Men's Basketball Notes: at Lincoln

TRUMAN (5-10, 3-5 MIAA)
@ Lincoln (2-11, 2-6 MIAA)

Saturday, Jan. 14, 3:30 pm
Jason Gym; Jefferson City, Mo.

Audio: 104.7 FM – KRES (Moberly, Mo.); Also streamed online at CentralMOInfo.com
Video: http://www.b2livetv.com/partner_members.asp?id=295
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/lincolnu/mbball/index.htm

PDF Notes

Game Preview:
Coming off a well-balanced 87-86 overtime win at Missouri Western on Wednesday night, the Truman men's basketball team will try to piece back-to-back road wins together when it visits Lincoln University on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 pm.

The Bulldogs (5-10, 3-5 MIAA) put all nine players on the scoreboard and were led by a trio in double-figures as they came from behind in overtime, then held on late, for a one-point victory on Wednesday night in St. Joseph. Currently sitting in a tie for eighth in league play, Truman can take another giant step in its 2012 improvement with a victory in Jefferson City on Saturday against the host Blue Tigers (2-11, 2-6 MIAA).

While Truman is coming off a hard-fought overtime win, Lincoln enters having last fallen 61-39 at Emporia State on Wednesday. LU downed MWSU at the buzzer on Saturday but was on a five-game skid prior to that affair.

Last season, the Bulldogs and Blue Tigers split their head-to-head matchups with each defending its own home court. Five players scored in double-figures for Truman in an 83-79 home victory, led by 18 from Vesko Filchev and 11 apiece from Tom Norton and Isaac Gardner. The Bulldogs, however, then struggled in a return trip to the capital city in falling 77-65. Two former players hit milestones in that game, as both Ethan Freeman and Alex Henderson eclipsed the 1,000-point mark.

The Bulldogs hold a 42-31 edge in the all-time series and have dominated in recent years, having won eight of the last nine meetings. The teams met last season for the first time since 2005, as Lincoln re-joined the MIAA prior to the start of the 2010-11 academic year.

Three to Watch:
1.     Getting to the offensive glass. The Bulldogs have averaged nearly 14 offensive rebounds per game in their last three, while Lincoln ranks last in the MIAA in defensive rebounding.
2.     Bulldog guards from distance. The Blue Tigers rank in the top-third of the MIAA in just one category – defending the three-pointer. The outside shooting of Truman's guards can open up the inside if they're allowed to bury shots from long-range.
3.     Focus. Focus. Focus. The Bulldogs (68%) and Blue Tigers (63%) have both struggled from the line this season. A tight game could be decided from the charity stripe.

A Fast Check of the Regulars:
·       Freshman Seth Jackson, at 11.7 ppg overall, is the team's leading scorer both overall and in MIAA (13.6) games. He is also the team's top rebounder at 4.8/game (6.3 in MIAA-only) and is 45-for-60 (75%) from the line with two 20+-point games this year.
·       Junior Tom Norton ranks second on the squad at 10.9 points per game as one of three players in double-figures. He has made 34 triples this season and is 36-for-45 (80%) from the free throw line.
·       Redshirt freshman Mike Carlson is averaging 10.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He has started all 15 games and leads the squad with 12 blocks.
·       Junior transfer EJ Hicks is averaging 9.5 ppg and is the team's assist leader (38).
·       Sophomore Isaac Gardner has made 33 triples and is averaging 8.1 points per game.
·       Freshman Patrick Burmester has started 13 of 15 games and is averaging 4.8 ppg and 4.1 rpg. He also has nine blocks and is shooting 52% from the floor.
·       Freshman Andrew Vander Zwaag has played in all but two games this season, averaging 4.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. He is fourth on the squad with 11 triples.
·       Senior Vesko Filchev has played in seven games overall and in each of the past four, averaging 4.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in more than 12 minutes per game. He is shooting 67% from the floor.
·       Freshman Tyler Anderson has earned five starts this season and is averaging 3.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He has averaged more than a point and a rebound more per game in MIAA play.
·       Sophomore Marek Bush has played in 14 of the team's 15 games and is the team-leader on the offensive glass (25). He logged career-highs in points (14) and rebounds (11) at MWSU on Jan. 11.

Bulldog Tip-Ins:
·       The Bulldogs are 5-10 (3-5 MIAA) in 2011-12 after going 7-19 (5-17) last year.
·       Truman is shooting 42.8% from the field as a team, including a 34.4% (99-for-288) mark from three-point range.
·       The 'Dogs are getting to the free throw line an more than 22 times per game, for a total of 39 additional attempts than their opponents on the year. Truman is connecting at a 68.2% (227-for-333) mark on the year.
·       The Bulldogs have had six different players lead them in scoring this season, led by Jackson's team-high six times.
·       Truman has had six 20-point scoring outings this season, led by Tom Norton's 27 at Grand View and Seth Jackson's 25 against Central Christian. Jackson is the only player this year to top 20 points in a game twice.
·       Of 75 total starts in the 15 games this season, 48 (64%) have been made by freshmen and 54 (76%) have been made by newcomers overall (Hicks + freshmen).
·       The Bulldogs have gotten to the offensive glass in the past three games, averaging nearly 14 offensive boards per game. The 17 rebounds against MWSU marked the second-most of the season (18 vs. CCCB; Nov. 15).

Scouting the Blue Tigers:
Lincoln (2-11, 2-6 MIAA) enters Saturday afternoon searching for its first home win of the 2011-2012 campaign, having gone 0-4 in Jefferson City – including an 0-3 mark in MIAA action.

The Blue Tigers are scoring just 61 points per game and are shooting 40% from the floor while allowing opponents to connect at a 49% clip for nearly 77 points per game. The squad doesn't shoot the three-pointer well (32%) but does defend it (31%). Lincoln is a 63% free throw shooting team and is getting out-rebounded by an average of six per game.

Cedric Ridle (16.2) and Jimmy Payton (10.2) – both returners from last season – lead LU offensively, with the duo adding more than 11 combined rebounds.

John Redmond is in his third season at Lincoln.

Up Next:
The Bulldogs return to Pershing Arena for back-to-back home games next week, starting on Wednesday (Jan. 18) night when they round out the first half of the MIAA schedule against Central Missouri at 7:30 pm.

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