Head Coach Michael Smith enters his third year at the helm of the Truman Women's Basketball program. Smith was 8-19 in his first season and improved by three games last year to 11-16. The Bulldogs won six of their first 10 games and four of their last five in 2009-10.
Smith took over the program in April of 2008 and was previously the assistant coach at Division I University of Arkansas-Little Rock.
Joining Smith in her first year on the Truman bench is Lora Westling as the new assistant coach. Westling was a two-time all-MIAA performer and helped Washburn University to the 2005 Division II National Title. She served the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Bulldogs In the MIAA:
- Truman was 6-14 in the conference last season with four of the six wins coming in Pershing Arena.
- Breanna Daniels was an honorable mention all-MIAA selection after scoring 13.5 points per conference game. Daniels shot 41% from the field and was 35-of-95 from beyond the arc (36%).
- Amy Galey was the only Bulldog to start all 20 conference games last year and averaged 4.5 assists per game with 21 steals.
- As a team, the Bulldogs averaged 60.9 points per game while allowing 68.4 and shot 39% from the field and 34% from three. At the line, Truman shot 79%.
- Truman finished the 09-10 conference season winning four of their final five games but also suffered an eight-game loosing streak from 12/12/09 to 1/20/10.
Overall Key Stats from 09-10:
· Truman averaged 61.6 points per game last season with their highest point total being 99 against Northwest Missouri State in overtime on Feb. 17th.
· Breanna Daniels had three of the top four individual scoring performances for the Bulldogs last year. Daniels scored 27 in a victory over Northwest Missouri and 23 in a win over Pittsburg State. Both games went into overtime. Daniels also led the team with four three-pointers made in four different games.
· Daniels led the team in scoring at a 13.1 ppg mark while she is also the team's top returning rebounder at 4.3 rpg.
· The Bulldogs shot 40.3% from beyond the arc and averaged 4.2 three-point makes.
· Truman shot 77.9% from the free throw line with Becka McHenry being the top returning free throw shooter at 81%.
· Truman averaged 15.1 turnovers per game and were a -1.6 in turnover margin last season.
Up Next:
The Bulldogs head to Pittsburg State on Saturday for an afternoon conference game with the Gorillas. The two teams split last year's meeting with the 'Dogs winning in Kirksville in overtime and the Gorillas winning by 20 on their home court. Tip off is 1:30 p.m.
Due to the current construction project going on in the Pershing Building, no admission will be charged for either game.
