Game Preview:
Round two of the MIAA season gets underway on Saturday as the Truman women's basketball team will host Missouri Southern State University at 1:00 p.m. for Daddy/Daughter Day in Pershing Arena. The Bulldogs are coming off a 60-53 loss at the hands of Central Missouri while Missouri Southern defeated Northwest Missouri in overtime 83-75 on Wednesday night.
The Bulldogs are 1-4 in their last five games and are coming off one of the worst shooting nights in two years. Truman fired up 72 shots against the Jennies, second most this season, but only 22 connected for just 30% for the game. Four of the five starters were a combine 4-of-26 (15%) while as a team, they dominated the offensive boards with 15 on the night but managed just 14 second chance points. Jennifer Conway led Truman in scoring with 15 points with a modest 7-of-13 from the field.
The Lions got a total of 40 points, 20 apiece, from Haley Weathers and Tatianna Washington and never trailed but needed overtime to defeat Northwest Missouri 83-75 on Wednesday. Southern was 8-of-26 from behind the arc with Weathers connecting four times. Shatara Stone and Erin Rice each notched double-doubles with Stone scoring 15 and gathering 10 rebounds and Rice contributing a dozen each. The win broke a six-game skid for the Lions.
Two keys to watch in the rematch from Truman's 63-55 victory over the Lions are rebounding and turnovers. The Bulldogs are a plus 5.3 in rebounding margin while the Lions are a minus -6.4 on the glass. The Bulldogs were a plus 10 in the first meeting back on November 30. Truman is also averaging 13.7 turnovers per game while Southern has averaged 19.3, however, Southern is forcing 19.7 turnovers per game on their opponents. The teams had a total of 43 turnovers in the first meeting.
Becka McHenry scored 22 points and Allie Norton added 16 as the Bulldogs overcame a halftime deficit for the win. Erin Rice matched McHenry's 22 points and Tatianna Washington added 13 for the Lions.
About The Bulldogs:
Junior Becka McHenry leads Truman in scoring and is 9th in the conference at 13.2 points per game. McHenry is averaging 14.5 in 10 conference games while shooting 42% from the floor and 4.5 assists per game. Junior Jennifer Conway is second in scoring at 11.9 per game and 6.2 per contest.
Senior Breanna Daniels is also in double-figures in scoring at 10.4 per game. Freshman Allie Norton leads the team with 33 three-pointers and is shooting 43% from beyond the arc but just eight in her last five games.
The Bulldogs are averaging 69.6 points per game and 64.4 in conference games. They are shooting 40% from the field, 37% from beyond the arc and 75% from the foul line.
The Series:
Missouri Southern holds a 22-20 advantage over the Bulldogs in the all-time series with Truman winning three of the last five games.
In Pershing Arena, the Bulldogs are 11-8 overall against the Lions and will be looking to extend their winning streak at home over Southern to three with a win.
Bulldog Trends:
In the last five games (1-4) Truman is shooting 36% from the field with just 28% (19-of-67 & 3.8 per game) from beyond the ar. The Bulldogs are a minus -0.8 in turnover margin in those games. They have outscored their opponents by 33 in the first half but have been outscored by 26 in the second. The overall scoring margin in the last five games has been minus +1.4.
In the second half of the last five, Truman has just seven three-pointers while shooting 20% from long range and have been outscored 34.6 to 29.4 while holding the lead in four of the five.
In home conference games this season, the Bulldogs are 1-3 with a 40% field goal percentage and a 37% three-point field goal percentage. They are averaging 10.8 turnovers in those games while forcing 16.5.
Quick Look Around The MIAA:
Everyone in the MIAA now has 10 games played in the league and Pittsburg State and Washburn are atop with 9-1 records at the halfway pole. Washburn would hold the tiebreaker with a victory at Pitt last week.
Emporia State, with losses to both top teams, is at 8-2 in third place while Fort Hays and Central Missouri are tied at 6-4 with the Jennies in fourth via tiebreak and the Tigers in fifth.
Truman is in sixth, tied with Lincoln at 4-6 while Missouri Western is in eighth at 3-7.
Southwest Baptist, Missouri Southern and Northwest Missouri are tied for ninth with 2-8 league records.
Surpassing A Grand:
Senior Breanna Daniels became the 16th Truman women's basketball player to eclipse 1,000 points for a career and first since Georgia Mueller did so in 2009 earlier this season.
Daniels has started 80 of 96 games played during her Bulldog career and is shooting nearly 40% from the field with 129 made three pointers. Her single-game high in points is 27 against Northwest Missouri on Feb. 17, 2010. She is averaging 11.5 points per game. Daniels had 63 double figure scoring nights with one double-double.
Daniels is third all-time in Truman history in made three-pointers (129), third in three-pointers attempted (374), eighth in free throw percentage (.782) and 10th in field goals (420), seventh in field goals attempted (1062) and sixth in games started (80).
Notable National Rankings:
In the latest set of national rankings released on Jan. 15th Truman was second Division II in three-point field goal percentage (39.4%) while conference rival Washburn has jumped on top with a 40.4% shooting percentage from three.
Truman was 10th in Division II in turnovers per game (14.0). They were 17th in free throw shooting (76.4%).
Individually, Allie Norton has slipped from seventh to 13th in three-point field goal percentage (45.7%) while Becka McHenry was 30th in the country in assists per game at 4.6.
Notable Conference Rankings:
Truman is first in MIAA turnover margin at plus +3.5 per game and second in free throw percentage (75.5%).
Becka McHenry
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9th Scoring (13.2/g)
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9th FG Pct. (42.4%)
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2nd Assists (4.5/g)
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8th FT Pct. (77.6%)
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T10th Steals (1.5/g)
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5th Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.8)
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7th Minutes (31.5/g)
Jennifer Conway
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19th Scoring (11.9/g)
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14th Rebounds (6.2/g)
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6th FT Pct. (79.5%)
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15th Blocks (0.8/g)
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9th Off. Reb. (2.3/g)
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15th Def. Reb. (3.9/g)
Allie Norton
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6th 3pt Pct. (43.4%)
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3rd 3pt Made (2.2/g)
Breanna Daniels
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27th Scoring (10.2/g)
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11th Rebounds (6.5/g)
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12th 3pt Pct. (38.5%)
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9th Def. Reb. (5.1/g)
Nicole Gloor
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14th Steals (1.3/g)
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7th Off. Reb. (2.5/g)
Bulldog Tip-Ins:
· Truman is averaging 69.6 points and shooting 40% from the field, 37% from the arc and 75% from the line. Last season the team averaged 62.7 points shooting 39% from the field, 33% from beyond the arc and 66% from the free throw line.
· The Bulldogs are 5-3 in Pershing Arena this season and 11-9 over the past two years at home.
· Over the past two years, Truman is 8-9 on the road in conference play. From 2000-2010, the Bulldogs were just 15 and 75 (.200) in league road tilts.
· Truman has led at the half in 10 games this year and has won seven. They have trailed the other five games and won two of them.
· The Bulldogs have won the battle of the boards in 10 games this season with the largest margin of 19 against Lincoln. They have had a double-digit advantage in rebounds in seven games.
· Three Bulldogs have topped 20 points six times this season. Becka McHenry and Nicole Gloor had single-game highs of 24 with both coming against Lincoln University. McHenry has had three 20-point plus games while Gloor has had two and Jennifer Conway one.
· Truman has had five different players through 15 games lead them in scoring. McHenry has seven games while Gloor (3), Conway (3), Daniels (2) and Jenny Dorman have one game.
· Five Bulldogs have each recorded double-doubles through 14 games. Jennifer Conway has two while Breanna Daniels, Allie Norton, Nicole Gloor and Becka McHenry have one apiece. Three Bulldogs recorded double-doubles last season with five coming from Jennifer Conway and one apiece from Amy Galey and Megan Sharpe.
Up Next:
The Bulldogs will play the top three teams in the MIAA starting on Wednesday night with a road trip to Pittsburg State. Truman will return to face both Emporia State and Washburn to round out the toughest stretch of the schedule. All three are ranked nationally.
Player Notes:
#5 Allison Wiese – Has appeared in eight games, three in the MIAA thus far…scored a season-high six points against Central Methodist while playing 13 minutes and adding two steals.
#10 Kaitlin Stump – Has missed the past 14 games with an injury…only action of the season was in the opener against Lindenwood-Belleville where she played eight minutes and had one assist.
#12 Allie Norton – Started all 15 games and leads the team with 33 three-pointers and a 43% three-point shooting percentage…has scored in double-figures seven times this season with a season-high 16 points against Quincy and Missouri Southern…is second on the team with assists with 39 and dished out 10 for a double-double against Central Methodist.
#13 Jenny Dorman – Has come off the bench in all 15 games this season…scored in double figures twice with a season-high 19 points against Central Methodist…averaging about 15 minutes per game and is shooting about 34% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc.
#15 Jennifer Conway – Started 13 games and is second on the team in rebounding (6.2 rpg) and is second in scoring at 11.7 points per game…has been in double-figures 10 times this season with a high of 20 points against William Penn…shooting 46% from the floor and has two double-doubles.
#21 Megan Sharpe – Joined the team on Dec. 3rd after earning all-America honors for the third straight year on the volleyball court…has played in nine games, making four starts…had the game-winning basket against #15 Washburn as time expired while also playing a season-high 25 minutes.
#22 Becka McHenry – Team leader in minutes played at 31.5 per game while also first in scoring 13.2 and first in assists with 67…has scored over 20 points on three occasions with a high of 24 against Lincoln…been in double-figures nine times and had a double-double with 10 assists against Southwest Baptist.
#24 Sarah Gaeddert – Had played in 12 games this year and averaging around eight minutes a game…scored a season-high four points against Lindenwood-Belleville, Central Methodist and Northwest Missouri and added three assists with six rebounds in a win over Rockhurst.
#25 Bianca Szafarowicz – Has started three and come off the bench in 12 games…shooting 47% from the field and is third on the team with 27 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.
#32 Nicole Gloor – Has started 11 games and came off the bench in the other four games…is the team's top defensive player…has scored in double-figures seven times this season with a high of 24 against Lincoln…second on the team lead in steals with 20 and second with five blocked shots…averaging over 23 minutes per game.
#41 Rachel Remick – Played in all 15 games making one start against Northwest Missouri…scored in 12…season-high is eight points against Emporia State on Dec. 17th…posted a season-high nine rebounds against Lindenwood-Belleville.
#42 Breanna Daniels – Has started 12 games and came off the bench in the other three…averaging 27.1 minutes in each…has been in double-figures 10 times with a season-high 15 points coming against Missouri Western.…has one-double-double on the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds against Lindenwood-Belleville…went over the 1,000 career point total with 13 against Pittsburg State on Dec. 3…a third team all-MIAA member and Academic all-district selection last season.
